Leslie Blackhall, MD, is the section head for palliative care at UVA. She grew up in Upstate New York and attended Yale University. After earning her medical degree from New York University, and she completed residency and fellowship training in internal medicine and medical ethics at Boston University. She also earned a master of theologic studies from Harvard Divinity School, with a concentration in biomedical ethics, history and philosophy.

After a decade of work at the University of Southern California, Dr. Blackhall joined UVA in 2001 as an associate professor, research coordinator at the Center for Biomedical Ethics, and medical director of palliative outpatient clinics. She has led the palliative care division since 2012.

• 2015 Bedside Manner Award, Our Health Magazine; Second place