Megan Sandel

Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, is a physician, researcher, and advocate focused on the intersection of housing and health, particularly for children and families. Sandel earned her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School, completed her residency and pediatrics fellowship at the Boston Combined Residency Program at Boston Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital, and received a Master of Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health. She is a professor of pediatrics at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and a professor of environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health.

Sandel co-authored the national report "DOC4Kids," which examined the effects of housing on child health. She was the first medical director of Medical-Legal Partnership-Boston and later served as medical director of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. Sandel also served as pediatric medical director for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless program, focusing on integrating legal advocacy with medical care for vulnerable populations.

At Boston Medical Center, Sandel is vice chair for entrepreneurship and innovation in the Department of Pediatrics and co-director of the Grow Clinic for Children, a multispecialty clinic for children with failure to thrive. She is principal investigator for the Boston Opportunity System Collaborative, which addresses employment and affordable housing in underserved Boston neighborhoods, and advocates for place-based investing to address health inequities. Sandel is also co-lead principal investigator for Children's HealthWatch at Boston Medical Center and leads a multimillion-dollar housing and place-based community health initiative.

Sandel's research includes serving as principal investigator for grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and private foundations. She has collaborated with the Boston Public Health Commission and Massachusetts Department of Public Health to improve outcomes for children with asthma and other health challenges. Her publications address topics such as housing instability, childhood inflammation, food insecurity, and immigrant family health. Sandel received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Award for Environmental Leadership in Environmental Management in Treatment in Asthma.

Sandel has served on national boards, including Enterprise Community Partners, and advisory committees at the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. She is recognized for translating research on housing, health equity, and public policy into actionable strategies in academic, policy, and community settings.