Meet Our Team

Dr. Douglas Li is a Clinical Professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Li received his MD from Wake Forest University, and completed training at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Since joining UCLA in 2013, he has led the CF Center and is now the Interim Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology. He has special interest in children with complex chronic lung disease.

Dr. Mindy Ross is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a pediatric pulmonologist at UCLA Health. She provides outpatient pediatric pulmonary care in Santa Monica and inpatient consultation at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. She is board certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonology, and Clinical Informatics.

Dr. Safatian is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics.  She joined the division of pediatric pulmonology at UCLA in 2021. She earned degrees from USC and George Washington University, completed residency at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital and fellowship at CHLA, and was the recipient of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Clinical Fellowship Award. 

Dr. Lusine Unanyan is a pediatric pulmonologist at UCLA Health. She earned her undergraduate degree from UCSD in 2015 and her medical degree from Touro University Nevada in 2020. She completed pediatric training at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, followed by a Pediatric Pulmonology fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (2023–2026). Dr. Unanyan is dedicated to caring for children and families and is inspired by her patients’ resilience.

Matthew is Assistant Director of the Respiratory Therapy Department at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Therapy from the University of Cincinnati and has 11 years of clinical experience at UCLA across the OR, PICU, ICU, Emergency Department, and Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis clinics. His interests include chronic disease management, telehealth, interventional pulmonary care, and quality improvement.

DeeAnna received her associate degree in respiratory therapy from San Joaquin Valley College in 1997 and completed neonatal and pediatric respiratory care training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 1999. She is certified as a Neonatal Pediatric Specialist (NPS) and Asthma Educator-Certified (AE-C), with specialized training in trauma and air medical transport. DeeAnna has more than 30 years of experience in respiratory care and is a recognized leader in pediatric pulmonary, CF and& PCD care.

Talin has been working at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center since 2003 as a respiratory therapist. She has provided care to both adult and pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis and takes pride in helping patients breathe better and improve their quality of life. After years in the hospital setting, working with children has been a rewarding addition to her career. She enjoys educating patients and families on therapies that help them lead healthier lives. 

Fabiola Martinez has nearly 10ten years of experience at UCLA Health. After a robust tenure in acute critical care at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, she pivoted specialty clinics to focus closely on long-term management and education. She specializes in supporting allergies, asthma, CF, and PCD clinic patients. Driven by a passion for teaching, Fabiola Martinez focuses on empowering patients and their families to optimize clinical outcomes.

Everardo received his respiratory therapy training at UCLA Westwood in 2000. He joined the Pediatric Pulmonary/Cystic Fibrosis team in 2013. He loves teaching kids and their parents about respiratory care. He looks forward to working with co-workers and families in Westwood and Santa Monica pediatric pulmonology outpatient clinics.

Heather is a Registered Respiratory Therapist with over 12 years of experience at UCLA Health, providing care to both pediatric and adult patients. She has worked in outpatient clinics since 2019, where she is known for her compassionate, patient-centered approach. Heather’s dedication to respiratory care is deeply personal—she has lived with asthma since the age of two, which inspires her commitment to patient education, understanding, and helping others breathe easier. 

Rafael Martinez has been a respiratory therapist since 2022, with most of his experience focusing on caring for pediatric patients. In 2024 he earned his bachelor's degree in respiratory care from Northern Kentucky University. Throughout his career, he’s had the opportunity to care for children with a wide range of respiratory needs in both acute and outpatient settings. 

Danielle Mein is a Registered Dietitian specializing in pediatric nutrition, specifically growth (overweight and underweight), feeding issues, complex medical needs (including tube fed children) and general wellness for kids of all ages: newborns up to 21 years of age. Danielle Mein obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at the University of Maryland and completed her clinical internship at the University of Maryland Medical Center with a focus on pediatrics.

Sabah Akmal is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with UCLA Health. She earned her Master of Social Welfare (MSW) from University of California, Los Angeles, and began her career in adult oncology. She currently practices at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, where she supports patients and families in pediatric cystic fibrosis, pulmonary, endocrine and rheumatology clinics. She also serves as the mental health coordinator for the cystic fibrosis program.

Elaine is a registered nurse. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Niagara University in 1985. She is a pediatric pulmonology specialist. She has both inpatient and outpatient experience NICU, PICU and pediatric pulmonology and cystic fibrosis.