MMB Team

Asmara Gebre

Asmara Gebre is a member of our MMB leadership team, overseeing MMB programming development (e.g. Workshops, MMB Real Talk and BIPOC Aspiring Midwives Info Sessions). In 2018, Asmara founded BIPOC Aspiring Midwives, a Bay Area initiative focused on supporting aspiring midwives through shadowing, mentorship, and community on their individual journeys to midwifery education and training. Her expertise as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, and activism work in social and reproductive justice, has positioned her well in creating key partnerships between UCSF faculty, BIPOC Aspiring Midwives and the Midwifery Mentoring and Belonging Pilot Program. Asmara is an esteemed recipient of the UCSF Watson Scholarship, which has been integral for the design and development of the BIPOC Aspiring Midwives and this program.  

Kim Q. Dau

Kim Q. Dau is a member of our MMB leadership team, overseeing project administration, evaluation with the UCSF ACTIONS team and achieving overarching programmatic and sustainability goals. She is also the director of UCSF's Nurse-Midwifery Education Program. Kim works to align the Midwifery Mentoring and Belonging Program within the UCSF School of Nursing requirements and curriculum. Her career goals have primarily focused on diversifying the midwifery workforce and preparing a midwifery workforce capable of addressing structural health inequities rooted in racial discrimination and other forms of marginalization. She has previously led midwifery diversification efforts within the American College of Nurse-Midwives. 

Amber Bell

Amber Bell is a member of the MMB leadership team, overseeing MMB programming development (e.g. Workshops, MMB Real Talk and BIPOC Aspiring Midwives Info Sessions). She graduated from the UCSF nurse-midwifery program in 2019. She currently enjoys a clinical practice at SFGH and Highland Hospital. In December of 2021, Amber became faculty in the UCSF Midwifery Program. Prior to midwifery school, Amber practiced as an IBCLC and perinatal health educator. She is deeply invested in continuing the work of re-diversifying the midwifery workforce. She has two children, both born at home with the assistance of midwives.

Angela Sojobi

Angela Sojobi is a member of the MMB leadership team, supporting the mentoring pairs and networking. She is also the director of CSUF's Nurse-Midwifery Education Program. As a certified nurse-midwife, Angela seeks to improve women’s health throughout the lifespan with a special emphasis on the prevention of adverse perinatal outcomes and birth equity. She identified the diversification of the midwifery workforce as a fundamental strategy to prevent adverse perinatal outcomes and promote birth equity. As an educator, Angela identified mentorship of BIPOC midwife students as a fundamental strategy to diversify the midwifery workforce.

 

Ladan Khoddam-Khorasani

Ladan (Ladi) Khoddam-Khorasani is the Lead Project Coordinator at UCSF. Ladi's background is in public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation, specifically around HIV and substance use prevention with BIPOC and LGBTQIA-identifying youth experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. Since 2015, Ladi's positions at UCSF have included research analyst, program director, teaching assistant, and volunteer assistant clinical professor. 

Elena Ramirez

Elena Ramirez is the Project Coordinator at CSUF, and is so excited to be part of the MMB program! From 2014 to June of 2022, she was an early childhood school teacher, where she focused on working with young children (two years of age) and in school settings that prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2020, she had her first child. She feels midwifery is an amazing practice and is honored to support the MMB program and larger midwifery BIPOC community. 

For more information about the program, please contact [email protected].