Dr. Jeff Chen, MD + MBA
CEO + CoFounder of Radicle Science
Founder of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative
Physician-Scientist: Rebel with a Cause
Dr. Jeff Chen is a change agent on a mission to naturally heal the body, mind, and planet.
He is the Cofounder & CEO of Radicle Science, a health tech company validating natural medicines for the first time in history.
At the age of 29, he founded the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, one of the first such programs in the world. As Executive Director, he grew the program to over 40 faculty across 18 UCLA departments working on cannabis and hemp-related research, education, and policy projects.
He has been a founder, managing partner, board member, investor, and advisor in companies, not-for-profits, and venture firms in life science, sustainability, tech, and media. He is a member of communities such as Founder's Forum, Nexus, Sandbox, TED, Summit Series, Schusterman Reality Impact, and World Economic Forum Globalshapers.
Dr. Chen has been covered by outlets including Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, VICE, CNN, TIME, NPR, Entrepreneur, & Business Insider. His writings have been published by outlets including TED, and he is part of the Medical Team at Healthline. He appears on TV shows like “The Doctors”, NBC News, CBS Sunday, as well as in interviews with influential figures like Jonathan Van Ness, Lake Bell, Ryan Tedder, & Governor John Hickenlooper.
He has traveled across 5 continents to speak at venues ranging from the Mexico Senate to the Yale School of Management to the Royal Court of the Kingdom of Bhutan to SXSW.
Dr. Chen is a David Geffen Fellow, UCLA Wolfen Entrepreneur, U.S. patent holder, published author in cannabinoid, oncology, and radiology research, and was selected as a Mentor for U.S. National Institutes of Health I-CORPs startup accelerator.
Dr. Chen attended medical & business school concurrently at UCLA on a full merit scholarship, graduating simultaneously with his MD and MBA in the 95th percentile amongst U.S. physicians on national U.S. Medical Licensing Exams. For his clinical performance, Dr. Chen earned the highest achievable marks of Distinction in Surgery, Neurology, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University where he studied Music, Business, and Biology.
Dr. Chen is a lifelong musician and singer and has performed in choirs, a cappella groups, rock bands, and as a solo artist at venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to Dodger Stadium to the Vatican.
Follow him at @drjeffchen and join the mission!
MEdia Mentions
Dr. Jeff Chen has been covered in media outlets including:
"Amid Opioid Crisis, Researchers Aim to Put Medical Marijuana to the Test"
"Cannabis Comes to Your Coffee and Candy—But Is It Legal?"
"'Weed the People’ Explores Medical Marijuana for Kids With Cancer"
"Column: UCLA’s Paranoid Stance on Cannabis Leaves Students in the Lurch"
"UFC teams with Aurora Cannabis on CBD study in fighters"
"CBD Is Budding In Popularity. But What Is The Cannabis Extract, Exactly?"
"...The Feds Grow and Sell Marijuana. Here's How."
"Medical Pot Is Our Best Hope to Fight the Opioid Epidemic"
"How Cannabis Is Fueling a New Fitness Movement"
"Can Weed Help You Lose Weight?"
"Here's What Marijuana Actually Does to Your Body and Brain"
Speaking engagements
Speaking Engagements
Dr. Jeff is honored to have been invited to speak at a variety of venues, including Yale School of Management, SXSW, Senator Feinstein’s Office, National Academies of Science, Lightning in a Bottle, and the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Highlights
Snapshots of Talks and Panels
From Yale and the Young Presidents Organization with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to festivals and interviews. He is currently represented by Big Speak.
TEDx Talk
Cannabis: Panacea, Placebo, or Poison?
Dr. Jeff gives us a TED talk about the science of plant medicine.
Yale University
Yale Business of Legal Cannabis Conference
Dr. Jeff presented the keynote cannabis science speech at the first cannabis conference at an Ivy League university.
Mashable Series
Does the Federal Government Grow Cannabis?
From a multi-episode series on cannabis in collaboration with UCLA
Evolution of Medicine
Functional Forum
Interview of Dr. Jeff's vision for founding the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative.
UCLA
Cannabis 101
A snapshot of a course Dr. Jeff created and teaches at UCLA, one of the first cannabis courses ever taught at an American university.
UCLA Health & Semel Institute
3rd Annual UCLA Cannabis Research Symposium
Hemp Goes Federally Legal: Research and Policy Implications
