Meet Us

Dr. Yao is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he serves as Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division Director and Fellowship Program Director. He completed his residency at Drexel University and fellowship at the University of Maryland. He founded the Loma Linda MFM Fellowship and helped establish the COMPAS program for placenta accreta spectrum, as well as the department’s research committee. His work focuses on advancing clinical care and research in obesity, abnormal placentation, environmental exposures, and complex obstetric surgery. 

Dr. Abinader completed both his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as his fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He has been a faculty member at Loma Linda University School of Medicine since completing his fellowship. His goal is to provide high-quality, evidence-based care to patients with high-risk pregnancies and to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care throughout pregnancy. Dr. Abinader is deeply committed to medical education, with a strong passion for teaching students, residents, and fellows. 

Dr. Smithson is a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist based out of Riverside University Health System where she is currently the Director of Prenatal Ultrasound. She attended residency in ObGyn at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey followed by fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, California. Her clinical interests include ultrasound and substance use disorder as well as mood disorders in pregnancy.

Dr. Govindappagari is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a board-certified Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in the Bronx and fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her clinical interests include anemia in pregnancy and the management of high-risk maternal conditions.

Dr. Lynn McLean completed a combined Maternal–Fetal Medicine and Clinical Genetics Fellowship at UCSF before joining a private practice in Northern California. While the managing partner of the specialty group she was able to expand the clinical services offered to the region as well as add several outreach clinics. In 2017, she relocated to Southern California to join Loma Linda University Faculty Medical Group, allowing her to focus on patient care as well as medical student and resident education. Her professional areas of interest include ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis.

Ciprian P. Gheorghe, MD, PhD, is a maternal-fetal medicine physician and researcher at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he holds a dual appointment in the Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Basic Sciences. He is an active member of the Lawrence D. Longo MD Center for Perinatal Biology. He received his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, completed residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Yale University. His clinical practice includes the full spectrum of high-risk obstetrics, with particular focus on fetal diagnosis and complicated pregnancies.  

Hayley, is a board-certified genetic counselor with a Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Keck Graduate Institute. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Loma Linda University Maternal-Fetal Medicine team and serves as faculty within the School of Medicine. She is passionate about navigating the ever-evolving landscape of genetics and is dedicated to providing patient-centered care. She also finds great fulfillment in teaching and mentoring the next generation of genetic counselors and medical professionals. 

Shawna Jurlina is a board certified and licensed genetic counselor. She received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling at the University of California Los Angeles and her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology at the University of California San Diego. She has worked at Loma Linda University as a prenatal genetic counselor in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine clinic since completing graduate school. Additionally, she has completed research in several fields including prenatal genetic counseling and regenerative ophthalmology. She also works with Loma Linda’s genetic counseling program as a course coordinator. 

Dr. Oshiro is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and serves as Maternal-Fetal Medicine Director at Riverside University Health System. He received his M.D. from Loma Linda University, where he also completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, followed by fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Texas in Houston. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He has participated in numerous multicenter clinical trials and has published extensively in the areas of quality improvement, perinatal infectious diseases, and high-risk pregnancy.

Dr. Makhlouf is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and serves as faculty at Riverside University Health System. He is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and has over 20 years of clinical and academic experience. His interests include medical complications of pregnancy and the use of artificial intelligence in clinical imaging.

Andrea Hernandez serves as the Fellowship Coordinator for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology fellowship programs in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loma Linda University Health. She also supports the OB/GYN Residency Program, bringing extensive experience in graduate medical education coordination. Andrea plays a key role in fellowship development, coordinating recruitment, accreditation requirements, and program operations while working closely with faculty and institutional leadership to support trainees and foster a strong educational environment.