Margot Kushel, MD

Margot Kushel, MD, is the Director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations and a Professor of Medicine at UCSF in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG).

Margot’s research focuses on preventing and ending homelessness and on the burden of homelessness on health. She has a particular focus on the growing problem of homelessness in older adults. Funded by the NIH and various foundations, her work aims to create the evidence base for policy responses to prevent and end homelessness and mitigate the effects of housing instability on health. Margot uses participatory methods to conduct her research, involving people with lived experiences of homelessness as well as people working on the front lines of homelessness, in all aspects of her research.

Margot works with diverse stakeholders at the local, regional, and national level to inform and implement programmatic and policy changes based on her research. She has provided testimony to various legislative bodies and advises policymakers and program leaders. She speaks frequently to audiences within and outside of academia. She is active in training the next generation of clinician-scientists interested in improving health equity.

Margot received her A.B. in English from Harvard University and her M.D. from Yale School of Medicine.  An internal medicine physician, she completed her internship and residency, Chief Residency, and research fellowship at UCSF in the Department of Medicine. Margot joined the faculty of UCSF School of Medicine in 2001. She maintains an active clinical practice at ZSFG.