Renee T. Cooper, DO, MPH

College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University of Health Science; Renee was born in Los Angeles and raised in Cambria, California. She graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a BA in Community Studies, with an emphasis on Economic Justice, and Latin American and Latino Studies. After college she aspired to be a political organizer, however her path was steered toward medicine after working as a grant writer and in curriculum design for Teach for Health, an international non-profit offering leadership training, community-health development, and small business support to rural communities in South America. 

After discovering her passion for medicine, community health, and health equity she pursued a Master’s in Public Health with an emphasis on Health Promotion and Behavioral Studies at San Diego State University. She then took a job in Lusaka, Zambia for Zambia Emory HIV Research Group where she worked as a study coordinator on various projects including one on HIV vaccine dissemination in high risk populations. She returned back to the US after her acceptance to medical school and is now proud to be starting her new life in Santa Rosa. Her interests in medicine include community health and empowerment, health care equality, disease prevention, addiction medicine, and integrative medicine. Outside of medicine she enjoys being outdoors in any capacity, dancing, reading, traveling, and trying new things.