M.D.
Physician
University of California Medical School, San Diego, CA
Pediatrics
Jeffrey Bender, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte, where he combines his passion for science with his desire to help children live healthy, fulfilling lives. As an infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Bender often plays the role of medical detective, analyzing a patient’s history, symptoms and exposures to uncover and treat the source of infection. He works closely with both his medical team and the families he serves to ensure that his young patients receive the best possible care.
A physician-scientist, Dr. Bender has authored dozens of peer-reviewed papers and conducted research focusing on the human gut microbiome. This work informs his and other physicians’ practices, helping better understand and prevent hospital-acquired infections in children and use microbiology to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics. Some of Dr. Bender’s work, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed how maternal HIV infection influences the microbiomes of uninfected infants, while another—published in Frontiers in Nutrition—demonstrated that COVID-19 immunity from vaccine boosters could transfer from mother to infant through breast milk.
Before joining City of Hope in 2023, Dr. Bender was a clinical associate professor at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, where he received multiple awards for teaching, innovation and patient care. He has repeatedly been recognized as a “Top Doctor” by Los Angeles Magazine and Pasadena Magazine. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and listening to music.