Biography

Christina Wai-Ming Fok, MD, JD, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, where she combines her unique dual training in medicine and law to advance pediatric care, health equity, and medical-legal partnerships. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2005, followed by a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in 2016. She completed her pediatric residency at McGovern Medical School in 2019 and has since served as a faculty member.

Dr. Fok is a board-certified pediatrician and a passionate advocate for integrating legal advocacy into health care. She directs the Pediatric Medical-Legal Partnership at UT Physicians and serves as Vice President of the Texas Medical-Legal Partnership Coalition. Her clinical work spans outpatient pediatrics, newborn care, and pediatric rehabilitation at institutions including Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and TIRR Memorial Hermann.

A recognized educator and mentor, Dr. Fok has received multiple Dean’s Teaching Excellence Awards and was named a “Champion of the Clinical Learning Environment” in 2024. She teaches and mentors medical students and residents in both clinical and advocacy settings, including modules on social determinants of health and legal representation in health care.

Her research and scholarly work focus on health equity, social determinants of health, and the implementation of medical-legal partnerships. She has presented nationally and published in peer-reviewed journals such as Academic Pediatrics. Dr. Fok’s interdisciplinary expertise and commitment to community service continue to shape innovative approaches to pediatric care and advocacy.

Education

Juris Doctor
University of Wisconsin Law School, 2008
Medical Doctor
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health 8/2011 - 5/2016
Residency
UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School 6/2016 - 7/2019

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

Law Certificate in Health Care Consumer Advocacy, 2010

Research Interests

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine Resident Curriculum – University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Pediatric Emergency Medicine Department – Repetitive Training in Technical Skills for Pediatric Residents
  • Delayed Cord Clamping and Hyperbilirubinemia – University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston  General Pediatric Department  – Evaluating whether newborns born with risk factors for Hyperbilirubinemia should have delay cord clamping at birth
  • University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health – Department of Family Medicine, Madison, WI – Student Researcher – Researching the utility of electronic health records as tools to improve health surveillance and health outcomes of obesity during pregnancy
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison  –  Medical Microbiology & Immunology Department, Madison, WI  – Research Intern  –  Researched the pathogenicity of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae under Dr. Joseph Dillard

Publications

Dr. Fok’s Google Scholar profile contains the most complete list of publications.