Meet Our Team

Ryan Thompson, MD
Medical director

Dr. Ryan Thompson graduated from Upstate Medical University before completing his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin. During his final year of residency, he served as a chief resident. He went on to complete a fellowship in medical simulation before being recruited as the director of simulation for emergency medicine. Dane County EMS also enlisted him in developing a county-wide EMS simulation training program. He has a passion for simulation education, especially interprofessional education. Other interests include simulation for quality improvement, process development and testing, and product development.

Outside of health care, Ryan enjoys sailing, kayaking, travel and the outdoors.

Shannon DiMarco
Operations director

Shannon DiMarco has a background in simulation operations and medical education research. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire with a degree in communications and is currently completing her master of science in health care simulation at the University of Alabama–Birmingham. Shannon is excited to lead in the growth of the Clinical Simulation Program and work with the amazing team.

Mark Johanneck
Simulation specialist
mjohanneck@uwhealth.org

Mark earned his bachelor of arts in organizational communication from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He has 10 years of experience working for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, six as a technology liaison for the Clinical Teaching and Assessment Center. Mark is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys travel.

Erick Przybylski
Simulation educator
eprzybylski@uwhealth.org

Erick earned his bachelor of liberal studies in organizational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He is in the 2019 master of science in health care and medical simulation cohort through the Drexel School of Medicine. His areas or interest include pre-hospital care and interprofessional education.

Erick spent a majority of his career working in the air medical industry as a paramedic and regional educator, which allowed him the opportunity to live in Arizona and Tennessee. He moved back to Wisconsin in 2016. He enjoys spending time with his family and golfing.

Gina Tranel
Simulation educator
gruhland@uwhealth.org

Gina is a full-time simulation educator. Her passion for simulation began when she started at the UW Health Clinical Simulation Program in 2013 as student help while in nursing school. Upon graduating from Edgewood College with her bachelor of science in nursing, she started at UW Health on D6/5 acute medical and progressive care while staying on as a part-time simulation educator at the UW Health Clinical Simulation Program. Fall of 2018, she began a master's program at Drexel University for medical and health care simulation.

Mallory Schultz
Administrative operations assistant
mschultz3@uwhealth.org

Mallory received her associates degree in Early Childhood Education. She worked for a company for 14 years where she advanced within the company to become Director. Mallory is new to the Health Care field, but is very intrigued by Simulation and the potential growth it has to help others be successful in their skills set. She is excited to be a part of the Clinical Simulation Programs incredible team. In her free time, you will always find her cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers, spending time outdoors and with her family and friends.

Mengizem Tizale
Simulation intern

Mengizem Tizale attends UW-Madison as an undergraduate biomedical engineering student. He joined the UW Health Clinical Simulation Program team as a student hourly the summer of 2018. Mengizem has previous experience with simulation as a research assistant at the Simulation and Engineering for Surgical Education (SEnSE) lab before the departure of Carla Pugh, MD-PhD, the Clinical Simulation Program's former medical director. Mengizem grew up on the east coast in Maryland. He enjoys playing soccer, running, biking, listening to music and reading.

Nyla Mathis
Simulation intern

Nyla Mathis is pursuing a bachelor of science in neurobiology and psychology with a certificate in African American Studies. She is looking forward to advancing her overall knowledge and experience with medicine through her work with the Clinical Simulation Program. After graduation, Nyla plans to attend medical school with the intent of taking on a career in surgery. In her free time, she enjoys running, listening to music and spending time with loved ones.

Deborah Woo
Simulation intern

Deborah Woo is currently studying biochemistry as a junior at UW-Madison. She hopes to pursue a career as a physician, and is excited to gain exposure to multiple fields of medicine through the Clinical Simulation Program. Deborah is especially interested in emergency medicine. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, reading, and traveling.

Lauren Lerner
Simulation intern

Lauren Lerner is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying Health Promotion and Health Equity. She is currently interested in becoming a physician assistant. Lauren is looking forward to expanding her exposure to a variety of health care professionals through the Clinical Simulation Program. In her free time, she enjoys running, skiing, and spending time with friends.

Hajar Bendada
Simulation intern

Hajar Bendada is an undergraduate student at the University of Wiscosnin-Madison pursuing a bachelor of science in biology, along with certificates in African Cultural Studies and Chinese Professional Communications. She has previous experience as a Certified Nusring Assistant and Islamic Teacher before her arrival on campus. She strives to expand her knowlegde of medical professions and is looking forward to gaining exposure to the diversity of the field. Her hobbies include langauge learning, listening to music, and trying out new recipies.