RISE Advise connects you with an expert who can offer personalized guidance during any phase of the education innovation cycle. During your consultation, you might:

• Receive advice on teaching strategies, research approaches, or next steps to achieve your goals.
• Discuss progress and identify opportunities or barriers, with help in problem-solving.
• Connect with other stakeholders or resources that can support your efforts.

Turn innovative ideas into impactful outcomes. Request a consultation today!

Emily Abdoler
Dr. Abdoler, Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, focuses on health professions education and expertise in curriculum design, grant funding, and qualitative research. Their work centers on clinical reasoning and metacognition, with contributions to national medical education workshops and research.

John Burkhardt
Dr. Burkhardt, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Learning Health Sciences, and Director of the Master of Health Professions Education Program (MHPE), has advanced training in research methodology and evaluation, with multiple grants, including a Macy Fellowship. Their work informs assessment practices and transformative learning in medical education.

Pedro Coracides
Mr. Coracides, a PEAR specialist, focuses on preventing sexual misconduct and using restorative practices to build community and repair harm in healthcare settings.

Emilee Coulter-Thompson
Dr. Coulter-Thompson is the Managing Director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine (CBSSM). A public health social worker, she specializes in training health professionals using collaborative learning, anti-oppression philosophy, and mindful leadership to drive sustainable change.

Janice Firn
Dr. Firn is a certified healthcare ethics consultant and Clinical Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences. Her work addresses ethical issues in ICU care, palliative care, health policy, and moral distress in healthcare settings.

Chantal Ghanney Simons
Dr. Simons investigates barriers to medical careers for underrepresented groups and co-directs Michigan’s Urology Academy. They also focus on global surgery education, emphasizing competency-based training and bi-directional learning.

Rachel Gottlieb-Smith
Dr. Gottlieb-Smith, a pediatric neurologist, leads education for the Child Neurology Residency Program. They integrate clinical informatics into precision education to address learning gaps in real time. Dr. Gottlieb-Smith is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.

Karri Grob
Dr. Grob serves as the Director of Student Affairs and focuses on transformative learning, professional identity formation, and professionalism assessment in medical education.

Larry Gruppen
Dr. Gruppen, Professor Emeritus of Learning Health Sciences, a leader in clinical reasoning and educational outcomes, has published over 200 works and mentors national education programs. They are the founding director of U-M’s Master in Health Professions Education program.

Maya Hammoud
Dr. Hammoud, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Learning Health Sciences, is a medical education innovator with expertise in health systems science and academic coaching. Their national leadership has set standards for DEI in medical education and improved transitions from medical school to residency.

David Healy
Dr. Healy is Assistant Dean for Continuing Medical Education and Life-Long Learning and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology. They are an expert in change management and innovation scaling in medical education. He developed the MiCME platform, supporting thousands of learners annually, and successfully led two medical school reaccreditations.

Joel Howell
Dr. Howell, Professor Emeritus of Medical History, Internal Medicine, and History, studies the integration of new technologies in health education and the role of the arts in healthcare. Their work explores innovation and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance patient care.

Kristina Kaljo
Dr. Kaljo, Vice Chair for Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology, specializes in pedagogical innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Their leadership has fostered positive learning cultures and advanced educational scholarship.

Andrew Krumm
Dr. Krumm, Assistant Professor of Learning Health Sciences, specializes in learning analytics and quality improvement. They apply data-intensive research methods to measure and enhance learning environments, drawing from his experience at Digital Promise and SRI International.

Robbi Kupfer
Dr. Kupfer, Otolaryngology Residency Program Director, has innovated mentorship programs, curriculum design, and assessment tools to support resident development.

Rajesh Mangrulkar
Dr. Mangrulkar, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Learning Health Sciences, Director of the Center for Interprofessional Education, and the Executive Director of Michigan Medicine RISE, focuses on scaling educational innovation and organizational leadership.

Mark McQuillan
Dr. McQuillan, Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, is an expert in bedside clinical teaching within Hospital Medicine, guiding learners in practical, patient-centered care.

Suzy McTaggart
Ms. McTaggart applies her expertise in statistics to evaluate and improve medical education programs. They have led assessment redesigns and collaborated on research projects.

