The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and Urology Care Foundation are pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural UCF-Gold Humanism in Medicine Award for Residents and Fellows: Peris R. Castaneda, MD of Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Sai Krishnaraya Doppalapudi, MD of Hackensack University Medical Center, and Allison Grant, MD of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
This new award was jointly created by the Gold Foundation, a national nonprofit that champions humanism in healthcare, and the Urology Care Foundation (UCF), the world’s leading nonprofit urological foundation and the official foundation of the American Urological Association (AUA). This honor recognizes urology residents and fellows who exemplify humanism in their patient care and actively participate in humanitarian initiatives outside of their clinical work.
“We developed this award that seeks to highlight the humanitarian efforts of those in urologic training and inspire the spirit of humanism in young urologists,” said Dr. Harris M. Nagler, President of the UCF Board of Directors. “Those whose compassion and personal and cultural humility become manifest in humanitarian endeavors deserve recognition and admiration.”
Dr. Nagler presented the UCF-Gold Humanism in Medicine Award certificates to the winners at the AUA Annual Meeting this spring in Las Vegas. The award also confers membership in the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a program of the Gold Foundation.
“We are so pleased to partner with the Urology Care Foundation to celebrate these resident physicians and fellows and their humanistic approach to care and humanitarian work,” said Dr. Kathleen Reeves, President and CEO of the Gold Foundation. “I have the utmost respect for Dr. Harris Nagler and all he has done through the Urology Care Foundation to make such a positive impact on so many people.”
“The human connection is critical to the best care — for both patients and clinicians, inside and outside of the hospital walls,” said Dr. Reeves. “We applaud these physicians for helping to create a culture of kindness, trust, and safety.”
Peris R. Castaneda, MD
About the 2025 Awardees
Dr. Castaneda is a fifth-year urology resident at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed her undergraduate studies at Pomona College. Dr. Castaneda is involved in several mentorship programs supporting underrepresented groups in urology. She volunteers with the UReTER Mentorship Program at UCSF, mentoring BIPOC and Latinx students, and with the Society for Women in Urology, reviewing personal statements. She also participates in Urology Unbound, where she mentors applicants, reviews applications, and conducts mock interviews.
Sai Krishnaraya Doppalapudi, MD
Dr. Doppalapudi (who goes by “Dr. Krishna”) completed his undergraduate education at The College of New Jersey and then graduated from Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School. He recently finished a urology residency at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and is currently a robotics fellow at Hackensack University Medical Center, a Hackensack Meridian Health hospital. He is passionate about making sure each patient interaction is as thorough and thoughtful as possible, a method that is partly his natural personality and partly an emulation of his mentors and their approach with patients. Dr. Krishna is an active member of the Sri Sathya Sai International Service Organization, which practices the teachings of love and service of their spiritual teacher and organizes volunteer activities, such as food donations and medical services. Dr. Krishna also volunteers at a soup kitchen at Columbus House, a homeless shelter in New Haven, CT.
Allison Grant, MD
Dr. Grant is a urology resident at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, currently applying for fellowship training in pediatric urology. She attended Cornell University for her undergraduate education and then completed a research year at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she remained for medical school. During residency, Dr. Grant has developed a strong interest in medical education and quality improvement. She is passionate about combining clinical excellence with compassionate care, especially in vulnerable pediatric populations. In addition to her academic and clinical interests, she is involved in community service, volunteering with a local organization in NYC. Outside the hospital, she enjoys playing golf, staying active, baking (and eating) cookies, and cheering on the New York Yankees.
