UCLA Simulation Center Welcomes New Medical Director
Dr. Cecilia Canales brings a wealth of experience in clinical care, research, and simulation.
The UCLA Simulation Center is proud to announce the appointment of Cecilia Canales, MD, MPH, MS, as our new Medical Director.
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 UCLA Anesthesiology department and coordinated simulation training at the 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 focuses 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. Utilizing Standardized Patients and emerging technologies in the Sim Center, she developed three virtual simulation cases to train clinicians on the use of interpreters to optimize care of older adults with limited English proficiency.
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 our residents and students.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Dr. Canales back to the UCLA Simulation Center in her new role as Medical Director. We are confident that Dr. Canales’ experience, expertise, and vision will keep UCLA Simulation Center at the forefront of medical training and innovation while setting new benchmarks for translational research and patient care.
We would like to thank Dr. Peyman Benharash, Executive Director of CASIT and Chair of the Search Committee and the committee members named below, for their dedication and commitment to the search process.
Search Committee
- Peyman Benharash, MD – Executive Director, CASIT (Chair)
- Charles Flippen, MD – Associate Dean for the Center for Continuous Professional Development
- Ken Lay, MA – Standardized Patient Program Director, UCLA Simulation Center
- Sarah Petro, BA – Operations Director, UCLA Simulation Center
- Jessica Phillips, PhD, MSN, RN, NPD-BC – Executive Director, Nursing Practice, Education and Research, Center for Nursing Excellence, UCLA Health
- Areti Tillou, MD – AEI Director, CASIT; Vice Chair for Education, Department of Surgery