Brandon J. A. Cortez, MD

University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; Brandon grew up in Sacramento, California, and majored in Ecology and Evolution at Stanford University. He taught high school biology in Vallejo City Unified School District. Inspired by his students and their families to pursue a career in medicine, he became a Clinical Research Coordinator at the UCSF Melanoma Research Group. During medical school at UC San Diego, Brandon enjoyed working with patients at the Student-Run Free Clinic Project, participating in the CAFP Foundations Scholars Program, and organizing lunchtime sports activities. His passions in medicine include patient empowerment, underserved medicine, adolescent medicine, and women’s health. Outside of medicine, he and his wife enjoy hiking, bouldering, craft beer, Spikeball, ping pong, reading fiction, playing with their dog, and spending time with family and friends.