Drs. Olujimi Ajijola and Karen Reue join the leadership team for the UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program. Dr. Ajijola will be assuming the role of Co-Director, together with Dr. David Dawson. Dr. Reue will assume the role of Associate Director. In partnership with current Associate Directors Dr. Maureen Su (UCLA), Dr. Mitchell Guttman (Caltech), and Dr. Joel Braslow (UCLA), these phenomenal leaders will ensure the continued success of our flagship physician scientist training program.
Dr. Ajijola received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, and his PhD in Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology from UCLA. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and his fellowships in Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at UCLA. Dr. Ajijola joined the UCLA faculty in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, and serves as the Director of the Neurocardiology Research Program of the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, as well as Director of the ProSTAR-Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). Dr. Ajijola’s career has been dedicated to basic/translational and clinical investigation into the neural mechanisms and drivers of cardiac dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias. Dr. Ajijola has received numerous awards for his achievements in leadership, science and scholarship and is known for his outstanding teaching and mentorship. Dr. Ajijola received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, and his PhD in Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology from UCLA. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and his fellowships in Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at UCLA. Dr. Ajijola joined the UCLA faculty in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, and serves as the Director of the Neurocardiology Research Program of the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, as well as Director of the ProSTAR-Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). Dr. Ajijola’s career has been dedicated to basic/translational and clinical investigation into the neural mechanisms and drivers of cardiac dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias. Dr. Ajijola has received numerous awards for his achievements in leadership, science and scholarship and is known for his outstanding teaching and mentorship. 
Dr. Karen Reue received her Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Arizona, Tucson and her PhD in Microbiology from UCLA. She completed her Postdoctoral training in Molecular Genetics at Rockefeller University in New York City. She joined the faculty at UCLA in 1992 and is currently Professor and Vice Chair of Human Genetics. Dr. Reue’s impressive scientific career has focused on the identification of novel genes and pathways that are required for metabolic homeostasis, with special expertise in the analysis of lipid metabolism and the role of sex differences. Dr. Reue is known for her scientific breakthroughs related to the discovery and characterization of the lipin gene family, which has contributed to our understanding of conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
We are very fortunate to have such an impressive group of leaders guiding and mentoring the next generation of physician scientists at UCLA.
