The 50th Anniversary 1974-2024
2024 KAMA Scientific Convention

Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld is board certified in both anesthesiology and clinical informatics and has been an AMA Trustee since 2014, having served as Board Chair in 2019-20

Dr. Ehrenfeld is one of the most respected national voices on digital health integration and innovation, serving as a consultant to the World Health Organization’s former Digital Health Technical Advisory Group, and co-chair of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation’s committee on AI. He previously served as co-chair of the Navy Surgeon General’s Taskforce on Personalized and Digital Medicine and as a special advisor to the 20th U.S. Surgeon General.

His research, which focuses on understanding how information technology can improve surgical safety and patient outcomes, has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research.

Dr. Ehrenfeld is also a combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan during both Operation Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support Mission.

Karen Kim, MD, MS, was named dean at the Penn State College of Medicine in 2023. As the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Rural Health Research, Kim leads the College of Medicine’s education, research, and clinical missions, the culture of innovation, and will focus on enhancing team-based interdisciplinary collaboration across the College of Medicine, Penn State Health, the University at large and across commonwealth campuses. As Physician in Chief, Kim plays a critical role in shaping the academic health system.

In addition to being dean, Kim is a nationally recognized leader in health disparities research, curricular innovation, and public policy. Her research focuses on the rigorous development and evaluation of multi-level strategies to advance cancer health equity among marginalized and vulnerable populations. As founder and director of the Center for Asian Health Equity community-academic partnership, Kim is a national leader in public policies for the inclusion of Asian Americans and underserved populations in research.

Prior to joining Penn State, Kim served as the Vice Provost for Research and Senior Research Officer at the University of Chicago, the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Chair and Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. During her tenure as Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Kim collaborated with divisions, schools, centers and institutes across the University and national laboratories to establish strategic research priorities, significantly increase interdisciplinary research and funding success and to enhance broader impact through inclusive innovation.

With extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention, and minority health research, Kim is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health and the National Institutes of Health. Kim leads the State of Illinois’ colorectal cancer control program across urban and rural regions and has focused on developing innovative technology-based solutions to address gaps in healthcare services among federally qualified community and rural health centers.

In addition to her research, Kim is deeply committed to civic engagement and has dedicated significant time to advancing health through service to numerous nonprofit organizations and national boards. Kim has been nationally recognized for her advocacy and policy work and received the International Women’s Leadership Award, the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award, and the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity.

She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the American Public Health Association.

She is the College’s first female dean and the only current Korean-American woman to hold such a title nationally.

Jerome H. Kim, MD, is an international expert on the development and evaluation of vaccines and the Director General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).

IVI is a nonprofit international organization with a mission to discover, develop and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for Global Health. IVI’s oral cholera vaccine is used around the world to prevent and control this deadly diarrheal disease. IVI’s typhoid conjugate vaccine, tech-transferred to SK bioscience, is now approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and prequalified by the WHO. The same TCV, tech-transferred to PT BioFarma, is approved by the Indonesian BPOM.

Prior to joining IVI, Dr. Kim was the Program Manager for the US Army’s Advanced Development Program for HIV vaccines and led the only HIV vaccine trial to show protection against infection (RV144), the identification of correlates from the trial, and analysis of viral sieve effects. He also served as the Principal Deputy of the US Military HIV Research Program doing earlier stage R&D on HIV vaccines and as the Chief, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Pathogenesis at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Dr. Kim is a Distinguished Visiting Professor, Seoul National University; an Adjunct Professor at the Uniformed Services University (USA) and the Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University; and an Honorary Professor, University of Rwanda. He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii with High Honors in History and Highest Honors in Biology.

Dr. Kim received his MD from the Yale University School of Medicine and completed Internal Medicine Residency and Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. He has authored over 350 publications and has received numerous awards, including the Medal of Honor for Civic Merit, Republic of Korea.

Dr. Howard K. Koh is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan) as well as Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative. At Harvard Chan, he is also the inaugural Chair of the Initiative on Health and Homelessness and formerly headed the Center for Public Health Preparedness. He served as the 14th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2009-2014) after being nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the US Senate, and as Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1997-2003) after being appointed by Governor William Weld. He was also appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Cancer Advisory Board (2000-2002).

A graduate of Yale College (where he was President of the Yale Glee Club) and the Yale University School of Medicine, he trained at Boston City Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, earned board certifications in four medical fields, served as Principal Investigator of research grants totaling $27M and published more than 300 articles in the medical and public health literature. He has received over 70 awards and honors for interdisciplinary accomplishments in medicine and public health including six honorary doctorate degrees, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for National Service, the Sedgwick Memorial Medal from the American Public Health Association (its highest honor), the Champion Award from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Cancer Society.

