Sheela Rao

Sheela Rao is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and affiliated with Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Since 2006, she has taught pediatric residents in clinical settings and contributed to interdisciplinary research on vulnerable populations, particularly children in foster care systems. Her work emphasizes child welfare, foster care health assessments, and pediatric advocacy.

Education: Not explicitly listed in text but affiliated with USC since 2006.

Research Interests: Focuses on pediatric care in foster systems, interdisciplinary healthcare approaches, and clinician well-being. She actively collaborates with psychologists and child welfare agencies to improve health assessments and mental health access for foster children.

Publications: Her research spans pediatric nutrition, clinician self-care, and foster care system interventions. Recent work addresses nutritional needs of adolescents and strategies for supporting healthcare faculty well-being.

Labs/Teams: Works within the CHLA Foster Hub clinic, an interdisciplinary team integrating pediatricians and psychologists to serve foster children.