Meredith R. Russell is a pediatric nurse practitioner and the nursing director of the UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center, where she is dedicated to delivering high-quality health care to transgender and gender-diverse youths. After joining UCSF's pediatric endocrinology team in 2011, she was part of a team of physical health, mental health, social work and education professionals who launched the gender center in 2012. She also cares for pediatric patients with endocrine disorders. She has a particular interest in using health information technologies to improve the quality and safety of health care while lowering costs.
Russell's passion for caring for gender-diverse youths was sparked by interacting with the many families who seek comprehensive gender-affirming services, as well as by working with colleagues at the gender center. She aims to support the healthy development and well-being of gender-diverse young people by removing barriers to care and offering a holistic approach that promotes both psychosocial and physical health. She contributes to a multicenter study on early medical treatment for transgender youth, which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. She has published on care for gender-diverse youths in scholarly journals, including the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
Russell earned a master's degree in nursing at the UCSF School of Nursing, completing the advanced practice program to become a pediatric acute care nurse practitioner. She later earned a doctor of nursing practice degree at Samuel Merritt University. She is an active member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and Pediatric Endocrine Society.
