Meet The Team

Dr. Diab is the founder and executive director of SoCal Street Medicine. He is a family physician, humanitarian, and artist who dedicates much of his time to serving underserved populations both locally and globally.  He worked on malaria prevention and food security projects while in the U.S Peace Corps in Zambia, and on medical, educational, and public health projects in Kenya and Dominica. Dr. Diab is the founder of Light on Lives, a multi-media advocacy project that uses video production and photography to advocate for environmental and social justice in communities around the world. His medical career is focused primarily on addressing health disparities through direct outreach—meeting people where they are—to promote empowerment and equity through health and wellness.  In southern California, he is focused on medical service to unsheltered individuals and families, asylum seekers, refugees, migrant farmers, and victims of human trafficking. 

Dr. Richardson is a family medicine physician.  She lives and works just miles from the San Diego/Tijuana border and dedicates much of her time to serving the border population of Southern California.  She understands that health and wellness are directly impacted by one's ability to access safe sleeping, food, housing and hygiene, and that the current medical system does not meet the needs of many people, including those with housing insecurity. Dr. Richardson’s passion extends beyond the role of a physician; she is a proud activist and believes that a strong community has the power to nurture, protect, and provide for each other.  She wants to see her community thrive and focuses on making sure the most vulnerable people have their basic needs met.  She and her partner host the Imperial Beach Community Fridge and Garden.  It is a safe space for unsheltered people to rest, recharge, eat and garden.  The neighborhood comes together to compost, garden, grow pollinator flowers, and stock the fridge. 

Nicole is originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She attended the Duke University Physician Assistant program in Durham, NC.  She then relocated to New York City, becoming a PA in Ophthalmology in the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine Cornell. In her role, she supported physicians in the operating room, emergency department, and in-clinic.  Additionally, she gained diverse experiences, including multiple medical missions to Tanzania, eye care for the New York Rangers hockey team, and co-managing the Kress Vision Program (free eye care, medicine, and surgery for uninsured individuals). During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was redeployed to Weill Cornell Hospital, working in Internal Medicine, caring for individuals hospitalized with severe COVID-19. In 2022, Nicole and her family relocated to Vancouver, Canada, and then recently settled in San Diego.  She is grateful to have joined the SoCal Street Medicine team and to work with a group of individuals constantly striving to improve patient care. 

Jordan is a local activist, humanitarian, photographer, and musician.  Jordan has done work at the southern border providing humanitarian aid to asylum seekers held in open air detention sites by CBP,  providing food, shelter, warm clothes, blankets, basic medical attention, and  mobile power charging stations. They went on to work with Al Otro Lado as a Humanitarian Aid Coordinator in the Jacumba desert where they served as the organizations designated liaison and lead for receiving and coordinating the care of asylum seekers.  Jordan also has experience working as an Outreach Specialist with PATH, providing case management to our unsheltered community at encampments around San Diego, providing services such as food, hygiene kits, harm reduction, documents, referrals for medical treatment and transportation, and assisting them in finding and securing housing. Jordan is currently serves as SoCal Street Medicine's ECM/CS Supervisor supervising a team working to help our patients connect to essential community resources and housing .

Ellery Sanchez graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychological and Brain Sciences. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and raised in San Diego, California, Ellery has long been passionate about healthcare and addressing disparities in underserved communities. During college, he earned his EMT and phlebotomy certifications and served as a Clinic Coordinator with Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine, helping expand access to care for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Since then, he has worked as a medical assistant and currently works as a Certified Nursing Assistant, gaining hands-on experience in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Ellery now leads volunteer coordination for SoCal Street Medicine, where he continues to advocate for health equity and human compassion. He plans to graduate from Physician Assistant school in 2027 and is committed to a career focused on delivering accessible, empathetic care to underserved and unsheltered populations.

As a volunteer with SoCal Street Medicine, Katayoon Marzban is dedicated to advancing the organization’s mission to provide compassionate, comprehensive healthcare directly to individuals experiencing homelessness. Her passion for health equity also drives her work with Health Frontiers in Tijuana (HFiT), where she helps deliver care to those most in need near the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to her volunteer efforts, Katayoon conducts research at The Scripps Research Institute and is working toward a career in medicine, with the goal of continuing to serve vulnerable communities. Outside of her academic and clinical interests, Katayoon enjoys reading, painting, and practicing yoga as part of her personal wellness and creative expression.