Biography
Eugenia (Gina) South is Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She is the Inaugural Director for the Penn Medicine Center for Health Justice as well as Associate Vice President of Health Justice for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The vision of the Center for Health Justice is to enable health through racial, economic, and environmental justice for Black, Brown, and other people and neighborhoods harmed by structural inequity. The Center has two broad portfolios: (a) research and community action led by the Urban Health Lab and (b) health system operations led by the Health Justice Transformation group. Dr. South has studied a variety of place-based interventions including vacant lot greening, abandoned house remediation, tree planting, and structural repairs to homes, demonstrating an impact on gun violence prevention, and mental and physical health. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Commonwealth Fund. Her work has been published in JAMA, NEJM, PNAS, and AJPH, and been covered by national and international media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR. Dr. South is also passionate about infusing joy, hope, and peace into the lives of mentees, staff, and colleagues. She is guided by her core values of authenticity, caring, and rest, and seeks to create a work environment where all can thrive. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children, where you can find them exploring parks, the Philly dining scene, and cheering for the New York Mets.
