Board of Councilors
Semira Dariushnia MD, DABFM
Dr. Semira Dariushnia, M.D., is a respected clinician and philanthropist. Board-certified in Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Physicians, she is in private practice and affiliated with St Joseph’s hospital in Orange, California. She is passionate about the provision of quality healthcare and the importance of preventive medicine and its role in individuals’ lives and society at large.
As a strong advocate in science, education, and healthcare, she was appointed by the President of the University of Southern California to the Board of Councilors over a decade ago. As a board member at USC, she is involved in the educational and developmental aims of the university. She is a strong leader and a noted speaker, having participated in multiple conferences and events nationwide. In the past, she has also addressed hundreds of Trojan graduates at USC as the keynote commencement speaker.
Dr. Dariushnia is the recipient of The Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2023. Furthermore, in recognition of her exceptional work in providing healthcare to underserved communities, she was awarded the Silver Stethoscope Award at the University of California, Irvine.
In recent years, as part of her philanthropic interests, she proposed and sponsored the planning of the first Family Medicine residency at Keck School of Medicine at USC. As a member of the strategic committee, along with other leading physicians at Keck, she was directly involved in the planning of the program. USC Keck School of Medicine welcomed its first group of Family Medicine residents in July of 2021. In 2016, She established and sponsors the Mark and Semira Moshayedi innovation award at USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. This annual award ceremony inspires students to design solutions to challenges faced by their patient population.
Dr. Dariushnia is a strong believer in multidisciplinary collaboration, and was among the founding sponsors of the Biology-Business program at UC Berkeley, which opened its doors to their first class in the fall of 2018.
Her passion for the Arts is evident in her sponsorship and promotion of Iranian arts and culture in the community through Farhang Foundation, which she and her husband actively support. She has also been a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Orange County Museum of Art. Passionate about women’s empowerment, she served as a trustee of the Iranian American Women Foundation.
Dr. Dariushnia is married and has three daughters. She resides in Newport Beach, California, with her family. She is multilingual and fluent in Farsi, English, Spanish, and French. She has a special interest and curiosity in learning about new cultures, and in her spare time, she loves to travel the world with her family.
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