Denise Connor

Denise Connor, MD is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a founding member of the San Francisco VA Medical Center’s Faculty Hospital Medicine Group. She holds the Gold-Headed Cane Endowed Teaching Chair in Internal Medicine and leads the Anti-Oppression Curriculum Initiative (AOCI) at UCSF School of Medicine. Her clinical work focuses on inpatient care for veterans with complex social needs, emphasizing team-based, interprofessional approaches.

Dr. Connor’s educational contributions include pioneering curricula in clinical reasoning and anti-racism/anti-oppression in medical education. She has served as Director of the Diagnostic Reasoning Block and led the PRIME residency program. Her research integrates communication skills, equity-focused education, and reducing diagnostic disparities. Notable awards include the David E. Rogers Junior Faculty Education Award and the Cooke Award for Teaching Innovation.

Key educational initiatives include developing anti-oppression curricula, refining clinical reasoning frameworks, and addressing systemic biases in healthcare. She collaborates across departments to embed justice and equity into all four years of medical training. Her work highlights the intersection of clinical practice and social justice, aiming to transform medical education to better serve marginalized communities.