Margot Kushel

Margot Kushel, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and Division Chief of the Division of Health Equity and Society at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. She leads the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity and the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. Her work focuses on reducing homelessness’s impact on health, with a focus on aging populations and marginalized communities. Dr. Kushel holds academic appointments in the UCSF School of Medicine and has been recognized with awards such as the Lloyd Holly Smith Award and the Thomas N. Burbridge Public Service Award.

Education: MD from Yale University (1995), residency and chief residency at UCSF, and additional training in General Internal Medicine. Her research spans longitudinal cohort studies (e.g., HOPE HOME) and policy interventions, addressing housing instability, healthcare access, and aging in homelessness. She actively engages in policy advocacy, serving on the California Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and boards of Housing California and the National Homelessness Law Center.

Research interests include homelessness prevention, healthcare disparities, and intergenerational trauma. Key publications explore mortality among homeless older adults, healthcare utilization patterns, and interventions like supportive housing. Over 15 years, her NIH-funded projects address topics such as advance care planning in housing programs and opioid misuse in vulnerable populations.

Awards highlight her contributions to public service and health equity. Her grants total over $20 million, including an NIA R01 and K24 awards. Collaborations with stakeholders drive policy changes, such as shelter-in-place strategies during the pandemic and expanded cancer care for homeless patients.

Labs/Teams: Leads multidisciplinary teams at the UCSF Action Research Center and the Benioff Initiative, fostering partnerships between academia, policymakers, and community organizations.