James Anderson, MD

Dr. James Anderson is a neonatologist who cares for newborns needing extra medical support — whether because they were born prematurely, require surgery, or have complex medical needs. He is section chief of neonatology at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco and in Oakland. He previously served as associate medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Oakland and as neonatal director of the fetal treatment center. His work is guided by a strong commitment to health equity, family-centered care and optimizing outcomes for the most vulnerable newborns.

Anderson's areas of interest include neurodevelopmental outcomes of high-risk infants, periviable resuscitation (care decisions around extremely premature newborns), quality improvement, and global health. He has advanced training in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a specialized form of life support that temporarily takes over the work of the heart and lungs to give critically ill babies time to heal. He meets with families before birth through prenatal consultations and continues caring for babies after discharge from the NICU in the high-risk infant follow-up clinic, where growth, development and long-term health are closely monitored.

Anderson earned his medical degree at UMass School of Medicine. He completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatology at UCSF.