Cecilia Canales, MD, MPH, MS
Medical Director
About
About
Cecilia Canales is the Medical Director of the UCLA Simulation Center. Dr. Canales received her MD from UC Irvine School of Medicine and completed her residency at UCLA Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine. As Assistant Professor in Residence, she also holds a Master of Science in Clinical Research and a Master of Public Health.
Dr. Canales has a long history at UCLA with over 18 years of experience in simulation-based education, training, research and administration. Prior to her medical training, she conducted clinical research in the Anesthesiology department and coordinated simulation training at UCLA Simulation Center, playing a pivotal role in expanding training programs to medical student and residents. She left UCLA to establish and lead UC Irvine’s simulation center in 2010, serving as the Director of Operations and Curriculum Development as well as their Staff Director of Clinical Research. Her dual passion for education and discovery have fueled her to seek out translating simulation research to link learning outcomes to clinical outcomes. Her research has focused on using POCUS to identify frailty and predict postoperative outcomes; creating teaching tools to enhance humanism, empathy, and teamwork; and advancing language equity in perioperative neurocognitive disorders affecting older adults undergoing surgery.
Dr. Canales has been awarded multiple grants for her research efforts and recognized as a National Academy of Medicine Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence. Most recently, she was selected for the UCLA Clinical & Translational Science Institute Career Development Award to continue her work in improving cognitive outcomes for older adults. She also serves as a core simulation educator for residents and students.