Diversity Committee
Althea, a native Pacific Islander from Guam, embarked on her academic journey at the University of Guam (UOG), where she pursued dual majors in Biology and Chemistry alongside a minor in Sociology. Currently in her fourth year at the Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, she holds the esteemed title of Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow. Her current focus is her second-year fellowship at Stanford University, delving into research on familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. With a steadfast commitment to her community, Althea harbors ambitions of returning to Guam as a physician-scientist. Her goal is to address health disparities among the underserved Micronesian population through a multifaceted approach encompassing outreach, research, and clinical care. Aspiring to pioneer Micronesia’s inaugural local cardiothoracic surgery clinic, she aims to enhance medical accessibility within her island homeland. Beyond her medical pursuits, Althea actively advocates for marginalized populations, particularly minority doctors in Micronesia. She plays a pivotal role in mentoring future physicians through initiatives like the Guam H.O.M.E. Program and UOG Alumni Series, guiding pre-medical students toward their professional aspirations. A staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion in medicine, Althea eagerly anticipates collaborating with new TSMA members as the Diversity Committee Chair in order to accomplish TSMA’s mission.
Committee Chair
Althea Tapales
Committee Members
Albert Leng
Titilayo Shobayo
Oluwamuyiwa W. Adebayo
Lovette Azap
Albert grew up in Palo Alto California and attended Washington University in St. Louis where he majored in Neuroscience and minored in Fine Arts. He is a current third year medical student at Johns Hopkins University where he is interested in critical care, wound healing, and cardiothoracic research. When not in the classroom, he enjoys playing volleyball, painting, and travelling to Hawaii. As a part of TSMA, he is excited to be able to help cultivate a community to inspire students to pursue cardiothoracic surgery.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Titilayo (Titi) is one of two sibling who immigrated to the United States. She attended Northwestern State University where she studied Biomedical science and ran Track as a NCAA D1 Athlete, followed by earning a Masters in Medical Sciences from Morehouse School of Medicine. Titi is a current M3 at Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine where she continues to work towards her goal of becoming an academic cardiac surgeon. With her strong interest in health equity and Global surgery, she strives to use her surgical training to enhance health equity in cardiovascular surgical care both in the United States and in African countries that lack a sustainable healthcare system.
When not studying, Titi takes great pride in mentoring aspiring clinicians at local organizations like I AM Able Foundation and Black Girl White Coat. She enjoys cooking, crocheting and spending time with her husband and her 2 Labradoodles.
Winnie was born and raised in Nigeria. She received a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from South Carolina State University, after which she began her nursing career. Driven by her interest in addressing health disparities through research, she obtained a PhD in Nursing from the University of Miami. As an assistant professor, her funded research focused on understanding the behavioral impacts of sexually transmitted infection testing and identifying gaps for intervention. Now a medical student, Winnie continues to pursue her passion for health equity through leadership, community engagement, and clinical activities. Her current research interests include enhancing health equity in access to surgical care and improving treatment outcomes. Upon completing medical school, she plans to pursue a career in cardiothoracic surgery.
Lovette Azap is a fourth-year medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at The Ohio State University, where she served as a Morrill Scholar and a Health Sciences Scholar. Lovette has established her passion within the convergence of medicine, advocacy, health equity, and global health which fuels her desire to become a physician in the future. Her research interests include evaluating populations-based outcomes and disparities analyses, perioperative care, and areas for policy intervention. As an aspiring physician, her long-term objective is to identify potential targets for interventions to eradicate health disparities, improve the health of populations on a large scale, and increase the accessibility of healthcare among all patients. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, making natural hair care products for her friends and family, and experiencing new restaurants within Columbus. She is ecstatic to continue her work within TMSA to raise awareness of health disparities that adversely impact underserved patients and empower underrepresented students interested within cardiothoracic surgery.