Education & Training – Meet the Team

Dr. Ganesan is a Professor of Dermatology and the Associate Dean for Physician-Scientist Development in the School of Medicine. Dr. Ganesan is an internationally recognized authority in pigment cell biology, and has been NIH-funded for 16 years, with extensive publications on melanocyte lineages and their disruption in diseases like skin cancer (melanoma) and vitiligo. Dr. Ganesan has expanded the mentored career development pipeline at UCI by leading the development of a Physician-Scientist Development Program to help aspiring physician-scientists obtain critical preliminary data for mentored career development awards and creating a physician-scientist certificate program for residents, fellows, and junior faculty, providing instruction in fundamental elements of translational science and grantsmanship. He led the development of the Dean’s K Scholar Program to financially support individuals resubmitting NIH K awards and also lead the redesign of the UCI Master of Science in Biomedical and Translational Science program.

Dr. Caiozzo is a Professor of Orthopedics and Vice Chair for Research and Academic Affairs in the Department of Orthopedics, with a joint appointment in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. He served as the corresponding MPI of the ICTS KL2 and TL1 programs from 2012 – 2025. He was recognized with a Special Commendation Award in 2008 from NASA’s Human Research Program and received a Citation for Distinguished Service from the American Physiological Society in 2017 for his service as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Physiology (2008-2017). Dr. Caiozzo has overseen the training of 21 NIH K scholars, 35 postdoctoral fellows, 19 predoctoral trainees, 19 orthopedic residents, and 8 medical students.

Dr. Head is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. She is also Co-Director of the Center for Aging Research for Down Syndrome. She is recognized for her 25+ years of NIH-funded research on aging and Alzheimer disease in people with Down syndrome and acts as an Associate Director for the UCI Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program. She serves as the MPI on an NIH T32 training grant focused on Alzheimer disease, as well an NIH T35 training grant specifically focused on training medical students in Alzheimer disease, Dementia, and brain again. Dr. Head also chairs the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Research Education Components Steering Committee and serves as a leader for UCI’s Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders center.

Dr. Villalta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. His research focuses on novel macrophage and regulatory T cell interactions that promote the pathogenesis of muscular diseases. Dr. Villalta was a previous ICTS KL2 scholar and successfully transitioned into an independent investigator with funding from NIH, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Department of Defense. He is also the MPI on an NIH-funded R01 grant studying patients with Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis and a T32 MPI focused on training in muscle research.

Dr. Sun is an Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at UCI. He completed his PhD and MD degrees at Harvard University and is an NIH-funded investigator (currently has an R01 and DP2 New Innovator Award) with significant experience with the NIH portfolio of career mentor programs, as both an F32 and K08 recipient. His research spans the spectrum of translational science and focuses on the genetic disruption of skin development and differentiation, which is responsible for diseases that affect >20% of the population. Some current areas of interest include understanding the genetic basis for mosaic skin conditions and exploring genetic and epigenetic impacts of medications on skin.

Dr. Nicholas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the School of Biological Sciences at UCI. Currently, her laboratory is focused on studying disease models of Type II diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr. Nicholas is a past K99/R00 recipient, a current DP2, R21, and U01 awardee, and has an impressive record of mentoring and advancing the careers of scholars from all backgrounds at multiple institutions. She is also the recipient of the University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP) award.

Dr. Simon is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the UCI School of Medicine and the Assistant Director of Research in Pediatric Sleep at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). As a licensed clinical psychologist, she specializes in pediatric health and behavioral sleep medicine. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology and Cognition & Neural Systems from the University of Arizona. Dr. Simon’s research focuses on the mechanisms linking sleep, memory, and mental health throughout development in both healthy and clinical populations. She also explores memory modification and the creation of novel sleep-based interventions. Dr. Simon is also a previous Affiliated Scholars Advancement Program (ASAP) trainee and a current NIH K08 awardee.

Ms. Piercy oversees all Workforce Development, Education, and Training activities of the ICTS. She graduated with her Master of Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and her background is in research methods and the psychology of stress and anxiety. She also serves as UCI’s Institutional Business Official for certifying NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP) awards.

Ms. Groesbeck is a program analyst supporting workforce development, education, and training activities at ICTS. Prior to joining ICTS, she served as the lead research analyst for Utah Health Workforce Information Center. Sydney has a Master of Public Policy with a focus on health policy from the University of Utah.

Ms. Nardo serves as the administrative coordinator for ICTS Education and Workforce Development activities. She is currently completing her Master of Public Health at California State University, Fullerton.