Shira Maguen, PhD
Professor and Interim Vice Chair, San Francisco VA Health Care System, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Here is what Shira's nominator had to say about her:
It is a true privilege to nominate Dr. Shira Maguen for the Women of UCSF Health Spotlight. She is an exceptional clinician, researcher, educator, and leader. Dr. Maguen serves as the Mental Health Director of the Post-9/11 Integrated Care Clinic and Staff Psychologist on the PTSD Clinical Team at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System (SFVAHCS). She also holds both the roles of Interim Vice Chair at SFVAHCS and Professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
A nationally recognized expert in PTSD, moral injury, and veteran suicide prevention—particularly among post-9/11 and female veterans—Dr. Maguen has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and leads multiple federally funded studies. Her research has earned national recognition and directly shaped clinical care models across the VA, firmly establishing UCSF as a leader in veteran mental health care and training.
In addition to her scholarly impact, Dr. Maguen is a respected mentor, educator, and team builder. She plays a key role in faculty development at SFVAHCS, supervises trainees in evidence-based PTSD treatments, and fosters a culture of inclusion and collaboration. She is a vital bridge between UCSF and the VA, strengthening cross-institutional partnerships and advancing a shared commitment to equity, excellence and belongingness.
Dr. Maguen leads with integrity, compassion, and vision in a field where women remain underrepresented - modeling what it means to lead fairly and inclusively. I am truly grateful for her mentorship and have grown both professionally and personally through the opportunity to work alongside her.
Nominated by Christina Mantel, MA
Shira's Bio:
I began working at UCSF in 2006, and at the San Francisco VA Healthcare System (SFVA) a year earlier in 2005. Prior to moving back to California, I spent a lot of time on the East Coast, and I started working at the Boston VA in September of 2001, just a few days before 9/11. I came to the Boston VA as the final part of my training to become a clinical psychologist, and after 9/11 and the wars that followed, I knew that I wanted to help individuals to recover from trauma in all of its complexity. There was so much profound trauma and grief that I witnessed due to 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that followed. I wanted to help by being able to listen and understand how to facilitate healing. As Veterans were coming back from war, I was moved by how openly they shared painful stories and the ways in which they were injured. I myself had close family that had survived the holocaust and was no stranger to the impact of war, as my parent immigrated to the U.S. when I was a young child, with the desire to build a safer life for us than they had. My father was deployed for war when I was a few months old and I know that had a big impact on my family. Growing up both as part of this culture, but also slightly outside of it helped me have a unique perspective that has been extremely helpful for the patients I see, the research I do, and the students I mentor. It has allowed me to listen with curiosity and learn from others.
By the time I came to UCSF, my interest in trauma and PTSD had been solidified, but there was so much to learn. I carried the stories of the Veterans with whom I had worked, and I wanted to understand unique experiences that they faced which did not fit neatly into any particular diagnosis. I had worked with Veterans who killed in war and suffered profoundly afterwards. I began to conceptualize their struggles and impact on their lives as moral injury and worked to understand the ways in which they were affected so we could figure out how to best help them. With the pandemic, my interest grew to expanding my moral injury work to healthcare workers and first responders, as well as other impacted groups. I have been extremely fortunate to meet incredibly thoughtful and wise colleagues and collaborators along the way, and together we have been able to better understand how to measure and treat moral injury. Although the work is plentiful and the journey young (we have a lot more work to do), it has been an incredible one so far.
I was also lucky enough to serve as the Interim Vice Chair for the SFVA since November of 2022. I oversaw UCSF faculty based at the VA and got to learn about a different part of UCSF, working closely with Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (DPBS) leadership and staff. I got to see great leaders in action, celebrating successes and learning how to navigate difficult conversations during challenging times. I got to work alongside individuals who were true partners in a complex mission, and I knew I could always count on them for thoughtful advice and stellar guidance. Not surprisingly, I learned that leadership is always better when you have an amazing village around you, and I was lucky to have that. And of course, a big part of my journey at UCSF has been my family, my husband and two sons who keep me laughing, help me with work/life balance, and remind me that there is always more to learn!
What advice would you give yourself early on in your career? To a woman entering your field today? We have this idea that career trajectories should ideally be linear, and I think there is a lot to be said for taking time to really explore what you are passionate about so you end up in the right career. When I was younger, I always thought that I would be a journalist. I loved talking to people, hearing their stories, and amplifying voices that did not often get to be heard. Over time, I realized that what I was passionate about was also trying to help in a deeper way, which lead me to my current career path. I explored different areas before landing on trauma, PTSD and moral injury. I think it takes time to ensure you are on the right path, and sometimes changing trajectories can help with wellbeing and life satisfaction.
If you could go anywhere for a day, where would you go? I think if I could go anywhere right now it would be Madagascar. I have always been fascinated by lemurs and also love hiking and adventure. I recently got back from a trip to Ecuador with my family and we got to hike and raft in the Amazon, which was spectacular. We did not go the Galapagos Islands, so that would be on my list for the future as well.
What is on your reading list? I recently finished Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which was an incredible story about several women, their support for one another, and how their lives are intertwined. It touches on all of life’s biggest themes like community, loneliness, love, trauma, and survival under challenging circumstances. I am lucky to be part of a book club of dear friends. I love being able to talk about all of the books we read together and get different perspectives about all of the characters.