Rena Xu

Rena Xu is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Advisor to Health Affairs at Boston Children's Hospital. She holds an MD from Harvard Medical School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Her clinical expertise spans pediatric urology with a focus on complex conditions like hypospadias, vesicoureteral reflux, and neurogenic bladder. Dr. Xu is also an Affiliate Faculty member of the Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) at Boston Children's Hospital, where she conducts research on health equity and patient care pathway optimization. She completed her urology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and pediatric urology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital.

Her research interests include improving healthcare delivery models, advancing gender-affirming care, and reducing disparities in surgical outcomes. Notably, she has investigated hybrid clinic designs to reduce infection risks and the psychosocial aspects of pediatric urology care. Dr. Xu has contributed articles to high-impact journals like the New England Journal of Medicine and The New Yorker, focusing on healthcare innovation and systemic challenges.

Professional milestones include her Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship and leadership in developing ambulatory care protocols. She currently oversees clinical operations across Boston Children's Hospital and Waltham locations in the Department of Urology, balancing surgical practice with academic research and policy advocacy.