Joyce Javier, MD: Supporting Vulnerable Communities

Today we celebrate women who tear down walls, face challenges head-on and push boundaries in their field of expertise and beyond. They are mentors, advocates, leaders and healers who work passionately to create hope and build healthier futures. This is Joyce Javier, MD, MPH, MS.

“I became a pediatrician scientist to give back to vulnerable populations and the community that raised me.”

What inspires you?

My family. My grandparents and parents sacrificed so much when they emigrated from the Philippines to the U.S. so that my sisters and I, and now my own kids, could have a better life. My daughters inspire me to make the world a better place for them to live and grow up in.

Why did you become a doctor and researcher?

I became a pediatrician scientist to give back to vulnerable populations and the community that raised me. I focus on promoting child and adolescent well-being by harnessing the strengths of communities and implementing family-focused parenting programs.

What is the most memorable thing a patient family has ever said to you?

After a grandparent completed a parenting program, she said to me, “It was an answer to my prayers.” I’ve been a researcher for the past 18 years and it’s always rewarding to see families directly benefit from programs I have helped make available in our clinic and the community.

What hashtags best describes you?

#teamkapwa and #filipinofamilyhealth 

Joyce Javier, MD, MPH, MS, is a pediatrician and public health researcher at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Over the past 17 years, she has focused on optimizing the well-being of high-risk immigrant youth, and has been named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the World.

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