UC San Diego

To establish a robust injury risk mitigation, performance, and care program aimed at enhancing the overall well-being and performance of our scholar-athletes through diligent application of knowledge, skillsets, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

We are a staff of 11 athletic trainers who tend to the day-to-day health care needs of UC San Diego intercollegiate scholar-athletes, including the evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses. 

The University of California San Diego Athletic Training facilities are affiliated clinical sites for

• San Diego State University Athletic Training Program (MSAT)
• Point Loma Nazarene University MSAT
• Oklahoma State University MAT

UC San Diego Sports Medicine internships are also available to UC San Diego students. As a staff, clinical site, and a division of UC San Diego Athletics, we strive to uphold a strong and consistent history of providing ethical, high quality, and progressive health care and prevention to our intercollegiate scholar-athletes. 

For more information about internships, please contact  Christian Ahlstrom 

Please see our Visiting AT Letter for athletic trainer contact info, provided supplies, and local hospital contact information. For general inquiries, contact Zoe Moura at zmoura@ucsd.edu or call the ATR main line at (858) 822-2572. 

In case of an emergency during your visit to our campus, please follow the provided EAP for your venue and contact Campus Police at 858-534-4357 (HELP) for more help.

• Alex G. Spanos Athletic Performance Center
• Canyonview Aquatic Center
• Cross Country
• LionTree Arena
• Main Gym (Fencing)
• Muir Field
• Northview Tennis Courts
• RIMAC Athletic Training Room
• RIMAC Auxiliary Gym
• Triton Ballpark
• Triton Soccer Stadium
• Triton Softball Field
• Triton Track & Field Stadium
• UC San Diego Boathouse (Rowing)
• Warren Athletic Training Room

• Thornton Hospital - Jacobs Medical Center at UCSD Health
• Scripps Hospital 
• Kaiser San Diego Medical Center

• UC San Diego Health La Jolla
• Kaiser Urgent Care
• Scripps Urgent Care

• CVS Pharmacy - UC San Diego campus
• CVS Pharmacy - Villa La Jolla
• UC San Diego Health Pharmacies
• Kaiser Pharmacy

• Cardiac Health
• Concussion
• Concussion Fact Sheet
• Doping and Substance Abuse
• NCAA Drug Testing Policy
• Mental Health
• Nutrition, Sleep, and Performance
• Overuse Injuries and Periodization
• NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Policy and Resources

• SSI Drug Testing Brochure 
• 2025-26 NCAA Banned Substances
• The NCAA randomly selects institutions and student-athletes for drug testing throughout the academic year, including the summer. All scholar-athletes are subject to drug testing before, during, or after their competitive seasons. Scholar-athletes need to be aware of the  NCAA Banned Substances List and should check with Scholar-athletes that have questions regarding supplement use should contact Jasmine Chu or Jacqueline Scaramella. Scholar-athletes who test positive are subject to NCAA penalties.
• Many nutritional/dietary supplements contain NCAA banned substances. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not strictly regulate the supplement industry; therefore, the purity and safety of nutritional/dietary supplements cannot be guaranteed. Impure supplements may lead to a positive drug test. Scholar-athletes that have questions regarding supplement use should contact Jasmine Chu or Jacqueline Scaramella.
• For scholar-athletes and athletics staff with questions about nutritional supplements, further information may also be found through Drug Free Sport AXIS.  Create an account on Axis using the access code ncaa1.

• Sickle Cell Information (PDF)
• Insurance Letter for Student-Athletes and Legal Guardians (PDF)
• UNDERGRADUATE Student Health Insurance Agreement (PDF)

Vanessa Yang was named UC San Diego's head athletic trainer in July of 2013. 

Yang leads UCSD's Athletic Training Department with the mission to provide the prevention, management and rehabilitation of athletic injuries for over 600 student-athletes from 23 intercollegiate teams.

