Carolyn S. Calfee, MD, MS

Dr. Carolyn S. Calfee is a pulmonologist who cares for patients in UCSF's intensive care units.

Calfee's research focuses on the causes and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Her projects include studying the biologic differences within ARDS and how to target those differences by personalizing treatment; the role of environmental exposure, including to cigarette smoke and air pollution, in susceptibility to lung injury; and novel treatments for ARDS. During the coronavirus pandemic, she led research at UCSF to investigate how the immune system responds to COVID and to test promising new treatments for COVID-19-associated ARDS.

Calfee earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. At UCSF, she completed a residency in internal medicine, serving as chief resident, followed by a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine. She also earned a master of advanced study degree in clinical research at UCSF. She joined the UCSF faculty in 2007 and is a member of the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.