Faculty & Staff
Our faculty is drawn from nationally recognized contributors to PA and MD education, and encourages a collegial professional relationship with their students. We are committed to the ideal that we are not just educating physician assistants but future colleagues as well.
Faculty
Program Director
Aliza Stern, MMSc, PA-C, Program Director
Program Director
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Contact Information
phone: (617) 358-9589
email: paoffice@bu.edu
BU Profile
Education
- MMSc, Physician Associate Program Yale University, New Haven, CT
- BA, Behavioral Neuroscience, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Biography
Aliza Stern MMSC, PA-C was appointed Program Director of the PA Program starting July 1, 2025. Prior to this role, Aliza served as the Director of Didactic Education and Associate Program Director, and was responsible for the management, assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes pertaining to the didactic curriculum, as well as educating and evaluating the physician assistant students knowledge.
Aliza received her Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience at Lehigh University before attending Yale University School of Medicine’s Physician Associate Program, through which she obtained her PA certificate and Masters of Medical Science degree. She first practiced at Cambridge Hospital in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and has been practicing privately in Dermatology for the past 10 years. She practices clinical in the Department of Dermatology at Boston Medical Center.
Didactic Team
Robert O'Brien, DrPH, MHS, PA-C, Associate Director of Didactic Education
Associate Director of Didactic Education
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Contact Information
phone: (617) 358-9589
email: paoffice@bu.edu
Education
- DrPH, Public Health, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
- MHS, Physician Assistant Studies, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
- BA, Leadership Studies and Medical Humanities, University of Richmond, VA
Biography
Robert O’Brien, DrPH, MHS, PA-C, joined the physician assistant program faculty in May 2023. He has practiced clinically in orthopaedic surgery, sports medicine, sports traumatology, joint reconstruction, and reconstructive plastic surgery. His clinical work includes peri-operative management and first assisting within the operating room. His professional interests include sports injury prevention, surgical innovation, preventive medicine, evidence-based care, inclusion of marginalized populations in sports, and the effective integration of public health concepts into clinical medicine. He continues to remain involved in several research efforts focused on these areas. Dr. O’Brien completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond, studying leadership and medical humanities. He earned his master’s in health sciences from Drexel University in 2013. He earned his doctoral degree in public health from Walden University in 2023. His dissertation was on Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Organized Sports Participation among Sexual Minority Adolescents.
Clinical Team
Angela Reffel, MHP, PA-C, Director of Clinical Education
Director of Clinical Education
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Contact Information
phone: (617) 358-9589
email: paoffice@bu.edu
BU Profile
Education
- MHP, Physician Assistant Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
- BA, Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Biography
Angela C. Reffel, MHP, PA-C joined the Physician Assistant Program at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in 2016. Ms. Reffel received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Brandeis University before attending Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program where she obtained her Physician Assistant certificate and Masters of Health Professions degree. She also completed the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases NP/PA Hepatology Fellowship. For the last 14 years she has practiced at Boston Medical Center in the Section of Gastroenterology, but has clinical and research experience in a variety of settings which include the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Planned Parenthood, Fenway Community Health Center and Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
In her role as the Director of Clinical Education, Ms. Reffel is responsible for vetting, assessing and maintaining clinical sites as well as educating and evaluating physician assistant student’s clinical skills.
Medical Director
Melissa DiPetrillo, MD
Medical Director, PA Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
Contact Information
phone: (617) 358-9589
email: paoffice@bu.edu
BU Profile
Education
- BA, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
- MD, Boston University School of Medicine
- Residency Training, Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine/ Boston Medical Center
Biography
Melissa DiPetrillo, M.D. has been a medical educator since 2005. She joined the program in 2016 as the PA Program Medical Director and directs the Clinical Practicum courses in addition to her service as a thesis advisor. She has over 10 years of experience teaching medical students in the clinical years. She has published a curriculum for teaching the pulmonary exam to medical students and much of her medical education interests continue to include clinical medicine, critical thinking, and communication. She has been an active presenter and panel discussant for Scope of Pain, a continuing medical education activity designed to help medical providers safely and effectively manage patients with chronic pain.
Dr. DiPetrillo is a graduate of Wellesley College, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and Boston Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency. She cares for patients in both the inpatient and outpatient setting and also supervises an internal medicine resident continuity clinic. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and was granted the Clinical Educator of the Year Award (2011). In 2015 she was granted the Department of General Medicine Sam Putman Award.
Director of Research
John R. Weinstein, PhD, MS
Director of Research
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Contact Information
phone: (617) 358-9589
email: paoffice@bu.edu
BU Profile
Education
- MS, Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
- PhD, Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
- BA, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Biography
Dr. Weinstein joined the PA program as a faculty member in 2017. Prior to joining the program he was a global health researcher in the Division of Global Health Sciences at University of California, San Francisco. He has experience teaching in undergraduate and graduate programs in chemistry, biostatistics and global health economics. He has presented his research at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology annual meetings and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.
Dr. Weinstein is the Director of Research for the Physician Assistant Program. He develops and implements the program’s research curriculum which consists of coursework, journal clubs, and the thesis project. Dr. Weinstein performs research related to environmental toxins and pregnancy in Kenya and reducing household air pollution in Guatemala.
Staff
Cindy Yee-Lin, Senior Program Manager
Mary Sena, Clinical Clerkship Coordinator
Haylie Walsh, Administrative Coordinator