Yang began her tenure with UCSD Athletics in 2007 as an assistant athletic trainer. Prior to joining the Triton family, she served two years as the head athletic trainer for the Sports Clubs program at UC San Diego.

Yang has also spent time at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. While at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, she worked with athletes in several sports, including wrestling, gymnastics, weightlifting and speed skating.

Yang received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University before earning a master's in sports health care at A.T. Still University. 

Liam Higginson was named associate athletic trainer at UC San Diego in the fall of 2021 after spending the previous four years as an assistant athletic trainer with the Tritons. 

Higginson brings several years of athletic training, as well as strength and conditioning experience to campus. Higginson came to UC San Diego from West Virginia University Institute of Technology, where he served as athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach (2016-17). He worked with all 15 athletic programs evaluating injuries, providing first-aid and developing and supervising injury rehabilitation programs. In addition, Higginson designed and implemented year-round performance enhancement programs for the softball program.

Before his time at WVU Tech, Higginson was head athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach at the University of Minnesota Crookston (2013-16).

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, Higginson received a bachelor's of kinesiology degree in athletic therapy at the University of Manitoba in 2011, before earning his Master of Kinesiology at the University of North Dakota in 2013.

Christian Ahlstrom was named an assistant athletic trainer at UC San Diego in July 2017. 

Ahlstrom arrived on campus after spending two seasons as assistant athletic trainer at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (2015-17), where he primarily worked with men’s soccer and baseball. During this time, Ahlstrom was responsible for injury prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of 70 Division I student-athletes.

A native of Wilmette, Ill., Ahlstrom attended Saint Louis University and earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science before gaining his master’s in athletic training. He also spent time as a teaching assistant for introduction to athletic training while at SLU. 

Ahlstrom is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) as well as the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA).

Mark Espinosa joined the Triton athletic training staff in the winter of 2025. He attained his bachelor's from UC Santa Barbara in psychology (1995) and a bachelor's in kinesiology/athletic training from San Diego State (2003). He went on to complete his master's from Indiana University in kinesiology/athletic training (2004) while working with the women's tennis and baseball teams. He completed a fellowship at the Olympic Training Center Colorado Springs primarily with men's and women's wresting. His most recent role was as an Associate Athletic Trainer for 18 years at UC Riverside covering baseball, women's volleyball, softball and soccer. He is a member of National Athletic Trainers Association and College Athletic Trainers Society.

Jillian Inumerable was named an Assistant Athletic Trainer at UC San Diego in September 2020. She has provided care to the men’s golf, women’s soccer teams, women’s volleyball, and softball teams. 

Inumerable earned her M.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Science in 2022.  She received her B.S. in Athletic Training from San Diego State University in 2020 where she was a part of the athletic training education program. While completing her undergraduate studies, she supported the SDSU football and baseball programs, along with the UC San Diego women’s basketball team.

Inumerable serves  as a preceptor for the San Diego State University and Point Loma Athletic Training programs.

Zoe Moura was named Assistant Athletic Trainer in November of 2024. Moura graduated with her bachelor's in athletic training from San Diego State in May 2022. Prior to joining the Triton family, she worked at San Diego Mesa College from 2022-2024. Moura primarily worked with the football, men’s volleyball, and women’s beach volleyball programs. She has also done several National Team Development Program camps for USA Volleyballs’ beach programs and gone on two international trips as the athletic trainer for the U21 and U19 national teams.Moura is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and holds a Corrective Exercise Specialization certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Danielle Rose began her sports medicine education at College of the Sequoias (2013-2016). She then attended Cal State Fullerton and earned a bachelor's degree in athletic training. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and was the graduation commencement speaker for the College of Health and Human Development representing Athletic Training.

