Elizabeth Dzeng, MD, MPH, PhD

Associate Professor

Dr. Dzeng is a sociologist and hospitalist physician conducting research at the nexus of sociology, medical ethics, palliative care, health disparities, and human-centered design. She is an Associate Professor "In Residence" at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the Division of Hospital Medicine and Affiliated Faculty in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Cicely Saunders Institute at King's College London.

Her research program focuses on using sociological and human centered design methods to understand how institutional cultures and policies influence clinical practice patterns and how to change institutional culture to improve the quality of care. She conducts large-scale comparative ethnographic interview studies in the United States and the United Kingdom to understand the influence of institutional cultures and policies on clinicians’ ethical frameworks, communication practices, and clinical practice patterns around end-of-life care. A particular area of interest is around the influence of neoliberalism and specifically the culture and ethical implications of neoliberalism on an institution's ethical priorities around end-of-life care.

Her other major research focus is around using community-based participatory research methods to understand and address current limitations in delivering goal-concordant, high-quality care to all people, including serious illness care. She is funded by a NIA/NIH Beeson award and a Sojourns Scholars Leadership Award.

Among her national leadership roles, Dr. Dzeng is on the Society of General Internal Medicine's (SGIM) Governing Council Executive Committee as an At-large Member and a member of the Executive Committee of the Research Centers Cooperative Network (RCCN), a national coordinating center of the National Institutes on Aging (NIA) center programs.

Dr. Dzeng completed her PhD in Medical Sociology and an MPhil in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge at King’s College as a Gates Cambridge Scholar where she wrote her doctoral thesis on the influence of institutional cultures and policies on physicians’ ethical beliefs and how that impacted the way they communicate in end of life decision-making conversations. She was also a General Internal Medicine post-doctoral clinical research fellow and palliative care research fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. As an undergraduate and engineering graduate student at Stanford, she participated in the first class of Stanford's Biodesign Innovation program where she used design thinking to co-invented and patented a device to non-invasively cool the heart through the esophagus to prevent myocardial damage during a myocardial infarction (US Patent 7,758,623; 2010). In August, 2019 this patent was licensed to Attune Medical.

Outside of academic medicine, Dr. Dzeng is a competitive masters and club rower and has competed in races such as the Head of the Charles and won at the British Master Regatta. She is happiest when traveling the world, especially hiking and exploring the world's natural wonders.
Education
Fellowship, 2015 - General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
PhD, 2015 - Medical Sociology, University of Cambridge
Residency, 2011 - Internal Medicine, Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital
MD, 2009 - , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
MPhil, 2008 - Development Studies, University of Cambridge
MPH, 2007 - Health and Human Rights/Humanitarian Aid, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
BS, 2003 - Biological Sciences and History, Stanford University
MS, 2003 - Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
Honors and Awards
  • Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76), National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH), 2022-2027
  • Sojourns Scholars Leadership Award, Cambia Health Foundation, 2022-2024
  • Alzheimer's Disease Research Award, California Department of Public Health, 2019-2024
  • NIH Loan Repayment Program Renewal Award, National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH), 2019-2021
  • KL-2 Scholar, UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), 2017-2020
  • NIH Loan Repayment Program Award, National Institute of Health, 2017-2019
  • Junior Investigator Career Development Award, National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC), 2017-2019
  • Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, Global Brain Health Institute, UCSF, 2017-2018
  • Andrew Markus Scholarship, Ethox Centre for Bioethics and Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, 2016
  • Research Scholar Award, American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), 2015-2016
  • Research Core Development Scholar, UCSF Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, 2015-2016
  • Ho-Chiang Palliative Care Research Fellowship, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 2014-2015
  • Founders Grant Award, Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), 2014-2015
  • Gates Cambridge Scholarship, University of Cambridge, 2011-2015
  • Gates Cambridge Scholarship, University of Cambridge, 2007-2008
  • Delta Omega Public Health Honors Society Inductee, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2007
  • Watt Hansell Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2006-2007
Websites
  • Working at the intersection of sociology, end-of-life care, and ethics to foster humanistic and ethical care in the culture and practice of medicine
Publications

  1. J. Batten, S. Weiss Goitiandia, J. Axelrod, H. Chernicoff, A. Nichol, L. Pereira, J. Blythe, J.M. Kruser, E. Dzeng. Clinician-Reported Approaches to Limiting Life-Prolonging Interventions: A Conceptual Framework Derived From a Multi-Institutional Qualitative Study. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2025. PMID:


