Four new department chairs at School of Allied Health Professions

Loma Linda University’s School of Allied Health Professions has announced the appointment of four new department chairs.

Communications Sciences and Disorders department. Karen Mainess, PhD CCC-SLP, joined the department in 2001 and has served as speech-language pathology assistant program director, undergraduate program director, and graduate program director for the Master of Science degree program. In addition to her new role as department chair, Dr. Mainess currently teaches the graduate research sequence for the MS degree. She also coordinates the Graduate Portfolio courses, provides clinical supervision to the graduate students, and teaches coursework for the Speech-Language Pathology Doctorate program.

Department of Occupational Therapy. Praveen Injeti, MA, MFT, OTD, OT, received his bachelor’s education as an occupational therapist at Loma Linda University in 1999. He then obtained a master’s degree in psychology with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. He completed his Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University in 2021. Dr. Injeti has professional experience in various settings, including long-term care, treating psychiatric patients in the criminal justice system, in-patient behavioral health settings, and home health.

Physician Assistant Sciences. Rasha Abdrabou, DrPH, MPH, received her Master of Public Health in 2002 and her Doctorate in Public Health in 2009, both from Loma Linda University. She has since taught in undergraduate and graduate programs at various universities, including California Baptist University, California State University Dominguez Hills, and West Coast University. Dr. Abdrabou returned to Loma Linda University in 2018 as a faculty member for the Physician Assistant Department and assumed the position of interim Department Chair in Fall 2023.

Radiation Technology. William Edmunds, MEd, RT(R), graduated from Loma Linda University’s Associate of Medical Radiography program in 2008 and went onto work at Loma Linda University Medical Center as an X-ray technologist. He transitioned to full-time faculty in 2013. He continues to work per-diem as a radiographer at the LLUH Surgical Hospital, and serves on several school and university committees. He has served as a director-at-large on the board of the California Society of Radiologic Technologists (CSRT) since 2017, in addition to serving as the organization’s president for the 2020-2021 term.

“It is a pleasure to welcome these new department chairs to our leadership circle in the School of Allied Health Professions,” said Craig Jackson, JD, MSW, FASAHP, school dean. “It will be a pleasure to continue into our preferred future with such capable and committed leaders of their respective departments.”

With 988 students, the School of Allied Health Professions is the largest of Loma Linda University's eight schools. Its 10 departments offer more than 40 degrees and certifications.