Rola El-Serag, M.D., is the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health Policy and director of the Center for Health & Biosciences. She was previously the medical director of the Women Veterans Health Program at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She served as an expert educator in women’s health within the Department of Veterans Affairs, both locally and nationally, as well as an advocate for female veteran health.

Her work at the VA focused on program development, improving the quality of health care, expanding health care services, reducing gender disparities and changing institutional culture by educating employees and patients about women’s health issues and gaps in care.

El-Serag has received multiple teaching and clinical awards, including the Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award and Women of Excellence Award at Baylor College of Medicine. She received her medical degree from the Tufts University School of Medicine and completed residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in 2002.

Contact at Rola.El-Serag@rice.edu or 713-348-4683.