extended bio

Dr. Irène P. Mathieu (she/her/hers) is a healer and artist – an academic pediatrician, writer, educator, and public health researcher – who has lived and worked in the United States, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Peru, and elsewhere. Her work is focused on health equity through the medical humanities, community-engaged research, and child health advocacy.

Irène is the author of milk tongue (Deep Vellum Press, 2023), Grand Marronage (Switchback Books, 2019), which was selected as Editor’s Choice for the Gatewood Prize and runner-up for the Cave Canem/Northwestern book prize; orogeny (Trembling Pillow Press, 2017), which won the Bob Kaufman Book Prize; and the galaxy of origins (dancing girl press, 2014). Other honors include Yemassee Journal‘s Poetry Prize, Honorable Mention and Editor’s Choice in the Sandy Crimmins National Poetry contest, and three Pushcart Prize nominations. Her poems have been published in American Poetry Review, Narrative, Boston Review, Southern Humanities Review, Los Angeles Review, Callaloo, Virginia Quarterly Review, TriQuarterly, and numerous anthologies.

She holds a BA in International Relations from the College of William & Mary, MD from Vanderbilt University, and Master’s degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Irène completed her residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was selected as a Global Health Track resident. She has received fellowships from the Fulbright Program, Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. A physician-scientist and principal investigator of the WAYS Lab, Irène is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia, where she also serves as Assistant Co-Director of Programs in Health Humanities. She also serves on the board of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action and the American Academy of Pediatrics national Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.

Irène’s work has been featured in the Washington Post, LA Times, Richmond Magazine, NPR, and more. She is represented by Patricia Nelson of Looking Glass Literary & Media. Irène lives with her family in Charlottesville, Virginia.