Dr. Holly G. Atkinson

Dr. Holly G. Atkinson is a clinical professor and medical student advisor at the CUNY School of Medicine in New York City. Previously, Atkinson was a director of the human rights program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In this role, she founded and directed the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic, where asylum seekers who have suffered torture, human trafficking, and other human rights violations are medically evaluated.

Atkinson earned her bachelor of arts at Colgate University and her medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital. Atkinson also received a master in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Additionally, she holds the position of Assistant Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Advancing Idealism in Medicine Program at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and is an Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

Throughout her career, Atkinson’s research has focused on documenting the links between human rights violations and health outcomes, especially as it applies to the well-being of women and girls. Atkinson has served on the board of directors of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) for more than 16 years, including four years as president. She now serves as an expert medical advisor to the organization and is a member of PHR’s asylum network. In addition, she is a fellow of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), where she helped launch AMWA’s Physicians Against Human Trafficking initiative. Atkinson received the Esther Pohl Lovejoy Award from AMWA in 2016 and was recognized as one of New York’s “New Abolitionists” as a leader in anti-trafficking work. Atkinson has been honored with multiple awards including the National Council of Women’s Young Achievers Award, the Society for Women’s Health Research’s Communications Achievement Award, and the Physicians for Human Rights’ Health and Human Rights Award. Additionally, Atkinson has extensive experience as a medical correspondent including assignments with NBC and CBS News, Lifetime Medical Television, and the PBS health show BodyWatch. She is author of the bestselling book "Women and Fatigue". Atkinson is also a member of the council on foreign relations. She was also the President and CEO of Reuters Health Information, Inc., and the founding Editor-in-Chief of the consumer health newsletter, HealthNews.