Branks Takes Presidential Reins at CPMA

Podiatric physician and surgeon Diane D. Branks, DPM, FACFAS, FACPM, RVT is the 98th President of the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA). She will serve as leader of the 109-year-old professional organization for 2021-2022.

Immediately upon obtaining her California Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) license, Dr. Branks joined CPMA. She has served on numerous Association committees, as a delegate to both CPMA's and APMA's (American Podiatric Medical Association) House of Delegates, and President of CPMA's Southern California HMO Podiatric Medical Society chapter. Dr. Branks was elected to the CPMA Board of Directors as a Director-at-Large. She quickly moved up to the Executive Board, serving first as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, and President-Elect.

Dr. Branks earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in biology (with a minor in chemistry) from the University of San Diego (USD). Following her graduation from USD, Dr. Branks went to work at the Salk Institute, where she shared a workbench in the Neurobiology Lab with Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Francis Crick, who, along with James Watson and Rosalind Franklin, played a critical role in deciphering the helical structure of the DNA molecule. At the Salk Institute, she did monoclonal antibody work, proving pertinent today in the fight against COVID-19.

Dr. Branks received her medical training at the California College of Podiatric Medicine (CCPM) in San Francisco, CA (now California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University, Oakland, CA), where she earned her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree. Dr. Branks completed her podiatric medicine and surgery residency at the VA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.

A doubly board-certified podiatric physician and surgeon, Dr. Branks is on staff with San Bernardino County Kaiser Orthopedic and Podiatry Department. In her tenure at Kaiser, Dr. Branks has served as Chief of Podiatry. In addition, she became the first podiatrist to work on Vascular Surgery (Kaiser Baldwin Park) and the first podiatrist to obtain a registered Vascular Technology degree.
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A practitioner, author, instructor, and lecturer, Dr. Branks is the recipient of numerous awards, honors, and recognitions, including - the California Podiatric Medical Association's Local Society President of the Year; YMCA San Gabriel Valley’s Women of Achievement; Kaiser Fontana’s Innovative Award, and twice recipient of Kaiser Permanente’s Everyday Heroes for Limb Preservation award.

Dr. Branks resides in Pomona, CA, where, in her spare time, she enjoys walking, weight training, raising orchids and finches, pyrography (from the Greek writing with fire) with wood (aka known as “wood-burning) and stargazing with her husband, Paul.