Dr. Olivia Hung Picked for SSWIMS Fellowship

Pictured in March receiving 2023 Graduate Medical Education Excellence Awards are Cardiology’s Olivia Hung, MD, PhD (center), with Bujji Ainapurapu, MD (left), of the Division of Inpatient Medicine, presented by Allie Min, MD, College of Medicine – Tucson assistant dean for faculty affairs.Pictured in March receiving 2023 Graduate Medical Education Excellence Awards are Cardiology’s Olivia Hung, MD, PhD (center), with Bujji Ainapurapu, MD (left), of the Division of Inpatient Medicine, presented by Allie Min, MD, College of Medicine – Tucson assistant dean for faculty affairs. Click here for more on awards.

Olivia Y. Hung, MD, PhD, a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology, Sarver Heart Center member and cardiology education director at Banner – University Medical Center South, has been chosen for a Spurring Success for Women in Medicine and Sciences (SSWIMS) Fellowship, a program of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

The 12-month SSWIMS Fellowship, which begins in July, is designed to foster leadership skills in early, mid-career women faculty in academic medicine and science within five categories: scientists, educators, clinician scientists, clinician educators, and clinicians who practice in academic settings for 2 to 7 years.

Graphic illustrating the SSWIMS Fellowship Timeline. In recent years, women have outnumbered men in medical school entry and matriculation; however, only 19% of department chairs or deans are women. In 2019, only 18% of the 153 total deans identified as women. The SSWIMS program is designed to improve those figures. Click to enlarge.SSWIMS focuses on mentorship, network development, coaching, communications skills, avoiding traps and leadership growth.

The SSWIMS Steering Committee that directs the program includes current Women In Medicine & Science (WIMS) committee members and alumnae of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) and Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) programs.

In announcing Dr. Hung’s selection, Hina Arif, MD, FSAR, assistant dean for WIMS at the College of Medicine – Tucson and a professor of medical imaging, said, “You have shown excellence in service and passion for leadership, and commitment to your personal and professional development. You will join other remarkable women identified as the next leaders of the College of Medicine, Tucson. Each of you will bring a unique skill set, ideas, and perspective, enriching your experience and undoubtedly adding value to your departments.”

As part of her SSWIMS participation, Dr. Hung will be asked to participate in a "Sparking Change" project and research study focused primarily on program evaluation and the program's impact. 

Olivia Y. Hung, MD, PhD“Congratulations, Olivia, on being selected,” said James Liao, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. “Looking forward to your leadership in the Cardiology Division.”

Dr. Hung joined the UArizona faculty in September 2018, coming from the Atlanta’s Emory University School of Medicine. There, she earned her medical degree and completed her postgraduate training in the ABIM Research Pathway with combined training in the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency and Academic Clinical Investigator Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases, i.e., Emory’s cardiology fellowship.

Before medical school, she received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Harvard University, graduating cum laude in her field, then completed a doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

Her clinical interests include non-invasive cardiology, heart disease prevention, cardio-oncology and cardiac imaging. Her research interests include cardiovascular disease in women and coronary physiology. She has authored multiple original research publications and textbook chapters.

Release Date: 
06/08/2023 - 11:45am