Raphael Hirsch

Dr. Raphael Hirsch is physician-in-chief at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, a role he has held since 2019. He also chairs the UCSF Department of Pediatrics. He has articulated a vision for the UCSF pediatric program to be among the best in the nation, with the overarching goal of making the world better for all children. He works to grow research and expand the institution's clinical outreach to better serve the region's communities. Among his guiding principles is the belief that academic medical centers must demonstrate a commitment to social justice.

After earning his bachelor's degree at Northwestern University, Hirsch earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, followed by a fellowship in pediatric rheumatology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Children's National Hospital.

From 2012 to 2019, Hirsch served as executive officer and chair of the pediatrics department at the University of Iowa and as physician-in-chief at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. He was responsible for pediatric services, including patient care, education, research, and public health, both at the collegiate level and for the health system. During this time, he helped direct a transformation of the pediatric medicine program, spurred by the construction of the first freestanding children's hospital for the University of Iowa. Before that, he served for 10 years as chief of the pediatric rheumatology division and vice chair for faculty development at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Under his leadership, the division grew from a single clinician into one of the largest and most comprehensive programs in the country.

Hirsch has held numerous leadership positions in the American College of Rheumatology, most recently as a member of its board of directors. He served on the board of scientific counselors for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a branch of the NIH. His research has sought a better understanding of childhood rheumatic diseases, to develop improved therapies, and was funded by the NIH for more than 25 years. He has published nearly 100 scientific papers.