Rama Musalia
Dr. Musalia, Assistant Professor of Learning Health Sciences and Adjunct Clinical Instructor at the School of Nursing, teaches implementation science and quality improvement while coaching staff through healthcare transformation. They specialize in change management and applied learning at various educational levels.

Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska
Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska, Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Students and Professor of Pathology, designs and revises graduate courses and curriculum proposals. Their work includes grant analysis and educational program innovation.

Vani Patterson
Ms. Patterson is the Administrative Director of the Michigan Center for Interprofessional Education. They specialize in change management and scaling innovations across U-M health sciences schools.

Allison Ruff
Dr. Ruff is a Clinical Associate Professor in General Medicine and the Director of Health System Science at the University of Michigan Medical School. Their research focuses on engaging medical students in primary care, assessing health system science competencies, and improving student feedback processes.

Xiaomei Song
Dr. Song, Director of Student Assessment and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve, School of Medicine, is an expert in assessment, learner outcomes, and institutional effectiveness. Their research bridges qualitative and quantitative methods to enhance academic and professional settings.

Caren Stalburg
Dr. Stalburg, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Learning Health Sciences, combines her medical expertise with a Master of Arts in higher education. They are nationally recognized for her work in faculty development, clinical skills assessment, and women’s health education.

Marty Tam
Dr. Tam, Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Fellowship Director, is an advanced heart failure cardiologist and curriculum expert with roles in UME and GME leadership. They specialize in learner assessment and faculty development.

Paula Thompson
Dr. Thompson, RISE Program Director, has over 15 years of experience in qualitative research and medical education scholarship. They also serve as an Associate Editor for Academic Medicine.

Meg Wolff
Dr. Wolff, Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics and RISE Curriculum Director, directs curriculum development at RISE and leads the medical student coaching program. Their leadership spans both undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Diana Wong
Dr. Wong is a seasoned consultant in strategy, organizational culture, leadership development, and DEI initiatives. They bring global healthcare experience and extensive expertise in academic medical centers.

James Woolliscroft
Dr. Woolliscroft, Dean Emeritus of the Medical School, Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine and Learning Health Sciences, brings decades of administrative experience and expertise in developing and implementing educational programs. Their leadership has shaped medical education nationally and internationally.

Jun Yang 
Ms. Yang is the statistician for Michigan Medicine Research. Innovation. Scholarship. Education (RISE). She has extensive expertise in data management and statistical analysis. She provides statistical consultation, analysis, and reporting both within RISE and externally.

Nikki Zaidi
Dr. Zaidi, Director of RISE Evaluation and Assessment, leverages her expertise in program evaluation, assessment design, and quantitative analysis to advance educational innovation.

We appreciate your commitment to making a difference in health science education. RISE Advise Consultants play a vital role in helping others address challenges, enhance teaching and learning, and remove barriers to innovation in health science education. By serving as a Consultant, you’ll contribute meaningfully to the education community while building lasting relationships with colleagues who share your commitment to making a difference.

1. What to Expect

As a Consultant, your contribution can involve 1 or more of the following activities:

• Participate in a one-time meeting (in-person or virtual) with educators, innovators, scholars, or administrators to share your experiences, network, and resources to advance health science education innovation through brainstorming, piloting, implementation, scaling, and dissemination efforts. (up to 4 per year)
• Serve on a panel or as a discussant on cutting edge education topics (up to 2 per year).
• Support education scholarship individually, or by sponsoring submissions to conferences or journals
• Bridge connections between faculty, staff and learners interested in specific topics or ideas in health science education.
• Serve as an expert respondent at Academy of Medical Educator - PRISM sessions (up to 2 per year).

2. Eligibility

ALL Faculty, staff, and learners with experience or interest in research, innovation, scholarship, or education are encouraged to join. Membership renews annually in January.

3. Recognition

Your contributions won’t go unnoticed. As a RISE Advise Consultant, you’ll receive acknowledgment in our newsletter and also an annual formal letter of service highlighting your efforts to your department chair or supervisor. 

We would LOVE for you to join us! Please complete the Become a Consultant Form so that we can learn more about you and your area(s) of expertise. All information is reviewed by the RISE leadership team.