UCSF Academic Senate’s Fourth Annual Faculty Research Lecture in Social, Behavioral, and Health Policy Sciences Awarded to Margot Kushel, MD
The Academic Senate is pleased to announce the selection of Margot Kushel MD, as the recipient of the Fourth Annual Faculty Research Lectureship in Social, Behavioral, and Health Policy Sciences for her groundbreaking research on homelessness, housing instability, health, and the translation of evidence into policy and systems change. The lecture, titled “Housing, Homelessness, and Health: Bringing Evidence to the Policy Discussion.” will take place on Thursday, December 10, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm at Rock Hall, 1550 4th St., on Mission Bay Campus, with a small reception to follow. The lecture will also be broadcast on Zoom.
Lecture Title: Housing, Homelessness, and Health: Bringing Evidence to the Policy Discussion
Date/Time: Thursday, December 10, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Location: Rock Hall, 1550 4th St., on Mission Bay Campus
Zoom Link: https://tiny.ucsf.edu/frlsb26
Zoom Passcode: 619194
UCSF Events Calendar: https://tiny.ucsf.edu/frlsb26cal
Dr. Kushel is an internationally recognized leader in health services research whose work has advanced understanding of the causes and consequences of homelessness, the relationship between housing and health, and evidence-based approaches to preventing and ending homelessness. Her work combines rigorous research with community engagement and policy translation, with particular attention to older adults and other populations experiencing structural marginalization. Over the course of her career, she has authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications and has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous federally funded studies.
A defining feature of Dr. Kushel’s work is its direct connection to policy and practice. In 2019, she established the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) with a $30 million gift from Marc and Lynne Benioff, bringing together researchers, people who experienced homelessness, policymakers, service providers, and community organizations to translate findings into action. She is also principal investigator of the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the most comprehensive study of homelessness in California in decades. The study surveyed a representative sample of 3,200 adults across the state, and its findings have informed policymakers and helped reshape public understanding of homelessness and its potential solutions.
Dr. Kushel has also led pioneering research on older adults experiencing homelessness through the National Institute on Aging-funded Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Age (HOPE HOME) study. Since 2012, the study has generated important findings on functional decline, social isolation, health care utilization, mortality, and the “graying” of the homeless population, while informing legislation and national policy discussions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kushel helped develop and implement responses for people experiencing homelessness, including Project Roomkey, testing and vaccination efforts, and shelter-based public health protocols.
Margot Kushel, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Division Chief of the Division of Health and Society in the UCSF Department of Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. She is Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and the UCSF Action Research Center for Health. She also maintains an active internal medicine practice at the Richard Fine People’s Clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, caring for patients with complex medical and social needs.
The Faculty Research Lecture in Social, Behavioral, and Health Policy Sciences award was newly established in 2023. This award is bestowed on an individual member of the UCSF faculty with outstanding achievements in social, behavioral, and health policy research. UCSF faculty are asked to consider the outstanding research contributions of their colleagues and submit nominations for this prestigious award to the Academic Senate Committee on Research. The Committee on Research will select a recipient of this award of this award annually.