  2. T. Brender, J.K. Axelrod, J.N. Batten, S. Weiss Goitiandia, E.W. Dzeng. Moral Distress Related to Potentially Non-beneficial Life-sustaining Treatments Near the End-of-Life: The Role of Institutional Structures and Culture. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2025. PMID:


  3. Sharma RK, Dzeng E, O'Brien JM, Thomas AC, Ungar A, Nielsen EL, Engelberg RA. Care Decisions in the Hospital: Challenges for Family Members of Hospitalized Persons With Dementia. Journal of pain and symptom management 2025. PMID: 40185344


  4. Weiss Goitiandia S, Axelrod JK, Batten JN, Dzeng E. Hospital Ethics Committees and Consultants: How Do Clinicians Perceive Their Utility in Resolving Disagreements About Life-Sustaining Treatments? The American journal of bioethics : AJOB 2025. PMID: 39992821


  6. Rosenwohl-Mack S, Dzeng E. The Effects of Individual Ethical Frameworks on Clinician Moral Distress. Journal of general internal medicine 2024. PMID: 39707091


  7. Dzeng E, López L, John M. Novel Strategies to Promote Alignment between Healthcare and Social Care Systems By Addressing the Social Drivers of Health. Journal of general internal medicine 2024. PMID: 39327342


  8. Chehab L, Goitiandia SW, Pereira L, Jung K, Chen A, Patel D, Axelrod J, Li L, Williams I, Dohan D, Sammann A, Dzeng E. Using Human-Centered Design to Improve Serious Illness Care for Older Adults with Advanced Dementia. Journal of pain and symptom management 2024. PMID: 39615661


  9. Weiss Goitiandia S, Axelrod JK, Brender TD, Batten JN, Dzeng EW. Recognizing the Systemic Root Causes of Moral Distress. The American journal of bioethics : AJOB 2024. PMID: 39565251


  10. Martinez M, Arora V, Gonzalez CM, Dzeng E, Williams JS. Doubling Down on Diversity: Enhancing the Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Academic Physicians in a Post-affirmative Action Era. Journal of general internal medicine 2024. PMID: 38564161


  11. Jason N. Batten, Sofia Weiss Goitiandia, Jacob A. Blythe, Helen O. Chernicoff, Ariadne A. Nichol, Lorraine M. Pereira, Catthi Ly, Julia Axelrod, Jacqueline Kruser, Elizabeth W. Dzeng. A Framework of Clinician-Reported Approaches to Limiting Life-Prolonging Interventions Near the End of Life (RP114). Journal of pain and symptom management 2024. PMID:


  12. Amber N. Martin, Lorraine M. Pereira, Desiree Anderson, Karen Vickers, Stephanie Morgan, Wesselyne McKinney, Cinnamon Etta, Sofia Weiss Goitiandia, Catthi Ly, Elizabeth W. Dzeng. Exploring the Impact of Structural Racism on End of Life Care Among Older African Americans: An Oral History Approach (GP124). Journal of pain and symptom management 2024. PMID:


  13. Justin A. Yu, Yael Schenker, Jane Schell, Natalie C. Ernecoff, Elizabeth W. Dzeng. Using Human-Centered Design Methodology to Maximize the Impact of Hospice and Palliative Care Research (ME303). Journal of pain and symptom management 2024. PMID:


  14. Pollack LR, Nomitch JT, Downey L, Paul SR, Reed MJ, Uyeda AM, Kiker WA, Dotolo DG, Dzeng E, Lee RY, Engelberg RA, Kross EK. Mechanical Ventilation in Older Adults With Dementia: Opportunities to Promote Goal-Concordant Care. Journal of pain and symptom management 2024. PMID: 38685288


  15. Andersen SK, Yang Y, Kross EK, Haas B, Geagea A, May TL, Hart J, Bagshaw SM, Dzeng E, Fischhoff B, White DB. Achieving Goals of Care Decisions in Chronic Critical Illness: A Multi-Institutional Qualitative Study. Chest 2024. PMID: 38365177


  16. Emily J. Shearer, Jacob A. Blythe, Sarah E. Wieten, Elizabeth W. Dzeng, Miriam P. Cotler, Karin B. Porter-Williamson, Joshua B. Kayser, Stephanie M. Harman, David C. Magnus, Jason N. Batten. Physician Perspectives on Challenges in Understanding Patient Preferences for Emergency Intubation: A Qualitative Assessment of Hospital Code Status Orders. CHEST Critical Care 2024. PMID:


