Biography

Dr. Irène Mathieu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and acts as the Assistant Director of Programs in Health Humanities for the UVA School of Medicine. Receiving her medical degree from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Mathieu completed her residency in general pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. To expand her medical expertise, Dr. Mathieu received her M.P.H. from the John’s Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as of 2023.

In her current position at the Center for Health Humanities & Ethics, Dr. Mathieu combines her artistic abilities as a writer of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction with her academic teachings, where she lectures students about social drivers of health through literature. In her own writings, she explores questions of history, identity, and race, brainstorming how we can transform our future to be more equitable and healthier for humans and non-humans alike.

Commitment to Health Protection

Founder of the Wellness And Youth Social action (WAYS) Lab at the University of Virginia, Dr. Mathieu focuses her efforts on mental health research. Inspired by the Ella Baker quote, “give light and people will find the way,” the WAYS Lab conducts mixed methods research to shed light in youth mental health trends, with the aim of addressing disparities through youth- and community-led initiatives.

A current WAYS project involves the Teen Wellness Team, a group of teenage and adult researchers engaging in youth participatory action research (YPAR). This research approach allows young individuals to work alongside adult investigators to perform research on and jointly take action against pediatric mental health issues. Dr. Mathieu is proud of the team’s ability to acknowledge generational differences and collaborate on research guided by the voices of youth themselves.

Aside from her community-engaged research, Dr. Mathieu argues her role as a primary care pediatrician exemplifies health promotion. Ranging from newborn vaccines to lower disease risk to candid discussions of mental health and substance use among teenagers, she engages in promoting health and preventing illness across all developmental stages of childhood and adolescence.

In her various roles, Dr. Mathieu recognizes the need for proactive advocacy at all levels of government. A member of the Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, Dr. Mathieu also writes op-eds covering important topics like immigrant child health and LGBTQ+ kids rights. In addition, she lends her unique expertise to policy conversations and regularly speaks on local and regional news outlets to advocate on behalf of her patients.

Personal Statement

“At an early age I developed a passion for tackling injustices and promoting equity. I organized my siblings for “social change” and power sharing within our home through a group I called the Children’s Rights Organization, which had two members, one enthusiastic ten-year-old founder and president, and copious meeting notes. I had no idea that this form of imaginative play would eventually lead to my interest in research that authentically engages communities to promote health and reduce disparities. Informed by my clinical practice and community priorities, I embarked on a career in academic pediatrics with the goal of building university–community partnerships to leverage the distinct knowledge and resources of academic centers and patient communities in addressing the most pressing needs in pediatric health.”

Links & Related Material