Fellows

Dr. Hurd was born in LA and raised in beautiful Ventura County. She received her BS in Biology from UCSD and obtained her MD from Loma Linda University. While she was a student at LLU, Dr. Hurd dedicated her time to furthering resilience programs and building educational curricula for medical students. She has a special interest in childhood trauma and cultural psychiatry. Dr. Hurd is passionate about physician wellness and dismantling the stigma of mental illness in healthcare professionals. In her free time, she enjoys traveling (Costa Rica is a favorite), going to Disneyland (it’s soooo close!), and continuing her quest to find the absolute best brunch in SoCal.

Dr. Andrea Lopez grew up in the Inland Empire and earned her BA in Psychology at UCLA. She worked as an ABA therapist with children on the autism spectrum and in mental health crisis intervention for several years before attending medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and completing her adult psychiatry residency at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton, California. Dr. Lopez’s interest in socioeconomic factors, mentorship, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and environmental influences on development drew her to the field of child & adolescent psychiatry. Her goal is to promote early intervention in youth mental health and empower patients and their families to navigate resources, all while forging positive, consistent human connections. Outside of work, Dr. Lopez enjoys fitness, getting creative in the kitchen, watching movies, and thrifting vintage clothing.

Dr. Maria Shibatsuji grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a BS in Biology and a minor in Psychology. During her gap years, she was a behavioral therapist for children and spent a year of service in Baltimore, where she cared for heart failure patients, taught nutrition classes, and conducted health screenings at a soup kitchen. These experiences sparked her passion for addressing mental health stigma and health inequities. During medical school at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, she served as co-president of the Psychiatry Interest Group. She aspires to devote her career to children and pregnant/postpartum patients. Maria enjoys writing, trying new pastry shops, and spending time with Mika, her furbaby.

Karah Sterris was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in Psychology, then pursued medicine at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Before medical school, she spent over ten years as a youth sports coach and also worked as a substitute teacher. During medical school, she mentored pregnant teens and engaged in research geared toward empowering expectant mothers. When on clinical rotations, she found the most meaning in connecting with patients and their families as they shared their stories, which led to her pursuit of a career in psychiatry. She enjoys gardening, cooking, playing/watching sports, and exploring nature.

Dr. Adriana Alvarez grew up in Southern California and later moved to Texas where she received a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Southwestern Adventist University. She then returned to her home state of California, receiving her M.D. from Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She is overjoyed that she is able to pursue her passion of working with children and adolescents within the field of Psychiatry. On her days off, she enjoys soaking in the Southern California sun by playing Spikeball with her co-residents, skateboarding, going to the beach, and exploring the restaurants and nature the area has to offer.

Dr. Christopher Garabet grew up in in Southern California, where he has stayed virtually all his life. He earned a B.S. in Biochemistry at University of Southern California (USC), and attended medical school at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. His passion for working with children stems initially from volunteering at USC with the organization Camp Kesem. Camp Kesem provides a summer camp for children who have been affected by a parent’s cancer. There, he learned that a loving community is the cornerstone of a child’s mental health. Outside of psychiatry, he enjoys just about any activity that brings people together, such as sports, food, movies, board games, and spontaneous outings.

Dr. Meher Irani was born in Buffalo, NY and was raised in Mumbai, India and moved back for college at Brandeis University in MA and then medical school at St. George's University. She completed her general psychiatry residency at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in NY and is so happy to be in Southern California to pursue Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Loma Linda University. Her interests within psychiatry include early intervention, ADHD and acute crisis stabilization. Outside of work, her interests include health and wellness activities, spending time with family, traveling and taking care of her plants.

Dr. Joseph Wong was born and raised in Southern California and grew up in LA and Riverside County. He earned his B.S. in Human Biology and B.A. in Human Development at the University of California, San Diego and attended medical school at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. His interests in psychiatry include mentoring medical students and learning how to incorporate a patient's social, cultural and spiritual background into their care. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, exploring new places to eat, playing computer/board games, and working out.