  17. Hudson BF, Dzeng E, Burnett A, Yeung M, Shulman C. Palliative care, homelessness, and restricted or uncertain immigration status. Palliative care and social practice 2023. PMID: 38144973


  18. Dzeng E, Batten JN, Dohan D, Blythe J, Ritchie CS, Curtis JR. Hospital Culture and Intensity of End-of-Life Care at 3 Academic Medical Centers. JAMA internal medicine 2023. PMID: 37399038


  20. Rosa WE, Hadler RA, Dzeng E, Sullivan DR, Epstein AS, Nelson JE. Legacy and communication in palliative and end-of-life care: Honoring Dr. J. Randall Curtis. Palliative & supportive care 2023. PMID: 37070419


  21. Batten JN, Dzeng E, Finder S, Blythe JA, Nurok M. When Critically Ill Patients with Decision Making Capacity and No Further Therapeutic Options Request Indefinite Life Support. The American journal of bioethics : AJOB 2023. PMID: 37220368


  22. Batten JN, Blythe JA, Wieten SE, Dzeng E, Kruse KE, Cotler MP, Porter-Williamson K, Kayser JB, Harman SM, Magnus D. "No Escalation of Treatment" Designations: A Multi-institutional Exploratory Qualitative Study. Chest 2022. PMID: 36007596


  23. Eniasivam A, Pereira L, Dzeng E. A Call for Restorative and Transformative Justice Approaches to Anti-Racism in Medicine. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2022. PMID: 35484366


  24. Griffin Collins, Hannah Beaman, Alvin Ho, Michelle Hermiston, Harvey Cohen, Elizabeth Dzeng. Anatomy of a Consult: How a Multidisciplinary Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Team Considers Specialty Palliative Care Consultation (GP722). Journal of pain and symptom management 2022. PMID:


  25. Elizabeth Dzeng, Jason Batten, Daniel Dohan, J Randall Curtis. How Does Hospital Culture Influence the Intensity of End-of-Life Care? (CO201D). Journal of pain and symptom management 2022. PMID:


  26. Dzeng E, Merel SE, Kross EK. J. Randall Curtis's Legacy and Scientific Contributions to Palliative Care in Critical Care. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2022. PMID: 35595372


  27. Amy Sun, Katherine Sleeman, Amy Rosenwohl-Mack, Daniel Dohan, Elizabeth Dzeng. Strategies to Promote Goal-Concordant End-of-Life Care in Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Perspectives of United Kingdom Clinicians and Caregivers (GP761). Journal of pain and symptom management 2022. PMID:


  28. Lingsheng Li, Amy Rosenwohl-Mack, Elizabeth Dzeng. “She Always Knew I Would Call”: The Role of Family Liaisons in Serious Illness Communications During the COVID-19 Pandemic (GP719). Journal of pain and symptom management 2022. PMID:


  29. Tobias Haeusermann, Heather Romero-Kornblum, Elizabeth Dzeng. Of care, cure and the in-between: COVID-19 treatment in a New York City intensive care unit. International Journal of Care and Caring 2022. PMID:


  30. Dzeng E, Bein T, Curtis JR. The role of policy and law in shaping the ethics and quality of end-of-life care in intensive care. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2022. PMID: 35064785


  31. Collins GS, Beaman H, Ho AM, Hermiston ML, Cohen HJ, Dzeng EW. Perceptions of specialty palliative care and its role in pediatric stem cell transplant: A multidisciplinary qualitative study. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2021. PMID: 34705322


  32. Blythe JA, Kentish-Barnes N, Debue AS, Dohan D, Azoulay E, Covinsky K, Matthews T, Curtis JR, Dzeng E. An Interprofessional Process for the Limitation of Life-Sustaining Treatments at the End of Life in France. Journal of pain and symptom management 2021. PMID: 34157398


  33. Karches K, DeCamp M, George M, Prochaska M, Saunders M, Thorsteinsdottir B, Dzeng E. Spheres of Influence and Strategic Advocacy for Equity in Medicine. Journal of general internal medicine 2021. PMID: 34013471


  34. Rosenwohl-Mack S, Dohan D, Matthews T, Batten JN, Dzeng E. How individual ethical frameworks shape physician trainees' experiences providing end-of-life care: a qualitative study. Journal of medical ethics 2021. PMID: 33593875


  35. Dzeng E, Morrison RS. We Need a Paradigm Shift Around End-of-Life Decision Making. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2020. PMID: 33170951


