Connie Lu

Connie Lu (MD) is a Fellow in our Leadership Training Academy Class of 2026 and specializes in Complex Family Planning. She shared the following reflections on her work, advocacy, and what brings her joy.

What are your clinical or research interests?

I am interested in expanding access to reproductive healthcare, destigmatizing abortion care, later abortion care, expanding knowledge and access to contraception for those with medical problems, healthcare equity. These also represent my research interests. I’m also getting my MPH with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health—part of my goal here is advocating for more incorporation of abortion as a critical component of maternal health and preventative health.

What current policy issue motivates you to be an advocate?

At this time, I don’t know if I could list all of them. In regards to reproductive healthcare, the biggest umbrella policy would be the sweeping abortion restrictions around the country. In considering more nuanced policy, we need to talk more about the harms of gestational age limits. More broadly, everything from our current administration is extremely terrifying and really spotlights immigration rights and protections, gun control, trans rights and LGBTQ rights, healthcare access for those who are low or middle-income, pronatalist ideologies destroying decades of feminist efforts and empowerment. I could go on and on.

What local justice-centered organization do you wish we knew about?

Chicago Abortion Fund, The Love Fridge Chicago, El Paseo Community Garden (hyperlocal neighborhood org)

What is bringing you joy these days?

Knitting my first adult sweater! Hanging out with my cats and dog.

Our Meet Our Advocates series showcases the talents and passion of one of our doctors and finds out, in their own words, what inspires them to be physician advocates. Learn more about the Leadership Training Academy.