San Francisco Staff

Dr. Chung is an Assistant Clinical Professor and the Director of Clinical Services at the University of the Pacific Hearing and Balance Center. She received her Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and her Doctor of Audiology from Vanderbilt University. Before joining Pacific, Dr. Chung practiced at the University of California San Francisco as a Senior Audiologist and Research Audiologist. She has a wide range of experience in adult and pediatric diagnostics and amplification and enjoys being able to partner with patients and their families to prioritize communication and quality of life.

Dr. Melanie Rosenblatt is a clinical instructor/audiologist at the University of the Pacific Hearing and Balance Center. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts at Boston University, in addition to receiving her Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) from University of the Pacific. She has previous experience at an otolaryngology practice and at Kaiser, where she specialized in vestibular assessments and tinnitus management.

Dr. Anga Lao is clinical instructor/audiologist at the University of the Pacific Hearing and Balance Center. She holds a Doctorate in Audiology, with a special interest in hearing aid fitting, tinnitus management and pediatric hearing assessments. Dr. Lao has a decade of experience treating hearing loss at premier clinics in the Bay area. She was formerly a Senior Audiologist at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF Medical Center) and the Lead Audiologist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. She draws on her broad experience providing diagnostic and rehabilitative audiologic services to adult and pediatric patients, with the goal of ensuring individual priorities are met while maximizing health benefits and quality of life for every patient.

Heidi Makeig is a clinical instructor/diagnostic audiologist at the University of the Pacific Hearing & Balance Center. She received her B.S. from Ohio University and her M.S. from Vanderbilt University. She has worked in the field of Audiology in the Bay Area since 2001 and currently splits her time between Marin General Hospital and UOP. Heidi has focused on adult and pediatric diagnostics in medical settings throughout her career, including electrophysiology and balance testing. She particularly enjoys working with culturally diverse pediatric populations.

Dr. Jiong “Joe” Hu is a licensed audiologist at the University of the Pacific Hearing and Balance Center. He earned both his Ph.D. and Au.D. from Ohio University. Dr. Hu is a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and American Academy of Audiology. In addition to his clinical research activities, he specializes in adult diagnostic evaluations and rehabilitation, auditory electrophysiological assessments, hearing aids and management of hearing loss and vestibular assessment.

Dr. Fadi Najem is a member of the Department of Audiology faculty at the University of the Pacific. He earned his Au.D. from Missouri State University in 2011 and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 2013. Dr. Najem holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the Canadian Speech-Language and Audiology Association and from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. He has extensive clinical experience and worked over the years with a wide variety of pediatric and adult patients suffering from hearing loss and vestibular disorders. Whether in the classroom, clinic, lab or in public, Dr. Najem bases his teaching philosophy on the concept of leading by example to help students develop their knowledge while enhancing their ethical and professional behavior. 

Dr. Celia Zhang is a licensed audiologist at the University of the Pacific Hearing and Balance Center. She earned both her Au.D. and Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo. She completed her audiology externship at the NIH Clinical Center, Audiology Unit and worked as a clinical audiologist prior to starting her academic position. Dr. Zhang holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology. She is also a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. She specializes in adult diagnostic evaluations, auditory electrophysiological and vestibular assessments.

Shantelle, our Clinic Services Manager, comes to the Hearing and Balance Center with office management experience in dentistry and the financial industry. This background gives her the skills to provide our patients with strong customer service and remarkable people skills. She is excited to be part of the University of the Pacific family. A native of San Francisco, she was born and raised in Bayview Hunters Point. Growing up with a passion for sports led to Shantelle earning a black belt in karate at the age of 17, in addition to coaching middle school girls in softball, basketball and volleyball.

Weeko is an administrative assistant committed to creating a lasting positive impact in health care. She graduated from San Jose State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Health Services Administration. She was born and raised in California’s Central Valley as the second oldest in a big family, which contributed toward the development of her interpersonal communication skills. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling, sewing, embroidery and shopping.

Dr. Rupa Balachandran is the Associate Dean of Student and Faculty Affairs for the School of Health Sciences and was the former director of the Doctor of Audiology program at the University of the Pacific. She obtained her Ph.D. in speech and hearing sciences at the City University of New York. Dr. Balachandran has presented at several national meetings on the topics of central auditory processing and speech perception by hearing-impaired individuals. She was president of the California Academy of Audiology and is a licensed dispensing audiologist.

Dr. Kenneth Billheimer is retired audiologist at the University of the Pacific Hearing & Balance Center. He received his master’s degree in audiology from California State University at Fresno and his Doctor of Audiology from Arizona School of Health Science. Dr. Billheimer worked as an audiologist with the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, Kaiser Hospital in Fontana and a private practice in Pleasanton. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Chapman College, University of Redlands and California State University at East Bay. Dr. Billheimer specialized in adult and adolescent audiology with an emphasis on management of hearing loss and amplification.