  36. Ahlbach C, King T, Dzeng E. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Ethical Challenges Posed by Neoliberal Healthcare. Journal of general internal medicine 2020. PMID: 33111238


  37. Rosenwohl-Mack S, Dohan D, Matthews T, Batten JN, Dzeng E. Understanding Experiences of Moral Distress in End-of-Life Care Among US and UK Physician Trainees: a Comparative Qualitative Study. Journal of general internal medicine 2020. PMID: 33111237


  38. Batten JN, Blythe JA, Wieten S, Cotler MP, Kayser JB, Porter-Williamson K, Harman S, Dzeng E, Magnus D. Variation in the design of Do Not Resuscitate orders and other code status options: a multi-institutional qualitative study. BMJ quality & safety 2020. PMID: 33082165


  39. Elizabeth Dzeng, J. Randall Curtis, Thea Matthews, Jason Batten, Christine Ritchie, Daniel Dohan. The Influence of Neoliberalism on Burdensome Life Sustaining Treatments Near the End of Life (RP313). Journal of pain and symptom management 2020. PMID:


  41. DeCamp M, DeSalvo K, Dzeng E. Ethics and Spheres of Influence in Addressing Social Determinants of Health. Journal of general internal medicine 2020. PMID: 32572766


  42. Byhoff E, Kangovi S, Berkowitz SA, DeCamp M, Dzeng E, Earnest M, Gonzalez CM, Hartigan S, Karani R, Memari M, Roy B, Schwartz MD, Volerman A, DeSalvo K. A Society of General Internal Medicine Position Statement on the Internists' Role in Social Determinants of Health. Journal of general internal medicine 2020. PMID: 32519320


  43. Perni S, Pollack LR, Gonzalez WC, Dzeng E, Baldwin MR. Moral distress and burnout in caring for older adults during medical school training. BMC medical education 2020. PMID: 32293416


  44. Dzeng E, Wachter RM. Ethics in Conflict: Moral Distress as a Root Cause of Burnout. Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 31667744


  45. Batten JN, Blythe JA, Wieten SE, Dzeng EW. No Escalation of Treatment: Moving Beyond the Withholding/Withdrawing Debate. The American journal of bioethics : AJOB 2019. PMID: 31543041


  46. Elizabeth Dzeng, Nancy Kentish-Barnes, J Randall Curtis, Anne-Sophie Debue. A Codified Process for Multidisciplinary Team Consensus Around the Termination of Life Sustaining Treatments (LST) in France: An Interview Study (S822). Journal of pain and symptom management 2019. PMID:


  47. Jason Batten, Gregory Taylor, Jacob Blythe, Karin Porter-Williamson, Elizabeth Dzeng, Miriam Cotler, Joshua Kayser, Stephanie Harman, David Magnus. 395. Critical care medicine 2019. PMID:


  48. Bryant J, Markes A, Woolridge T, Cerruti D, Dzeng E, Koenig B, Diab M. Concurrent and Overlapping Surgery: Perspectives From Parents of Adolescents Undergoing Spinal Posterior Instrumented Fusion for Idiopathic Scoliosis. Spine 2019. PMID: 29901538


  49. Dzeng E, Pantilat SZ. Reply to: Social Causes of Rational Suicide in Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2018. PMID: 30506678


  51. Craig A, Dzeng E. Response to "Added Points of Concern About Caring for Dying Patients". AMA journal of ethics 2018. PMID: 30499442


  52. Dzeng E, Pantilat SZ. Reply to Rational Suicide in Older Adults: Not by Default an Ageist Concept. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2018. PMID: 30084189


  54. Craig A, Dzeng E. How Should Physicians Care for Dying Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? AMA journal of ethics 2018. PMID: 30118418


  55. Dzeng E, Booth J. Facts and Fetishes: When the Miracles of Medicine Fail Us. The American journal of bioethics : AJOB 2018. PMID: 29697349


  57. Dzeng E, Pantilat SZ. Social Causes of Rational Suicide in Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2018. PMID: 29500826


  58. DeCamp M, Pomerantz D, Cotts K, Dzeng E, Farber N, Lehmann L, Reynolds PP, Sulmasy LS, Tilburt J. Ethical Issues in the Design and Implementation of Population Health Programs. Journal of general internal medicine 2017. PMID: 29256088


  59. Dzeng E, Dohan D, Curtis JR, Smith TJ, Colaianni A, Ritchie CS. Homing in on the Social: System-Level Influences on Overly Aggressive Treatments at the End of Life. Volume 55 of Issue 2. Journal of pain and symptom management 2017. PMID: 28865869


