OUR PEOPLE
Melanie Molina, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor
School of Medicine
521 Parnassus Avenue, #7316
San Francisco, CA 94117
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Education and Training
The University of Texas at Austin, BS, BA - 2012 Biology, Hispanic Studies
Harvard Medical School, MD - 2017 Medicine
Harvard, Mass General Brigham, Residency - 2021 Emergency Medicine
UCSF, 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training
UCSF, MAS - 2023 Clinical Research
National Clinician Scholars Program, Fellowship - 2023
Awards and Honors
Presidential Scholars Public Service Initiative Award, Harvard Medical School, 2017
Outstanding Research Publication Award, Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine, 2021
NIAID Loan Repayment Award, National Institutes of Health, 2022-2024
John A. Watson Faculty Scholar, University of California, San Francisco, 2023
Top 40 Under 40, National Hispanic Medical Association, 2024
NIDA Loan Repayment Award, National Institutes of Health, 2024-2025
Overview
As a physician-investigator working at the intersection of emergency medicine, social justice, and clinical informatics, I am dedicated to designing systems that improve care access and make emergency care more responsive, humane, and effective for patients who have historically faced barriers within the healthcare system.
My work focuses on leveraging digital innovation—particularly EHR-integrated tools and learning health system approaches—to bridge gaps in care, support clinical decision-making, and strengthen the connection between social and medical care in high-acuity settings. As a practicing emergency physician at San Francisco General Hospital and UCSF Medical Center, I see how system design directly affects patient outcomes, fueling my commitment to translating data-driven insights into scalable, real-world solutions.
Supported by NIDA and foundation funding, I lead research developing and implementing digital tools for identifying social needs, improving linkage to community resources, and expanding access to social risk-informed treatment for opioid use disorder in the emergency department. My work has been published in NEJM Evidence, JAMA Internal Medicine, and other leading journals. I collaborate with interdisciplinary teams spanning human-centered design, data science, implementation science, and policy to rigorously evaluate interventions that can reshape care delivery.
At UCSF, I serve as Co-Director of the Social Emergency Medicine and Health Equity Section and hold a secondary appointment in the Division of Clinical Informatics and Digital Transformation. I am also Affiliate Faculty at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity. I mentor trainees, guide multi-site clinical studies, and work closely with health systems and community partners committed to improving patient and provider experience through thoughtful, human-centered innovation.
My expertise includes:
• Clinical informatics and digital health innovation
• Learning health system design and EHR-integrated interventions
• Implementation science and multi-center clinical trials
• Improving care access for populations facing structural barriers
• Leading and mentoring interdisciplinary research teams
I am passionate about bridging the space between clinical reality and technological possibility—and about building solutions that make frontline care better for patients and providers alike.
My work focuses on leveraging digital innovation—particularly EHR-integrated tools and learning health system approaches—to bridge gaps in care, support clinical decision-making, and strengthen the connection between social and medical care in high-acuity settings. As a practicing emergency physician at San Francisco General Hospital and UCSF Medical Center, I see how system design directly affects patient outcomes, fueling my commitment to translating data-driven insights into scalable, real-world solutions.
Supported by NIDA and foundation funding, I lead research developing and implementing digital tools for identifying social needs, improving linkage to community resources, and expanding access to social risk-informed treatment for opioid use disorder in the emergency department. My work has been published in NEJM Evidence, JAMA Internal Medicine, and other leading journals. I collaborate with interdisciplinary teams spanning human-centered design, data science, implementation science, and policy to rigorously evaluate interventions that can reshape care delivery.
At UCSF, I serve as Co-Director of the Social Emergency Medicine and Health Equity Section and hold a secondary appointment in the Division of Clinical Informatics and Digital Transformation. I am also Affiliate Faculty at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity. I mentor trainees, guide multi-site clinical studies, and work closely with health systems and community partners committed to improving patient and provider experience through thoughtful, human-centered innovation.
My expertise includes:
• Clinical informatics and digital health innovation
• Learning health system design and EHR-integrated interventions
• Implementation science and multi-center clinical trials
• Improving care access for populations facing structural barriers
• Leading and mentoring interdisciplinary research teams
I am passionate about bridging the space between clinical reality and technological possibility—and about building solutions that make frontline care better for patients and providers alike.