Leana S. Wen

Washington, D.C.

Contributing columnist focusing on public health and health policy

Education: California State University, Los Angeles, BS; Washington University School of Medicine, MD; University of Oxford, MSc

Leana S. Wen, a Washington Post contributing columnist, writes on a broad range of topics with an emphasis on public health and health policy. Wen is a professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of the recent book "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health." Wen writes the newsletter The Checkup With Dr. Wen. Sign up here. An emergency physician and CNN medical analyst, she is on the board of directors of the Bipartisan Policy Center, Glaukos Corporation, UroGen, Baltimore Community Foundation and National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and on the advisory boards of the Behavioral Health Group, B-Generous, MANUAL and Shatterproof. Previously, she served as Baltimore’s health commissioner and led the nation’s oldest continuously operating health department. She has also been the director of patient-centered care research in the department of emergency medicine at George Washington University; president of Planned Parenthood; global health fellow at the World Health Organization; and distinguished fellow at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity. Wen lives with her husband and two young children in Baltimore.
Latest from Leana S. Wen

The AI revolution in health care is already here

AI is widely used in health care. That’s a good thing.

July 11, 2023

The Checkup With Dr. Wen: Six tips for when you need emergency care

How prepare in advance in case you need to go to the emergency department

July 6, 2023

Your questions about covid-19, answered by Dr. Leana Wen

When should I get the new bivalent booster? Should I take Paxlovid? Public health expert Dr. Leana S. Wen answers your questions.

July 6, 2023

When the doctor unexpectedly becomes the patient

My recent medical scare taught me that no one should let their guard down, even if they are healthy.

July 5, 2023

The Checkup With Dr. Wen: What’s the best timing for the next covid booster?

A new coronavirus booster will be available in the fall. Should people wait until then for their next shot?

June 29, 2023

A new, sensible plan for fall covid boosters is taking shape

The United States is on track to having a second updated booster shot.

June 27, 2023

The U.S. is more equipped than ever against covid. Thank you, Ashish Jha.

The White House covid response coordinator believes the U.S. is better prepared for future pandemics, but worries about the loss of trust in public health.

June 21, 2023

The Checkup With Dr. Wen: Plastics are everywhere in health care. That must change.

Hospitals should reduce their reliance on single-use plastics.

June 15, 2023

The wildfire smoke may be gone. But the health threat remains.

How wildfire smoke impacts human health

June 12, 2023

The Checkup With Dr. Wen: A middle ground on masking in health-care settings

A new VA guidance on mask mandates shows what reasonable public health policies look like.

June 8, 2023