Meet the Team

Dr. Allison Chambliss is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and serves as the Director of Laboratory Stewardship. She earned her PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and completed a Clinical Chemistry Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry and a fellow of the Academy of Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine. 

Dr. Chambliss serves on national committees for the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM), the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and the PLUGS (Patient-centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services) laboratory stewardship collaborative. She was named as an American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) “40 Under Forty” Top Six honoree in 2021. She holds editorial positions with The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine and Clinica Chimica Acta. Her research interests include general clinical chemistry, laboratory stewardship and quality, and sepsis biomarkers.

Josh Deignan, PhD, FACMG, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is one of the Associate Directors of the UCLA Molecular Diagnostics Laboratories, specializing in the areas of molecular genetics and genomics. He performed his undergraduate work in Genetics at the University of California, Davis, and he received his Ph.D. in Pathology and completed his medical genetics fellowship training at UCLA. He is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Genomics and is licensed by the state of California as a Clinical Genetic Molecular Biologist (CGMB). 

Dr. Omai Garner is a Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Microbiology in the UCLA Health System. He received his PhD from UC San Diego in Biomedical Sciences. He was a Postdoctoral Clinical Microbiology CPEP Fellow in the Department of Pathology at UCLA, and a former McNair Scholar. Dr. Garner is Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Microbiology. Dr. Garner's research focuses on novel Point of Care Devices for infectious disease diagnosis in LMICs. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Social Justice Learning Institute of Inglewood, California.

Dr. Garner was always taught that science, at its best, is a collaborative process. "It is collaboration, and not competition, which produces the most significant advances in biomedical. 

Alex Martin, PA(ASCP), MHA is the Director of Operations for Anatomic Pathology at UCLA Health, overseeing laboratory operations, personnel management, regulatory compliance, and training programs. With extensive experience in pathology operations, he has held leadership roles at USC Keck School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and California Pacific Medical Center. Alex co-chairs the Laboratory Stewardship Task Force and the Quality, Utilization, and Improvement Committee, playing a key role in optimizing laboratory services.

Alex earned his Master of Science in Pathologists’ Assistant Studies, Master of Health Administration, and in Biomedical Science from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. 

Beyond his professional achievements, Alex is a proud father of three children, with a fourth due in June 2025. 

Maria Estrada, MHA, PMP is the program manager for Laboratory Stewardship. She is a first-generation Double Bruin, having earned both her undergraduate and Master’s degrees from UCLA – a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology with a minor in Education and Math, and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration. Additionally, she holds a PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. 

Maria’s background includes leading projects that enhance operational efficiency and patient care. She is excited to apply her expertise to laboratory stewardship efforts, ensuring responsible test utilization and promoting best practices within our department.