Leana S. Wen

Dr. Leana S. Wen is an American physician, public health leader, and advocate renowned for her work in health equity and patient-centered care. Born on January 27, 1983, in Shanghai, China, she immigrated to the United States at the age of eight. Dr. Wen earned her M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, completed her residency in emergency medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and holds two M.Sc. degrees from Merton College, Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar .Mullan Institute+1healthpolicy.duke.edu+1BrainyQuote+4+4Prabook+4Prabook+1faculty.smhs.gwu.edu+1

Dr. Wen's career includes serving as the Health Commissioner for Baltimore, where she led initiatives to combat the opioid epidemic and improve maternal and child health. She was also the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, focusing on expanding access to reproductive healthcare. Currently, she is a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a contributing columnist for The Washington Post .+3+3+3gettyimages.ca+2+2Prabook+2citybiz+5+5+5

Dr. Wen's insights emphasize the importance of accessible and equitable healthcare. She states, “Public health is a powerful tool to level that playing field, to bend the arc of our country away from distrust and disparities and back towards equity and justice” . In her book Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health, she highlights that “Studies have shown that as much as 90 percent of a person’s life expectancy depends on these factors, and only 10 percent on medical care” .Rare Quote+19healthpolicy.duke.edu+19Mullan Institute+19Rare Quote+2BrainyQuote+2BrainyQuote+2+5Goodreads+5The Washington Post+5