Dr. Jeff Chen

man ON A MISSION

Dr. Jeff Chen MD, MBA is a physician, researcher, and social entrepreneur pioneering cannabis research. He is a thought leader on cannabis policy, science, and business, and has spent the last 5 years operating at the intersection of cannabis policy, science, and business to accelerate cannabis research.

Dr. Chen is the Founder and Executive Director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, one of the first university programs in the world dedicated to cannabis. Only 29 when he founded the research program, Jeff is one of the youngest directors of a major university research initiative in America. Under the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, Dr. Chen has brought together over 40 faculty members across a dozen departments to discover the scientific truth and medicinal value of this plant.

His current personal research focus for medical cannabis is:

1) Could cannabis provide a solution for the opioid epidemic?

2) Could cannabis be the cure for cancer?

3) Could cannabis treat Alzheimer's?

Dr. Chen is a graduate of the specialized MD/MBA program at UCLA. While a graduate student, he created some of the nation’s first cannabis science & business conferences, cannabis science and business clubs, and cannabis courses at an American university. As a medical student, Dr. Chen ranked in the 95^th percentile amongst all U.S. medical students on national medical licensing exams, and he had the honor of receiving the highest award of distinction for his performance in the specialties of Surgery, Neurology, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine.

Dr. Chen has spoken on the topic of cannabis at venues ranging from the RAND Corporation and Senator Feinstein’s Office to the Yale School of Management and the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Bhutan. His work has been covered by outlets ranging fromTIME, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal to CNN, CBS, NPR, Rolling Stone and Vogue.

Dr. Chen is a David Geffen Fellow, U.S. patent holder, and published author in cancer research. He is a member of the Helena Group, Sandbox, and Nexus. He was named a “Globalshaper” by the World Economic Forum and is a Schusterman Foundation Reality Impact Alumni.

Dr. Chen graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University, where he studied Biology, Business, and Music as an undergrad. He has been a lifelong musician, having sung at venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Vatican, and on weekends you can find him singing and playing guitar on the Venice Beach boardwalk, where all proceeds are donated to research.