She continued her post-professional education at Indiana University (2019-2021), where she was the primary certified athletic trainer for pre-professional collegiate ballet dancers. Her master’s research analyzed the effects of varied shoe conditions on force measures in the ballet population. She earned a master's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training. During this time, she was also a preceptor for Indiana University’s MSAT program.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time at home with her partner Brian, who is also an athletic trainer, and their cats, Zoe and Kasi

Casey Scheuer joined the UC San Diego athletic training staff in July 2022. During her time with the Tritons, she has provided care to the women’s basketball, men’s tennis, and track & field teams.

Prior to UC San Diego, Scheuer spent a year working at Vanderbilt University with the women’s basketball and women’s swim teams. 

She is a 2021 graduate of Indiana University where she obtained her Masters in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training. During her time with the Hoosiers, Scheuer worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the cross country, track & field, and baseball teams. She also spent time providing care for the student-athletes at Bloomington South High School. 

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA) in 2019. 

Cassidy Smith was named an Assistant Athletic Trainer at UC San Diego in July 2019. 

Smith works primarily with men's soccer and men's rowing. Prior to coming to La Jolla, Smith worked as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Hawai'i while receiving her M.S. in kinesiology and rehab science in 2017-2019. While at UH, she worked with water polo, tennis, and football. 

Smith received her B.S. in Athletic Training from San Diego State University in 2017.

Tristan Turner was named Assistant Athletic Trainer at UC San Diego in July of 2022.

Prior to coming to La Jolla, Turner traveled with the U.S. Soccer Men’s Para National Team to the 2022 IFCPF World Cup in Salou, Spain.

A native of Tacoma, Wash., Turner received his B.S. in Athletic Training from Washington State University in 2020. He later went on to earn a Master’s in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion from Northern Arizona University in 2022. While at NAU, he served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer from 2020-2022. During his time in Flagstaff, he primarily worked with the men’s basketball program.

Turner is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He also holds a Corrective Exercise Specialist certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

• Amy Leu, DO, FAAFP (Head Team Physician)
• Alan Shahtaji, DO

• Andrew Hurvitz, MD, FAAOS
• Bryan Leek, MD

• Rachel Duong, MD 
• Rohan Sebastian, MD, MBA
• Jason Xu, MD

Acupuncture services are provided every Monday from 1:30-5pm on a first-come-first-serve basis for all scholar-athletes. Care is provided by Ian Armstrong, LAC, CSMA as well as several acupuncture students from Pacific College of Health and Science Acupuncturist Program.

Chiropractic care is provided weekly by Dr. Branden Yeo, DC in the RIMAC athletic training room. Appointments will be coordinated through the ATR staff.

• National Athletic Trainers' Association
• National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification
• National Academy of Sports Medicine
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• National Strength and Conditioning Association
• American College of Sports Medicine
• Graston Technique

• RIMAC Facility - Athletic Training Room: Enter through the third-floor recreation center entrance
• Warren Athletic Training Room: Located on Warren field across from Canyonview Aquatic Center 

• RIMAC ATR: (858) 822-2572
• Warren ATR: (858) 534-0721

RIMAC and Warren Athletic Training Room hours are based around sports team training schedules. Specific weekly hours are posted outside the ATR door. For further information please call the ATR or contact your athletic trainer. 

Directions to RIMAC (Athletic Training Facility)
- From Interstate 5, exit Genesee Ave.
- Head west on Genesee Ave.
- Turn left on Torrey Pines Rd.
- Turn left at the next signal (Northpoint Drive - UCSD North Campus Entrance)
- Continue through two stop signs, as the road curves right to the right it becomes Hopkins Drive
- Park in Hopkins Parking Structure.
- RIMAC is directly north of the structure and should be entered on the third floor.
- Proceed to the first floor to find the Athletic Training Room.

Directions to Warren Athletic Training Facility
Warren Field is located on Voigt Drive between Lyman Lane and Gilman Drive.
-  From Interstate 5, exit Genesee Ave.
- Head east on Genesee Ave.
- Turn Right on Campus Point Drive.
- Turn Right on Voigt Drive and Warren Field is will be on your Left between Lyman Lane and Gilman Drive.