About Us

Shahnaz Sultan, MD, MHSc is the Department's inaugural Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Sultan is an accomplished clinician, researcher, and educator in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (GI) and previously served as the Program Director of the GI Fellowship Program for five years prior to joining the DEI Office. She brings to this role a breadth of leadership experience, accomplishment in health disparities research, an established record of increasing learner diversity, and a passion and vision for DEI work. Dr. Sultan leads and oversees the development of DEI efforts across the Department's education, clinical, research, and service missions for faculty, staff, and learners. Her initial priorities as Vice Chair of DEI has been focused on assessing the Department's ongoing DEI activities and creating strategies, policies, and best practices that will enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in all mission areas.

Administrative Email: dom-dei@umn.edu

Dr. Cuong Pham is a refugee from Viet Nam. He and his parents fled Viet Nam by boat. Through that journey, he ended up in Minnesota and has never left. The University of Minnesota has been an integral part of his training from beginning to end, including undergraduate, medical school, and Med/Peds residency. Dr. Pham is the Associate Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine in the Department of Medicine. He chairs the Graduate Medical Education Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee, facilitates talks on diversity and racism throughout the medical school, and integrates equity into his daily clinical practice. His clinical work at the Community-University Health Care Center focuses on the health of marginalized populations, particularly the indigenous and immigrant populations. Finally, his research in addiction care is rooted in collaborative work with the local community.

Adriana Dhawan, MD, FAAP, CTropMed is an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Hospitalist and inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Director for the Internal Medicine Program. A first-generation American with Slovenian and East Indian heritage who grew up in New Mexico, her first passion for global health brought her to the University of Minnesota for residency. In addition to her University clinical role, she spends time working in partnership with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Indian Health Services and as Global Medicine Faculty. Her academic interests include creating an inclusive clinical learning environment and development of educational curricula spanning global medicine, health equity, and advocacy.