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Rupa Marya

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Rupa Marya
M.D.
EducationGeorgetown University School of Medicine
Medical career
ProfessionDoctor, writer, activist, musician
FieldHospitalist, social justice
InstitutionsUCSF School of Medicine
Notable worksInflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice
Websitehttps://rupamarya.org/

Rupa Marya is a doctor, activist, musician and writer based in San Francisco. She was a professor of medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine[1] and co-author of the book Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice (with Raj Patel).[2] In May 2025, UCSF fired Marya after what the university described as the "targeting" of a first-year student from Israel in a social media post.

Early life and education

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Marya was born in California to immigrant Indian parents. Her childhood was spent in the US, France, and India.[3] She was raised in the Sikh religious tradition.[4]

She attended the University of California San Diego, earning degrees in theater and molecular biology, before attending medical school at Georgetown University. It was during her residency at UCSF that she began writing and performing music.[5]

Activism

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Marya has said her sense of justice was awakened in childhood as she witnessed class differences in India, and learned about colonization and genocide perpetrated against Native Americans in the United States.[6] She is involved in numerous organizations working at the intersection of social justice and health, including the Do No Harm Coalition[7] and Deep Medicine Circle.[8] She was recognized in 2021 with the Women Leaders in Medicine Award by the American Medical Student Association. She was a reviewer of the American Medical Association's Organizational Strategic Plan to Embed Racial Justice and Advance Health Equity. In 2019, Marya was among the physicians appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the Healthy California for All Commission.[9][10]

Marya has been vocal on social media as well as in her capacity as a medical professional regarding violations of Palestinian human rights.[11] After Dr. Avromi Kanal sent an email to hospital staff arguing against a cease-fire resolution, Marya publicly described this email as an "expression of anti-Arab hate" that prompted doctors of South Asian and North African descent "to say they do not feel safe in his presence."[12]

Medical student controversy

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Rupa Marya, MD
@DrRupaMarya

Med students at UCSF are concerned that a first year student from Israel is in their class. They're asking if he participated in the genocide of Palestinians in the IDF before matriculating into medical school in CA. How do we address this in our professional ranks?

21 September 2024[13][14]

In September 2024, Marya was suspended by UCSF from her roles after she made a post described by the university as "targeting" students on social media.[15] Marya tweeted that medical students at USCF were concerned about the presence of a first-year Israeli medical student on campus on the basis that they may have been a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and therefore could be involved in Israeli war crimes.[11][16][17] Due to conscription in Israel, every Israeli citizen over the age of 18 who is Jewish, Druze or Circassian must serve in the Israel Defense Forces, with some exceptions.[13]

State senator Scott Wiener and UCSF publicly labeled these posts as antisemitic, and UCSF suspended Marya due to "the targeting of students on social media based on their national origin".[15] Marya said her suspension was because of her "support for the liberation of Palestinians who are suffering genocide", and maintained she was the victim of a targeted harassment campaign by pro-Israel groups.[18] Marya has previously faced backlash for criticizing the impact of Zionism on health care, having described it as an "impediment to health equity" and a "supremacist, racist ideology".[12][11]

The university later reinstated her clinical care responsibilities while maintaining her ban from campus and the hospital.[11]

In May 2025, UCSF fired Marya. The following month, she filed two lawsuits against the university, alleging violations of freedom of speech and civil rights.[4][19][20][21]

Music

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Marya is the composer and front-woman of the band Rupa & the April Fishes[22] and was a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that brought the song "Happy Birthday to You" back to the public domain.[23][24]

Rupa & the April Fishes' debut album, "Extraordinary Rendition", reflects on the societal impact of the September 11 attacks, while her subsequent album, "Este Mundo," draws from her interactions with undocumented immigrants facing severe health challenges.[25] In "Este Mundo," Rupa's lyrics explore themes of longing, loss, and love, maintaining a thoughtful and intimate perspective.[25] Her music incorporates influences from jazz, tango, klezmer, Latin American, and Balkan music.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Rupa Marya, MD | Department of Medicine". medicine.ucsf.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  2. ^ Prasad, Aarathi (2021-08-17). "Inflamed by Rupa Marya and Raj Patel review – modern medicine's racial divide". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  3. ^ del Barco, Mandalit (13 April 2014). "The Cross-Cultural Travels of a Singing Doctor". npr.org. National Public Radio. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b Helmore, Edward (June 7, 2025). "Professor sues University of California for suspension over comments about Israel's war in Gaza". The Guardian. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  5. ^ "Rupa Marya, MD (panelist bio)" (PDF). National Health Equity Grand Rounds. November 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  6. ^ Schatzman, Oralia. "A Conversation with Rupa Marya, Assistant Clinical Professor". UCSF Health. UCSF Hospital. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  7. ^ "About Us". Do No Harm Coalition. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  8. ^ "Deep Medicine Circle". Deep Medicine Circle. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  9. ^ "Rupa Marya, MD | Department of Medicine". medicine.ucsf.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  10. ^ "Governor Newsom Announces Healthy California for All Commission". Governor Gavin Newsom. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d Valdez, Jonah (2024-11-19). "San Francisco's Biggest Hospital System: Don't Talk About Palestine". The Intercept. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  12. ^ a b Knight, Heather (24 June 2024). "In San Francisco, Doctors Feud Over 'Do No Harm' When It Comes to War Protests". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b Grimes, Katy (30 September 2024). "UCSF Med School Professor Claims Med Students are Triggered by Israeli Student – California Globe". California Globe. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Rupa Marya, MD on X: "Med students at UCSF are concerned that a first…". archive.is. 2024-09-21. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  15. ^ a b Stutman, Gabe (31 October 2024). "UCSF professor suspended for calling out Israeli medical student". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  16. ^ Rothchild, Alice (29 December 2024). "Demand the reinstatement of Dr. Rupa Marya at UC San Francisco". Mondoweiss. Retrieved 29 December 2024.: "Dr. Marya raised concerns about the implications of admitting students who may have recently served in the Israeli Defense Force, which has credibly been accused of human rights violations, war crimes, and genocide in Gaza and the West Bank."
  17. ^ Manoukian, Elize (25 September 2024). "UCSF Campus Faces Uproar After Doctor Allegedly Targets Israeli Student on Social Media". KQED. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  18. ^ Marya, Rupa (15 October 2024). "To Voice the Unspeakable". Deep Medicine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  19. ^ Goodman, Amy (June 6, 2025). "Fired over Gaza? Dr. Rupa Marya Sues UCSF, Says She Was Targeted for Speaking Up for Palestine". Democracy Now. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  20. ^ Egelko, Bob (June 5, 2025). "UCSF professor sues, says firing over Gaza war comments violated free speech". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  21. ^ "Marya v. Board of Regents of University of California (3:25-cv-04716)". CourtListener. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  22. ^ Hix, Lisa (2006-07-20). "Rupa and the April Fishes". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  23. ^ Rahman, Abid (2015-09-23). "Plaintiff Who Challenged "Happy Birthday" Copyright "Screamed With Joy" at Ruling". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  24. ^ "Marya v. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., 131 F. Supp. 3d 975 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  25. ^ a b c Gilbert, Andrew (2009-11-01). "A delicate balancing act". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-12-04. While her hit 2008 debut album, "Extraordinary Rendition," features songs written in response to the climate of fear following the Sept. 11 attacks, much of the material on "Este Mundo" flows from her experience caring for undocumented immigrants who ended up in the hospital with dire medical conditions.
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