

He also co-authored a national toolkit for pediatric providers to screen and intervene for food insecurity with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Food Research & Action Center.

He was nationally recognized by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for helping to create an innovative curriculum to enhance pediatric resident trainee skills in obesity management. Essel has dedicated his career to advocacy and research around healthcare training, health disparities, and community engagement, with expertise and national recognition in addressing obesity and food insecurity in families. Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and the Director of the George Washington University School of Medicines Culinary Medicine Program, the Community/Urban Health Scholarly Concentration, and the Clinical Public Health Summit on Obesity. Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a community pediatrician at Childrens National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Cheng has a background in anthropology, earned her medical degree at Oregon Health & Science University, then completed a family medicine residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine, with an integrative medicine focus, at George Washington University.
#MEDICAL CONFERENCES 2016 FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL#
Cheng completed a chaplaincy certificate program through the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and a two-year training through Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center and the Metta Institute focused on incorporating contemplative practice, mindfulness, and compassion into ones personal and professional life. With colleagues at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, she also studies integrative approaches to treating common cancer-related symptoms. She also serves as one of the principal investigators for a pilot study evaluating innovative group medical visits pairing psycho-oncology and integrative palliative care for patients with advanced cancer. Cheng has a special interest in holistic management of symptoms and improving quality of life through integrative approaches, especially by considering psychosocial and spiritual aspects of wellness. She currently works at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, providing supportive care for patients with cancer. Stephanie Cheng, MD is a palliative care physician with a longstanding commitment to integrative medicine.
