Mary Whooley

Mary Whooley, MD is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a key leader at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. She serves as Director of the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Medical Effectiveness (CHIME), Principal Investigator of the Heart and Soul Study, Site PI for the Million Veterans Program, and Director of the UCSF Clinical Informatics Fellowship. Her work integrates clinical care, research, and health systems innovation within the Veterans Health Administration’s national learning health system.

• Doctor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 1991
• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Yale University, 1987
• Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine, UCSF, 1995
• Chief Residency, Internal Medicine, UCSF, 1996
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Health Services Research, UCSF, 1998
• Training, Implementation Science, UCSF, 2013
• Board Certification, Clinical Informatics, American Board of Preventive Medicine, 2016
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, UCSF, 2020

Dr. Whooley’s research focuses on leveraging clinical informatics and implementation science to improve healthcare delivery, particularly for veterans. Her work spans depression screening in cardiac patients, cardiovascular outcomes, home-based cardiac rehabilitation, and the use of digital health tools. She has led major initiatives in telehealth, medication safety, and quality improvement in colonoscopy and sleep medicine. Her research bridges epidemiology, behavioral medicine, and health policy.

Her recent publications reflect a strong trend in using large-scale electronic health data, remote monitoring, and learning health systems to improve cardiovascular care and mental health outcomes. Key areas include depression screening tools (PHQ-9), cardiac device monitoring, tele-rehabilitation, and health equity. Her work frequently involves collaboration across disciplines and health systems, with a focus on scalable, evidence-based interventions.

• Daniel Deykin Outstanding Mentor Award, VA, 2023
• Harold S. Luft Award for Mentoring, UCSF, 2020
• Michael L. Pollock Established Investigator Award, AACVPR, 2019
• Research Professor Award, Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, 2018
• Stephen B. Hulley Award for Excellence in Teaching, UCSF, 2015
• Elected to Association of American Physicians (AAP), 2014
• Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), 2011

Dr. Whooley has mentored numerous trainees and received multiple awards for her mentorship. She leads the Research Education Core for UCSF’s Learning Health System Embedded Scientist Training and Research Center and has directed postdoctoral fellowships in clinical informatics. Her research has been supported by VA HSR&D, NIH, and foundation grants, including long-term funding for the Heart and Soul Study and the Million Veterans Program.

She directs the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Medical Effectiveness (CHIME) at the SF VA and UCSF, which focuses on measurement science, quality improvement, and implementation of evidence-based practices. She also leads the VA Measurement Science QUERI and the Clinical Research Informatics Postdoctoral (CRISP) Fellowship, fostering a team-based, interdisciplinary research environment.