As part of recognition as a “Medical All Star” by the Boston Red Sox for promoting the early detection and prevention of melanoma, he delivered the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park (2003). In 2019, HHS established the annual Dr. Howard K. Koh Award for Excellence in Leadership sponsored by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council. He and his wife Dr Claudia Arrigg are the proud parents of three adult children and the proud grandparents of five grandchildren.

Dr. David W Chang is a Professor and the Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine. He is a recipient of the Godina Traveling Scholar Award(2005) and the Buncke Lectureship(2019) from the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery(ASRM). He has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. He has been invited to lecture at numerous national and international meetings, while serving as a visiting professor at leading institutions all over the world. He has served on the editorial board of numerous leading medical journals including Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. He has served on the Board of Directors for American Society of Plastic Surgery. He is the past President of the ASRM (2017) and the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery(2019-2021).

He is especially well known for his interest and expertise in surgical treatment of lymphedema. Dr. Chang has been involved in innovation and popularization of microsurgical procedures such as lymphovenous bypass and vascularized lymph node transplants. His work was instrumental in introducing these microsurgical procedures to U.S. operating rooms. He is the Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Center of Excellence for Lymphatic Diseases.

Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi served as the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University from 2017-2022. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served as the Sanford I. Weill Chairman and Professor of Medicine in the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and as physician-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Before joining NYP/WCM, Dr. Choi was the Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Choi received his MD from the University of Louisville and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center. He then pursued his Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine fellowship at Johns Hopkins and was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins and at Yale. Dr. Choi served as Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He has a longstanding commitment to the training of physician-scientists. His research interest has focused on the regulation and function of stress response genes in response to oxidative stress. He has translated the two decades of basic discoveries made in the signaling pathway and function of HO/CO to human patients with lung and vascular diseases. His research team has recently completed 2 NIH supported Phase II clinical trials, in the treatment for human sepsis and lung fibrosis. Dr. Choi also has interest in genomic approaches in identifying candidate genes important in the pathogenesis of lung diseases. He has authored more than 365 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is currently the Principal Investigator of multiple NIH RO1’s and NIH/NHLBI Program Project grant.

Dr. Choi is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the Association of American Physicians (AAP). He is a recipient of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishments and Amberson Lecture, the top research award in the international ATS community, and the 2011 Ho-Am Prize for Medicine. Dr. Choi is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Mary E. Choi is Professor of Medicine (with tenure) at Weill Cornell Medicine and Attending Physician at the NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Choi received her B.A. with Distinction, and MD from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Duke, and her Nephrology fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Choi is a physician-scientist and an established investigator in the field of cell signal transduction and kidney pathobiology. Her research program has longstanding support by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has delivered major lectures both nationally and internationally. Her additional contributions to the scientific community have included serving on grant review committees, including the NIH and the Wellcome Trust, and the editorial board of major scientific journals as well as several key committees including the National Kidney Foundation, American Heart Association, and American Society of Nephrology. She is currently a standing member of the NIH Pathobiology of Kidney Disease (PBKD) study section. Dr. Choi is committed to training and mentoring physician-scientists and has served as the mentor and sponsor for NIH K08/K23 grants, and fellowship awards of trainees who have gone on to secure academic faculty positions. She currently serves on the executive committee of NIH T32 multidisciplinary training grant and Director of Training Unit in lung and vascular injury.

Dr. Choi served as the President of the Korean American Medical Association (KAMA) for 2 years (2020-2021) and led initiatives aimed at promoting women in medicine, and mentoring students and trainees of Korean American Medical Student Association (KAMSA) and Korean American Medical Residents and Fellows (KAMRAF).

Hwang Hee, CEO of Kakao Healthcare, is focusing on building a mobile-based digital healthcare ecosystem. He is planning to expand the business not only in the domestic market but also in the US, Japan, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

As a representative digital health care expert in Korea, he served as a professor at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, and senior vice president of EMR company, ezCaretech. In 2019, he was selected as one of the 50 Digital Healthcare Innovation Leaders by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society(HIMSS), and was inducted into the Healthcare IT Hall of Fame by the HIMSS Asia Pacific 2016.

Hochang Benjamin (Ben) Lee, MD is the John Romano Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and Chief of Psychiatry at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Prior to his chairmanship at University of Rochester, he was the founding director and Chief of Psychological Medicine Section at Yale. Previously, he had also been Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, and Director of Research Development at the Johns Hopkins Bayview.

