Two UCSF Faculty Elected to National Academy of Medicine in 2025
Christine Dehlendorf and Tracey Woodruff are lauded for their work on reproductive health and environmental risks.
Two UC San Francisco faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) this year, one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine.
NAM membership recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service in the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
Christine E. Dehlendorf, MD, professor and vice chair for research in the UCSF Department of Family and Community Medicine, was recognized for her work to advance equitable, evidence-based reproductive health and national quality measures.
Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, professor in UCSF’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, was honored for research and leadership that revolutionized the discovery of environmental risk factors for maternal, child, and population chronic diseases that are increasing around the world.
Dehlendorf’s election honors her work on helping reproductive health systems to provide care that honors patients’ values and choices, and her role as founder and director of the Person-Centered Reproductive Health Program (PCRHP). The program generates evidence, tools, and narratives that ensure reproductive health care prioritizes autonomy, dignity, and lived experiences both nationally and internationally.
Dehlendorf created a novel online contraceptive decision support tool and the first patient-reported outcome performance measure of contraceptive care.
She has also served as an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Office of Population Affairs (OPA), and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Her research was cited in the National Academies’ report, The Safety and Quality of Abortion Care in the United States.
Woodruff was lauded for research uncovering how harmful chemicals and pollutants impact health, pregnancy, and child development. The academy noted that her work has transformed national and international policies on climate and environmental toxicants for improving the health of this and future generations.
Woodruff, who has testified before Congress and has been quoted widely in the media, focuses on uncovering and addressing environmental determinants of disease and health inequities and supporting public policies that prevent prenatal exposures to harmful chemicals.
Woodruff has authored numerous scientific publications, including the first international study to document the effects of air pollution and preterm birth and the first to document multiple toxic chemicals in pregnant women and newborns across the U.S. She served as a senior scientist and policy advisor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Policy prior to joining UCSF.
Established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, NAM is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields, including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the national and the international community.