Dr. Bertakis was born and raised in Northern California and received her B.S. degree from U.C. Davis and M.P.H. from U.C. Berkeley. She attended medical school and completed her family practice residency at the University of Utah. She joined our faculty in 1980 and founded the U.C. Davis Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care in 1994. She became Chair of the Department in 1995 and was elected Chair of the Council of Chairs in 2000. Dr. Bertakis' research focuses on the doctor-patient interaction and the effects of physician practice style on patient outcomes and health care delivery. She was the youngest recipient of the Curtis G. Hames Research Award in Family Medicine, which is a lifetime achievement award for contributions to family medicine research. She has sat on numerous editorial boards and is currently a member of the British Medical Journal U.S.A. Dr. Bertakis has also served on the National Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Board of California.