  60. L. Forbes, L. Petrillo, E. Dzeng, K.L. Harrison, B. Scribner, B. Koenig. RESPONDING TO THE END-OF-LIFE OPTION ACT IN CALIFORNIA. Innovation in Aging 2017. PMID:


  61. Dzeng E. When Teachable Moments Become Ethically Problematic. Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics : CQ : the international journal of healthcare ethics committees 2017. PMID: 28541177


  62. Petrillo LA, Dzeng E, Harrison KL, Forbes L, Scribner B, Koenig BA. How California Prepared for Implementation of Physician-Assisted Death: A Primer. American journal of public health 2017. PMID: 28426307


  63. Harrison KL, Dzeng E, Ritchie CS, Shanafelt TD, Kamal AH, Bull JH, Tilburt JC, Swetz KM. Addressing Palliative Care Clinician Burnout in Organizations: A Workforce Necessity, an Ethical Imperative. Volume 53 of Issue 6. Journal of pain and symptom management 2017. PMID: 28196784


  64. Laura Petrillo, Eric Widera, Elizabeth Dzeng, Krista Harrison, Lindsay Forbes, Barbara Koenig, Ben Scribner. How Should Palliative Care Be Involved in the Response to Physician Assisted Dying in California? Intimately: Perspectives from a Statewide Conference (S795). Journal of pain and symptom management 2017. PMID:


  66. Singer AE, Goebel JR, Kim YS, Dy SM, Ahluwalia SC, Clifford M, Dzeng E, O'Hanlon CE, Motala A, Walling AM, Goldberg J, Meeker D, Ochotorena C, Shanman R, Cui M, Lorenz KA. Populations and Interventions for Palliative and End-of-Life Care: A Systematic Review. Journal of palliative medicine 2016. PMID: 27533892


  67. Dzeng E. Moral Distress Amongst Physician Trainees Regarding Futile Treatments. Journal of general internal medicine 2016. PMID: 26951284


  68. Petrillo LA, Dzeng E, Smith AK. California's End of Life Option Act: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead. Journal of general internal medicine 2016. PMID: 27114358


  69. Dzeng E, Colaianni A, Roland M, Levine D, Kelly MP, Barclay S, Smith TJ. Moral Distress Amongst American Physician Trainees Regarding Futile Treatments at the End of Life: A Qualitative Study. Journal of general internal medicine 2015. PMID: 26391029


  71. Dzeng E, Colaianni A, Roland M, Chander G, Smith TJ, Kelly MP, Barclay S, Levine D. Influence of institutional culture and policies on do-not-resuscitate decision making at the end of life. JAMA internal medicine 2015. PMID: 25845020


  72. Ghosh A, Dzeng E, Cheng MJ. Interaction of palliative care and primary care. Clinics in geriatric medicine 2015. PMID: 25920056


  73. Elizabeth Dzeng, Sydney Dy, Thomas Smith. Physicians’ Understanding of Patient Autonomy and Choice in Discussions Surrounding the Do-Not-Resuscitate Order (FR415-B). Journal of pain and symptom management 2015. PMID:


  74. Xu T, Goldstein E, Dzeng E, Dy S, Nicholas LH. Public Attitudes on the Future Sustainability of Medicare Journal of Health Care Financing 2015. PMID:


  75. Dzeng E, Smith TJ. Rationing healthcare: who's responsible? Oncology (Williston Park, N.Y.) 2013. PMID: 23530399


  76. Siegler A, Roberts L, Balch E, Bargues E, Bhalla A, Bills C, Dzeng E, Epelboym Y, Foster T, Fulton L, Gallagher M, Gastolomendo JD, Giorgi G, Habtehans S, Kim J, McGee B, McMahan A, Riese S, Santamaria-Schwartz R, Walsh F, Wahlstrom J, Wedeles J. Media coverage of violent deaths in iraQ: an opportunistic capture-recapture assessment. Prehospital and disaster medicine 2008. PMID: 18935953


  77. Thompson A, Silverman B, Dzeng L, Treisman G. Psychotropic medications and HIV. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2006. PMID: 16586391


  78. Lin CT, Chang TC, Chao A, Dzeng E, Soong YK, Hung CF, Lai CH. Enhancement of DNA vaccine potency through linkage of antigen gene to ER chaperone molecules, ER-60, tapasin, and calnexin. Journal of biomedical science 2005. PMID: 15918000