Maria Chao, DrPH, MPA

Professor In Residence
Medicine
+1 415 353-7749

Maria T. Chao, DrPH, MPA is a professor at the University of California San Francisco’s Osher Center for Integrative Health and the Division of General Internal Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Chao’s overarching goal is to investigate how complementary and integrative health approaches can advance health equity and improve quality of life among underserved populations living with chronic conditions. Her recent studies aim to: (1) rigorously test integrative approaches to address the under-treatment of pain in diverse patient populations; and (2) apply implementation science to broaden access to evidence-based integrative medicine. Her work has received funding support through the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and numerous foundations.

Publications: 

Postpartum care for parent-infant dyads: A community midwifery model.

Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)

Thompson-Lastad A, Harrison JM, Taiwo TK, Williams C, Parimi M, Wilborn B, Chao MT

Integrative Health Equity: Definition, Principles, Strategies, and Reflections.

Global advances in integrative medicine and health

Chao MT, Adler SR

The Assessment and Treatment of Inpatient Cancer-Related Pain with Acupuncture: Development of a Manual.

Medical acupuncture

Ashby J, Toveg M, Ye H, Rubin LH, Reddy S, Chao MT

A Communication Perspective on What Patient Advisory Boards Do: Action-Implicative Discourse Analysis and Negotiating Advice.

Journal of general internal medicine

Ho EY, Agne RR, Santana T, Thompson N, McClendon G, Ng E, Merrick S, Gonzalez F, Smith T, Drewke K, Gutierrez A, Floyd G, Chao MT

Exploratory Analysis of Racial/Ethnic and Educational Differences in a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-based Weight Loss Intervention.

Psychosomatic medicine

Daubenmier J, Chao MT, Hartogensis W, Liu R, Moran PJ, Acree MC, Kristeller J, Epel ES, Hecht FM

Integrative Nutritional Counseling Combining Chinese Medicine and Biomedicine for Chinese Americans with Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Ho EY, Leung G, Chao MT, Chan D, Hsieh E, Pritzker S, Chi HL, Huang S, Ruan Q, Seligman HK

Corrigendum: Toward a Compassionate Intersectional Neuroscience: Increasing Diversity and Equity in Contemplative Neuroscience.

Frontiers in psychology

Weng HY, Ikeda MP, Lewis-Peacock JA, Chao MT, Fullwiley D, Goldman V, Skinner S, Duncan LG, Gazzaley A, Hecht FM

Toward a Compassionate Intersectional Neuroscience: Increasing Diversity and Equity in Contemplative Neuroscience.

Frontiers in psychology

Weng HY, Ikeda MP, Lewis-Peacock JA, Chao MT, Fullwiley D, Goldman V, Skinner S, Duncan LG, Gazzaley A, Hecht FM

Focus on the Breath: Brain Decoding Reveals Internal States of Attention During Meditation.

Frontiers in human neuroscience

Weng HY, Lewis-Peacock JA, Hecht FM, Uncapher MR, Ziegler DA, Farb NAS, Goldman V, Skinner S, Duncan LG, Chao MT, Gazzaley A

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Group Acupuncture for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy Among Diverse Safety Net Patients.

Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)

Chao MT, Schillinger D, Nguyen U, Santana T, Liu R, Gregorich S, Hecht FM

Acupuncture Augmentation of Lidocaine for Provoked, Localized Vulvodynia: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

Journal of lower genital tract disease

Hullender Rubin LE, Mist SD, Schnyer RN, Chao MT, Leclair CM

Improving Access to Integrative Oncology Through Group Medical Visits: A Pilot Implementation Project.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Thompson-Lastad A, Atreya CE, Chao MT, Pollak C, Dhruva A, Santana T, Abrams DI

Improving Access, Integration, and Sustainability: A Reflective Overview of the Special Issue on Innovation in Group-Delivered Services.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Gardiner P, Chao M, Burnett M

Patient-Reported Outcomes of an Integrative Pain Management Program Implemented in a Primary Care Safety Net Clinic: a Quasi-experimental Study.

Journal of general internal medicine

Chao MT, Hurstak E, Leonoudakis-Watts K, Sidders F, Pace J, Hammer H, Wismer B

Vulnerable Patients' Psychosocial Experiences in a Group-Based, Integrative Pain Management Program.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Bruns EB, Befus D, Wismer B, Knight K, Adler SR, Leonoudakis-Watts K, Thompson-Lastad A, Chao MT

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Integrative Pain Management Program in a Primary Care Safety-Net Clinic.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Hurstak E, Chao MT, Leonoudakis-Watts K, Pace J, Walcer B, Wismer B

Improving Usability of Electronic Health Records for Whole Systems Integrative Medicine Practitioners.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Ye H, Bowden D, Ashby J, Toveg M, Reddy S, Chao MT

Implementing an Inpatient Acupuncture Service for Pain and Symptom Management: Identifying Opportunities and Challenges.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Harrison JD, Reddy S, Liu R, Adler SR, Chao MT

Applying New Models of Care to Meet Patient Needs in Integrative Oncology.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Dhruva A, Atreya CE, Chao MT

Heart healthy integrative nutritional counseling (H2INC): Creating a Chinese medicine + western medicine patient education curriculum for Chinese Americans.

