Appointment of Inaugural Associate Director of Education: Jenifer Matthews, MD
We are delighted to announce that Jenifer Matthews, MD, has been named UCSF Osher Center Associate Director of Education. Dr. Matthews will provide leadership for the development, implementation, evaluation, and coordination of health professions education activities for learners across the spectrum of integrative health training, from medical students to residents and fellows.
Dr. Matthews is a gifted teacher, course director, and curriculum developer with expertise in both integrative health and structural competency. Dr. Matthews earned her medical degree at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and completed residency in pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. In 2019, Dr. Matthews completed the Osher Center Faculty Scholars Program. She practices as an integrative pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and is a long-standing faculty affiliate of the Osher Center.
“I have always considered the Osher Center a part of my professional home, and I am thrilled to join in an official capacity,” said Dr. Matthews. “The integrative medicine training I received at the Osher Center has become integral to my clinical practice, and I look forward to contributing to the education of future health professionals.”
Dr. Matthews cares for patients from birth through early adulthood, taking a holistic approach to patient care by using modalities such as mind-body medicine, dietary supplements, and pediatric acupuncture, as well as medications. She has a special interest in caring for children and teens who need support to cope with anxiety, depression, or chronic pain. Through her research, she studies how best to implement pediatric acupuncture and integrative medicine in caring for children who are underserved by biomedical and complementary medical systems.
In addition to her clinical work, she is deeply involved in medical education and structural competency training, including teaching and curriculum development. Dr. Matthews currently teaches in a variety of Osher Center programs, including the Integrative Health Equity and Applied Research predoctoral fellowship program and the Osher Collaborative Faculty Fellowship. She is an active member of the national organization Integrative Medicine for the Underserved, through which she advances her goal of integrative health equity and improving access to integrative health services for all children.
“Dr. Matthews’ expertise in integrative health education and structural competence training, together with her experience in Osher Center education programing and involvement in UCSF medical education, make her the ideal person to take on the new role of Associate Director of Education,” said Shelley Adler, PhD, Director of the UCSF Osher Center. “Not only does she demonstrate excellence in terms of integrative health education development, but her values and commitment to integrative health equity align perfectly with the mission of our Center and our education programming.”
Dr. Matthews will start her new role in July 2024. Learn more about Dr. Jenifer Matthews.
