Bio
Dr. Martha Simmons, M.S., M.D., Ph.D., is a 2026 graduate of the UCSF-UC Law SF Master of Science in Health Policy and Law (HPL) program, where she focused her capstone on the complexities beneficiaries face when choosing Medicare coverage. She joined the faculty in 2026 as an Adjunct HPL Professor to co-teach the HPL Capstone courses. She has a broad range of health policy interests, including nutrition policy, health technology, health insurance affordability, health care access, and end-of-life decision-making. She will soon serve as a volunteer Medicare counselor with the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) of San Mateo County.
Dr. Simmons obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grinnell College and her M.D. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She completed a residency in Anatomic Pathology and fellowship in Neuropathology at UCSF and subsequently taught medical and dental students as an Assistant Clinical Professor. After leaving academia, she worked at the Druker Center for Health Systems Innovation at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Sutter Health, focusing on the use of technology in cardiometabolic conditions, including hypertension and type 2 diabetes. In her most recent role, she led clinical and behavioral content development for a phone app delivering cognitive behavioral therapy to support lifestyle change for people with type 2 diabetes. She was a major contributor to the clinical trial and FDA De Novo Classification Request that earned authorization to market the software as a medical device.
Although no longer practicing medicine, Dr. Simmons maintains her medical license and is a current Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She has published on the use of technology to support lifestyle change in chronic disease management and has early-career publications in neurochemistry and neuropathology.