His primary research interests are: 1. Developing innovative models for delivery behavioral health service for medical and surgical patients. 2. Prevention of neuropsychiatric morbidity (e.g. delirium, depression, and dementia) after major surgery among the elders. Dr. Lee is also an expert in psychiatric aspects of restless legs syndrome, and Asian American mental health issues.

Dr. Lee is board certified in psychiatry with sub-specialty certification in psychosomatic medicine. Dr. Lee completed psychiatry residency and combined neuropsychiatry/psychiatric epidemiology fellowships at Johns Hopkins after earning his MD at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1997.

Dr. Lee is the Editor-In-Chief for Journal of the Academy of Consultation Liaison psychiatry and the President-Elect of International College of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Esther Oh, Sarah Miller Coulson Human Aging Project Scholar, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Department of Medicine with appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She also has appointments in the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and in the Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health. She is currently the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center, an investigator in the Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s disease, and co-director of the Alzheimer’s disease core of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory. She is also the President of the American Delirium Society.

Oh’s research, clinical work and educational activities are grounded in seeking targeted and personalized treatment, care and cure for patients with memory disorders with a focus on interdisciplinary and team science approaches.

Oh’s work includes the development of fluid and biometric biomarkers for early detection of AD and to predict postoperative delirium, delirium and cognitive changes after surgery; long-term cognitive changes associated with COVID-19; sensory changes associated with AD; and cognitive impairment in the context of multimorbidities and polypharmacy.

Bruce A. Scott, MD, was inaugurated as the 179th president of the American Medical Association in June 2024. In this role he serves as the primary spokesperson for the AMA. Concurrently he continues as a member of the AMA Board of Trustees, now for his 10th consecutive year.

Dr. Scott has been a leader in medicine throughout his career—prior to being voted president-elect in 2023, he served four years as speaker and four years as vice speaker of the AMA House of Delegates, presiding at the meetings of delegates from every state and specialty as they crafted policies for the medical profession. Before this he was a member of the House of Delegates for over 20 years and was the young physician member on the AMA Board of Trustees.

He previously served on the AMA Foundation’s board of directors and as the president of the foundation. Dr. Scott has been president of his county and state medical associations and served on the boards of the Greater Louisville Medical Society and the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) for over 20 years. As a leader in these associations, he fought for access to care for vulnerable populations, improvement in public health and reduction of administrative burdens in health care. He was awarded the KMA Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his work on behalf of Kentucky’s physicians and patients.

In addition to his work within organized medicine, Dr. Scott is a member of the board of directors for Health2047, the AMA’s Silicon Valley-based innovation subsidiary that identifies and funds tech-enabled commercial health care enterprises. In this capacity he is helping shape the future of medicine from yet another fundamentally important perspective and platform.

Dr. Scott is passionate about practicing medicine. He is the president of his six-physician independent private practice group, medical director of a multispecialty ambulatory surgery center and holds a clinical appointment at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His commitment to change in medicine is grounded in the barriers to care he strives to overcome in his daily practice.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Dr. Scott completed his medical education and residency at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and a fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Subsequently he returned to his hometown of Louisville, Ky., to practice. He is board-certified in both otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery.

An author of myriad articles for peer-reviewed publications, as well as chapters in otolaryngology textbooks, Dr. Scott also speaks to physician audiences around the country on topics ranging from leadership and advocacy to sinusitis and clinical documentation.

Dr. Scott has been happily married for over 30 years and is the proud father of three young adults.

From 2013 to 2016, Ambassador Goldberg served as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines. Prior to that assignment, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (2010-2013); U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia (2006-2008); Chief of Mission in Pristina, Kosovo (2004-2006); and Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission in Santiago, Chile (2001-2004). From 2009 to 2010, Ambassador Goldberg was coordinator for the implementation of UN sanctions on North Korea. His other overseas tours included Bogota, Colombia, where he served as the Plan Colombia coordinator, and Pretoria, South Africa.

Ambassador Goldberg was a senior member of the State Department team handling the transition from the Clinton to Bush administrations and served as acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs (2000-2001) and Special Assistant and Executive Assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott (1996-2000). As the Bosnia Desk Officer and Special Assistant to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke (1994-1996), Ambassador Goldberg was a member of the American negotiating team in the lead-up to the Dayton Peace Conference and Chief of Staff for the American delegation at Dayton.

Ambassador Goldberg holds the personal rank of Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. He has received numerous awards, including Presidential Distinguished and Meritorious Service Awards; the Department’s Distinguished Honor Award and the Silver Seal Medallion for Meritorious Service in the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Ambassador Goldberg is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Boston University. Before joining the Foreign Service, he served as a liaison officer between the government of the City of New York and the United Nations and Consular Community.