Purpose

The Christian Academic Physicians and Scientists (CAPS) section of CMDA exists to

  • Encourage Christian academic physicians and scientists
  • Develop effective pathways of Christian ministry for academic physicians and scientists within their profession
  • Provide resources to manage the difficulties of their profession victoriously in a Christ-like manner
  • Offer guidance in making bioethical decisions in medicine and science based on Christian principles

Mission: Opportunities for Growth

  • Cultivate communities of Christians in academic medicine at the local, regional, national and international levels
  • Host interactive seminars and presentations by leading Christian academics
  • Provide on-line resources to equip Christian academics to deal with bioethical and philosophical challenges that arise in teaching, patient care and research, using Biblically-based principles
  • Promote intellectual and spiritual growth through discussions in a secure members-only on-line portal/forum
  • Nurture new Christian leaders in academia through intentional mentorship and sponsorship.

Outlook: What Success Looks Like

  • Formation of a network of Christian academic physicians and scientists who are actively engaged in scholarly work and who may serve as a Christian voice among policymakers and the larger community.
  • Formation of communities that are actively engaged in mentoring and sponsorship of Christian academic physicians and scientists.
  • Promotion of courageous conversations about the Christian academic mission within medicine and scientific enterprises.

Leadership Team

  • Kim-Lien Nguyen, MD
    Co-Chair, Christian Academic Physicians & Scientists
    Christian Medical & Dental Associations

    Dr. Nguyen is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Radiology, and Biomedical Physics at UCLA. As a practicing non-invasive cardiologist, she serves veterans and directs the cardiovascular MRI program at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. As a physician-scientist, the focus of her research is on the development, translation, and application of cardiovascular imaging techniques, specifically magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography. She collaborates with data scientists and industry partners to advance precision medicine. Her funded research focuses on the use of iron-oxide nanoparticles in ischemic heart disease. Her work has been published in leading imaging journals and her lab receives grant support from the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the Veterans Health Administration. Dr. Nguyen also engages the public through her writing in the general media including USA Today, Forbes, Medical Economics, and STAT News. She attends Pacific Crossroads Church, has a cat, and enjoys afternoon tea.

    Kim-Lien Nguyen, MD
    Co-Chair

  • David L. Larson, MD, FACS
    Co-Chair, Christian Academic Physicians & Scientists
    Christian Medical & Dental Associations

    Dr. Larson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Medical College of Wisconsin.  Since 2012, he has been employed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as an Accreditation Field Representative.   Prior to that, he was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, a position he held for 27 years. He was also Program Director of the training program for 20 years and served on the ACGME Residency Review Committee in Plastic Surgery for 6 years.  Prior to moving to Milwaukee, he held the position of Surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery at M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, from 1979 to 1986, where he served in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and was the only plastic surgeon at that institution during that period.  He is Board certified in both Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery.  Dr. Larson has authored over 140 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and books.  Dr. Larson has a lifetime commitment to the education of medical students, residents, fellows, and peers in the areas of head and neck cancer, wound care and reconstruction of all areas of the body.  Since retirement, Dr. Larson has been on over a dozen mission trips to China, Lebanon, Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Serbia, all related to education in graduate medical education.  He is also Chairman of the Medical Education International (MEI) Advisory Council. He is the husband of Sherry for 42 years and father of three children, all of whom graduated from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

    David L. Larson, MD, FACS
    Co-Chair

  • David L. Bolender, PhD
    Vice-Chair, Christian Academic Physicians & Scientists
    Christian Medical & Dental Associations

    Dr. Bolender is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has been involved in undergraduate medical education for over 40 years. As a classically trained anatomist, Dr. Bolender teaches clinical anatomy, embryology, and cell and tissue biology. Serving 12 years on the Curriculum and Evaluation Committee, Dr. Bolender has been extensively involved in curriculum design and administration.  In conjunction with Elsevier Publishers, Dr. Bolender has created a series of animations for teaching embryology. In addition to curriculum development, Dr. Bolender taught undergraduate medical students, graduate students and resident physicians. He and his colleagues have had the pleasure of designing a modern anatomy dissection lab as well as an advanced anatomy lab for fresh tissue use by senior medical students, residents and clinical faculty. Dr. Bolender directed the body donor program at MCW for several years. For over 20 years Dr. Bolender has been the advisor for the student CMDA chapter at MCW. He and his wife, Joan, have six children and 13 grandchildren.

    David L. Bolender, PhD
    Vice-Chair

  • Kalon Ho, MD, MSc
    Treasurer, Christian Academic Physicians & Scientists
    Christian Medical & Dental Associations

    Dr. Ho is a member of the Interventional Cardiology Section and the Director of Quality Assurance for the Cardiovascular Division at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to teaching students, residents and fellows on the inpatient cardiology service and in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, he has spent 2 decades on the faculty of clinical epidemiology and population health courses for dental and medical students at Harvard, currently as an assistant professor of medicine. He has served in leadership roles at the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). In 2017, he received the F. Mason Sones Distinguished Service Award from SCAI. Dr. Ho has also traveled repeatedly to the Republic of North Macedonia as part of Medical Education International (MEI) teaching projects since 2016.

    Kalon Ho, MD, MSc
    Treasurer