Ariana Thompson-Lastad

Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD, serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in both the Osher Center for Integrative Health and the Department of Family and Community Medicine within the School of Medicine. As a medical sociologist, she conducts research focused on integrative healthcare approaches that advance health equity, with particular emphasis on primary care innovations in community health settings.

Dr. Thompson-Lastad's educational background includes:

• PhD in Sociology from UC San Francisco (2018)
• Postdoctoral fellowship in Integrative Medicine from UC San Francisco (2020)
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training from University of California, San Francisco (2021)

Her research program centers on qualitative and community-engaged approaches to understanding how integrative healthcare can address health disparities. Key areas include integrative group medical visits in community health centers, community midwifery models for postpartum care, and structural competency in healthcare delivery. She examines how social determinants of health intersect with healthcare systems to create barriers or opportunities for marginalized populations.

Analysis of Dr. Thompson-Lastad's recent publications reveals a strong focus on health equity through integrative approaches, particularly examining group medical visits, food as medicine interventions, and structural competency frameworks. Her work spans multiple disciplines including medical sociology, public health, and integrative medicine, with consistent attention to safety-net healthcare settings and vulnerable populations.

Dr. Thompson-Lastad actively mentors UCSF students, residents, and fellows on research projects. She serves in leadership roles as a board member of Integrative Medicine for the Underserved and as a leadership team member of the Structural Competency Working Group. Her collaborative work extends to affiliations with the UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health and the UC Berkeley Center for Social Medicine.

Prior to her academic career, Dr. Thompson-Lastad worked directly in community health settings as a diabetes care coordinator and group medical visit facilitator, providing practical experience that informs her research on patient-centered care models.