Youth Health and Housing Lab Team

Janna R. Gewirtz O'Brien, MD, MPH, FAAP,  (she/her) is the Principal Investigator of the Youth Health and Housing Lab. She is a board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine physician, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. In her clinical work, she directs the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Program in the Department of Pediatrics at Hennepin Healthcare, and is the Medical Director at The Bridge for Youth, where she provides care for youth experiencing homelessness. She is also the President Elect of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She leads community-engaged youth participatory action research (YPAR) at the intersection of housing, healthcare and public health to optimize health and bolster resilience among youth experiencing homelessness. Her clinical work, research and advocacy are deeply interconnected and grounded in frameworks of positive youth development and trauma-informed practice, with the primary goal of advancing health equity for adolescents and young adults. In addition to her research and clinical work, she leads the Adolescent Medicine rotation for Pediatrics residents at the University of Minnesota and co-directs the adolescent medicine rotation for residents from the University of South Dakota-Sanford Childrens and the University of North Dakota.