Patient education and counseling

Ho EY, Acquah J, Chao C, Leung G, Ng DC, Chao MT, Wang A, Ku S, Chen W, Yu CK, Xu S, Chen M, Jih J

Integrative Medicine and the Imperative for Health Justice.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Chao MT, Adler SR

Development and Feasibility of a Group-Based Therapeutic Yoga Program for Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain.

Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)

Huang AJ, Rowen TS, Abercrombie P, Subak LL, Schembri M, Plaut T, Chao MT

Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Diverse Primary Care Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Association with Cardiometabolic Outcomes: From the SF Bay Collaborative Research Network (SF Bay CRN).

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM

Handley MA, Quan J, Chao MT, Ratanawongsa N, Sarkar U, Emmons-Bell S, Schillinger D

Benefits of preparing for childbirth with mindfulness training: a randomized controlled trial with active comparison.

BMC pregnancy and childbirth

Duncan LG, Cohn MA, Chao MT, Cook JG, Riccobono J, Bardacke N

Does CenteringPregnancy Group Prenatal Care Affect the Birth Experience of Underserved Women? A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Journal of immigrant and minority health

Liu R, Chao MT, Jostad-Laswell A, Duncan LG

Adjunctive acupuncture for pain and symptom management in the inpatient setting: protocol for a pilot hybrid effectiveness-implementation study.

Journal of integrative medicine

Chao MT, Chang A, Reddy S, Harrison JD, Acquah J, Toveg M, Santana T, Hecht FM

Acupuncture point injection treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea: a randomised, double blind, controlled study.

BMJ open

Wade C, Wang L, Zhao WJ, Cardini F, Kronenberg F, Gui SQ, Ying Z, Zhao NQ, Chao MT, Yu J

Acupuncture for the Management of Postdural Puncture Headache: A Case Report.

Global advances in health and medicine

Chang A, Acquah J, Reddy S, Chao MT

Applying the RE-AIM Framework to Evaluate Integrative Medicine Group Visits Among Diverse Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain.

Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses

Chao MT, Abercrombie PD, Santana T, Duncan LG

Disclosure of complementary health approaches among low income and racially diverse safety net patients with diabetes.

Patient education and counseling

Chao MT, Handley MA, Quan J, Sarkar U, Ratanawongsa N, Schillinger D

Prevalence and use of complementary health approaches among women with chronic pelvic pain in a prospective cohort study.

Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)

Chao MT, Abercrombie PD, Nakagawa S, Gregorich SE, Learman LA, Kuppermann M

An innovative acupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, crossover pilot study.

Alternative therapies in health and medicine

Chao MT, Wade CM, Abercrombie PD, Gomolak D

Patient perspectives on care received at community acupuncture clinics: a qualitative thematic analysis.

BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Tippens KM, Chao MT, Connelly E, Locke A

Centering as a model for group visits among women with chronic pelvic pain.

Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN

Chao MT, Abercrombie PD, Duncan LG

Utilization of group-based, community acupuncture clinics: a comparative study with a nationally representative sample of acupuncture users.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Chao MT, Tippens KM, Connelly E

Health practices and vaginal microbicide acceptability among urban black women.

Journal of women's health (2002)

Reiff M, Wade C, Chao MT, Kronenberg F, Cushman LF

Medical pluralism among American women: results of a national survey.

Journal of women's health (2002)

Wade C, Chao M, Kronenberg F, Cushman L, Kalmuss D

Medical pluralism of Chinese women living in the United States.

Journal of immigrant and minority health

Wade C, Chao MT, Kronenberg F

Women's reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use: racial/ethnic differences.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Chao MT, Wade C, Kronenberg F, Kalmuss D, Cushman LF

Race/ethnicity and women's use of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States: results of a national survey.

American journal of public health

Kronenberg F, Cushman LF, Wade CM, Kalmuss D, Chao MT

Do healthy behaviors decline with greater acculturation? Implications for the Latino mortality paradox.

Social science & medicine (1982)

Abraído-Lanza AF, Chao MT, Flórez KR

Acculturation and cancer screening among Latinas: results from the National Health Interview Survey.

Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Abraído-Lanza AF, Chao MT, Gates CY

Breast and cervical cancer screening among Latinas and non-Latina whites.

American journal of public health

Abraído-Lanza AF, Chao MT, Gammon MD

Religion, spirituality, and healthcare choices of African-American women: results of a national survey.

Ethnicity & disease

Dessio W, Wade C, Chao M, Kronenberg F, Cushman LE, Kalmuss D