Dioscaris R. Garcia, PhD
Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics
Co-Director, The Diane N. Weiss Center for Orthopaedic Trauma Research

Dr. Garcia is an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics (Research), and former Dual-Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology at Brown University. Dr. Garcia moved to New York City from the Dominican Republic at age 11 and has been a resident of Rhode Island for over 25 years. He attended the University of Rhode Island, where he obtained a BS in Microbiology, and made significant contributions to the discovery of novel antibiotics. Dr. Garcia obtained his PhD in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology from Brown University in 2012, and has served as faculty since 2013 in both the Department of Orthopaedics, and the former Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology. Dr. Garcia has mentored over 300 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students during his tenure at Brown University, and specializes in the development of diagnostic and treatment technologies in the field of infections. Dr. Garcia has also been recognized as one of the architects of the Rhode Island COVID-19 response, and a leader in the advocacy for equity of urban communities. 

Jael Rodriguez, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Rodriguez is an associate professor of medicine (clinical) in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Brown, functioning as both an inpatient attending physician on the teaching general medicine wards at Rhode Island Hospital, as well as supervising residents at the Chapman Street resident continuity clinic, RIH Center for Primary Care. He grew up between Moca, Dominican Republic, and the Bronx, New York, and attended medical school at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida.

He completed his residency in General Internal Medicine (primary care track) at Brown, at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. His main areas of interest include primary care, end-of-life care and advanced planning, and sociocultural aspects of healthcare for minority populations.

Roxanne Vrees, MD
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr. Vrees is an alum of the Program in Liberal Medical Education at Brown. After receiving her medical degree at Brown Medical School, Dr. Vrees completed the residency program in obstetrics and gynecology at Brown/Women & Infants Hospital.

She is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the obstetrics and gynecology core clerkship at the Warren Alpert Medical School. In addition, she is the medical director of the Division of Emergency Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants and has been appointed Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the Alpert Medical School. 

Martha Sanchez
Assistant Professor of Medicine 

Dr. Martha Sanchez joined the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine in October 2016. She is an Adult Infectious Diseases Physician at The Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital and Newport Hospital. She is the Director of the Immunology Center Adherence and Retention Program (ICARE) at The Miriam Hospital and the Director of the Brown University-Santiago, Dominican Republic Exchange Program.

Dr Sanchez is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a Mary B. Arnold Longitudinal Mentor. On 2018, she received the Mentorship Award in Diversity and Equity (MADE) by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (ODMA).  She earned her Medical School Degree at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), in the Dominican Republic. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood, New Jersey. She subsequently completed her Infectious Disease Fellowship at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Program, Newark, New Jersey. After her fellowship she worked providing HIV, Hepatitis, STI and Tuberculosis care to the underserved community in New Bedford, MA. Dr. Sanchez's Clinical and Research interest include the HIV Care Continuum in the US and Dominican Republic, Hepatitis C, Tropical Medicine. 

Fadya El Rayess, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Family Medicine

Fadya El Rayess, MD, MPH is program director of Brown Family Medicine Residency and co-director of Brown FM Global Health Fellowship. A graduate of Cornell University, she earned an MD/MPH from George Washington University. She completed an FM residency at the University of New Mexico and a Faculty Leadership Development Fellowship at Brown. A National Health Service Corps Scholar, she worked in RI community health centers for twelve years prior to joining the Brown FM residency.  She co-directs Brown Med’s Caring for Underserved Communities Concentration and volunteers at the student clinic. She serves on the Brown Council for Diversity in Medicine and Brown’s Global Health Initiative Executive Committee. She has won a number of community service and teaching awards including the 2017 Mentorship Award in Diversity and Equity Award in Medicine. 

In 2009, Dr. El Rayess and her family spent a year in Lesotho, Africa, where –as assistant residency director – she supported the development of a FM residency. Her clinical interests include health equity, advocacy, immigrant, refugee, reproductive, LGBT and global health. An avid kayaker, she enjoys running, yoga, women’s literature in translation and spending time with her family.

Sybil Cineas, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine and of Pediatrics

Sybil Cineas, MD is the Associate Residency Director for Med/Peds and oversees the Med/Peds ambulatory curriculum as well as the longitudinal Med/Peds rotation for Brown medical students. Dr. Cineas serves as a Career in Medicine faculty advisor at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and is an assistant director for the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC).