Kristina Isabella Asamsama completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Walla Walla University and served as the Senior Class President. She furthered her education with a Master of Science in Nursing specializing in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) at California State University San Marcos, graduating with honors. Over the past eight years as a certified medical oncology and palliative care nurse at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Isabella has witnessed firsthand how poor coping mechanisms, psychosocial distress, and adjustment disorders can significantly impact patient recovery. This experience fueled her interest in psychiatry and dedication to improving the quality of life for her patients by collaboratively working with them to address their physical and mental health needs. She recently completed the University of California San Diego’s PMHNP student internship, where she worked in various clinical settings with transitional-aged youth and adults with mild to severe mental health illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders or psychosocial concerns that affect their medical care. Her interests in psychiatry include early psychosis, trauma-related conditions, palliative care and resilience, and consultation-liaison psychiatry. In her free time, Isabella enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and attending concerts.
Joanna Ciafone
I am a recent graduate of Yale School of Nursing and a board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. Prior to studying at Yale, I completed master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology and neuroscience at Newcastle University in England. As both a researcher and a provider, I am passionate about providing evidence-based clinical care and building collaborative, compassionate relationships with clients. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, yoga, and meditation.
Mark Crawford
Mark Crawford is a recent graduate of the California State University San Marcos PMHNP program with a Master's degree. He graduated with honors and was invited to be inducted into the sigma theta tau honor society for nurses. He earned his Bachelor's in Nursing from the University of Delaware and has accumulated over 12 years of nursing experience, focusing on emergency, trauma, emergency psychiatry, and inpatient psychiatry. Throughout his career, Mark has developed a passion for providing care to psychiatric patient populations. He has held various professional roles, including chairing the system-wide Nursing Research Council, running the Nursing Grand Rounds program for his health system, and participating in unit-based quality improvement workgroups such as the Psychiatric Behavioral Response Team and Workplace Violence De-escalation Workgroup Committee. Additionally, Mark has volunteered with various community organizations supporting LGBTQ+ individuals. He is passionate about psychotherapy, mindfulness, trauma, addictions, LGBTQ+ mental health disparities, and the unique intersectionality of these factors in psychiatric care. In his free time, Mark enjoys traveling, cooking, exploring restaurants in San Diego, hiking, snorkeling, studying, and playing video games. Mark is excited to join the UCSD Adult Community PMHNP fellowship training program and learning all that he can. He looks forward to partnering with patients on their mental health journeys.
Sucdi Hassan
Sucdi Hassan is a recent graduate of California State University, San Marcos, where she earned her Master of Science in Nursing and was awarded the California Psychiatric Education Capacity Expansion (PECE) Grant. Her graduate thesis focused on exploring the relationships between smartphone addiction and negative emotional states. Now board certified by the ANCC, Sucdi is excited to explore her passions in the field, which include the early identification of psychosis and relapse prevention, mood disorders, addiction, and increasing access to mental health care for individuals from underserved and underrepresented populations. She has over seven years of experience as a registered nurse, specializing in neurological, surgical, and trauma critical care and perioperative nursing. Her dedication and exceptional service in nursing have earned her repeat nominations for the Nurse of the Year award at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. As a San Diego native, Sucdi enjoys exploring new cafes, traveling, video games, and spending time with her three cats, Joker, Coco, and Layla. She is excited to be joining the new cohort of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Fellows in the adult track this upcoming October.
Leslie Laine
Leslie Laine is a dedicated Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who graduated from California State University San Marcos with a master’s degree. She received her Bachelor of Nursing from The Ohio State University and is a proud member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing. With experience in various psychiatric settings, Leslie has worked in rehabilitation and detox centers, correctional facilities, inpatient units, and community settings. Before transitioning to nursing, she earned a degree in Biology and worked in Geographic Information Systems for many years. Outside of her professional life, Leslie enjoys spending time with her family, which includes two dachshunds, a cat, and chickens. She enjoys traveling and is an avid listener of the Carlat Report.
Noah Pacis
Noah Pacis is a board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) from Southern California. He received his Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University and has completed additional educational experiences through the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program and the Vanderbilt Program in Interprofessional Learning—both of which have significantly reinforced his passion for working with underserved communities and his drive to promote collaborative approaches to patient care. Noah is a recipient of the 2024 American Psychiatric Nurses Association Board of Directors Student Scholarship. Prior to his journey in nursing, he received his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, having completed a concentration in Chemistry and a certificate in Materials Science and Engineering. In his free time, Noah enjoys playing tennis, learning pickleball, surfing, snowboarding, and practicing viola. He is honored and excited to be joining the University of California, San Diego, as part of this new cohort of PMHNP fellows.
Judy Park
I am honored to join the UCSD PMHNP Fellowship and serve the San Diego community with other mental health professionals. I have had the privilege of working as a nurse, precepting new nurses, and mentoring students on an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. Much of the unit population consisted of unhoused patients who not only suffered from severe mental illness and comorbid substance abuse, but also from broader stressors due to trauma, housing insecurity, and pinched resources. As a PMHNP, I am committed to partnering with patients in their care while honoring their agency. My broader interests include integrative psychiatry and psychotherapy.
Brianna Swanson
Brianna Swanson was born and raised in San Diego, where she obtained her first Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from San Diego State University. During her time there, she conducted research with bionic exoskeletons and spinal cord injury patients, working closely with nurses at the VA. Discovering a passion for helping individuals in need, she pursued an accelerated Bachelor's of Science in Nursing at the University of Rochester, in Rochester, New York. Throughout her nursing career at Scripps Health, she gained experience in medicine and oncology nursing, neurological, surgical, trauma intensive care (NST ICU), and post-operative recovery units. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her experiences in the ICU, coupled with her own mental health struggles and those of her patients and coworkers, deeply impacted her and solidified her desire to specialize in psychiatry. She obtained her Master's of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree from California State University San Marcos. Brianna has a keen interest in community mental health, consult-liaison psychiatry, and women's reproductive mental health care. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending time with her family and dog, attending concerts, and reading.
