Sylvia Merino, MBA, MPH

Sylvia Merino serves as Instructor and Director, Simulation at Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. In this role, she oversees strategic and logistical direction for the School’s simulation-based training, including the selection and installation of associated technologies and tools. She will lead a team of extended reality (XR) simulation specialists to support simulation education as well as 3D printing and XR experiences for medical students.

Prior to joining the School, Merino was Founding Director of Simulation at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine and the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, California. Previously, she headed the largest computer lab on the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) south campus, supporting all of UCLA’s major health profession schools. She additionally served as Instruction Development Manager at UCLA Anderson School of Management, where she designed and led training workshops for MBA students.

Merino earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at UCLA, where she went on to receive master’s degrees in accounting and finance and health services management through a dual-degree program. She has presented at medical and simulation education conferences on topics such as medical school information technology, faculty learning communities, and data management for simulation center operations.