Ellen Fung, PhD, RD
Dr. Fung has advanced training in nutrition and a long-standing curiosity on the impact of nutrition and physical activity on bone health in children and young adults with chronic disease. She has a passion for hemoglobin disorders including thalassemia and sickle cell disease and has been conducting much of her research within these populations for the last 2 decades. Dr. Fung is the Director of the Bone Density Clinic at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and enjoys educating clinicians on the importance of achieving optimal bone health in childhood and adolescence. She is also the Director of the UCSF Summer Student Research Program which for the past 4 decades has been placing talented high school and college students from diverse backgrounds into local clinics and basic science labs to participate in active biomedical research. The overall goal of the program is to stimulate interest in health sciences for under-represented students, arming them with professional skills and confidence, thereby improving their likelihood of success in STEM careers.