Yael Schenker, MD, MAS, FAAHPM

Professor of Medicine
Director, Palliative Research Center (PaRC)
Associate Director for Education and Training, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Associate Chief of Research, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, University of Pittsburgh

Bio

Yael Schenker, MD, MAS, FAAHPM is a Professor of Medicine, Associate Chief of Research in the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Director of the Palliative Research Center (PaRC) at the University of Pittsburgh, and Associate Director for Education and Training at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Dr. Schenker’s research focuses on understanding and improving the provision of palliative care for adults with serious illness, with a particular emphasis on enhancing quality of life and promoting patient-centered care for patients with advanced cancer. This work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and foundation support, includes designing and evaluating ‘primary’ palliative interventions to improve symptom management, advance care planning, emotional support, and care coordination for patients with advanced cancer. Additional scholarly interests include healthcare advertising, surrogate decision making, informed consent, language barriers, and cross-cultural communication. Dr. Schenker’s work has appeared in top medical journals, including JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, and JAMA Internal Medicine, and has been featured in the New York Times. Dr. Schenker is clinically active in palliative care and primary care.

Education

Dr. Schenker received her AB magna cum laude from Harvard University. She completed medical school, residency and fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco, where she also received a master’s degree in clinical research.