Crystal W. Cené, MD, MPH, FAHA, is the Chief Administrative Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Health Equity at UC San Diego Health, as well as a Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. In these roles, she spearheads efforts to cultivate an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for all students, trainees, faculty, staff, and patients. She oversees the strategic planning and implementation of initiatives that address barriers to healthcare, particularly for historically underserved communities, drawing on her extensive background in leadership, research, teaching, and clinical practice as an internal medicine physician.

Dr. Cené completed her medical degree at East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, her primary care internal medicine residency at Yale University School of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital, a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a three-year general internal medicine clinical research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Previously at the University of North Carolina, she rose from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Medicine with tenure, serving as System Executive Director for Health Equity—overseeing a five-year strategic plan—and Director of the Program on Health Disparities at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, where she led efforts to reduce COVID-19 vaccine disparities. A nationally recognized health services researcher specializing in health disparities, her work examines social and structural factors affecting cardiovascular health and evaluates interventions for patient- and family-centered care in adults with chronic conditions. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including 'Transitional care interventions to prevent readmissions for persons with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis' (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2014), 'Evaluating strategies for reducing health disparities by addressing the social determinants of health' (Health Affairs, 2016), and 'Health literacy and cardiovascular disease: fundamental relevance to primary and secondary prevention' (Circulation, 2018). A Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), Dr. Cené holds leadership roles in the American Heart Association and Society of General Internal Medicine and has mentored dozens of students, trainees, and junior faculty.

Professional Email: ccene@health.ucsd.edu