Jennifer Bickel, MD, FAAN

Jennifer Bickel, MD, FAANJennifer Bickel, MD, FAAN, is the chief wellness officer for MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, where she is charged with creating system change to improve professional well-being through an operational emphasis on meaningful, essential work, a culture that promotes well-being and through tailored support programs. She serves as the chair of the AAN’s Wellness Subcommittee and as a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-being and Resilience. She attended medical school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and completed her neurology residency at University of Kansas Medical Center. 

As a headache medicine specialist, Bickel served at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO, until 2021 as chief of the Headache Section and as the headache medicine fellowship director. Her clinical program provided comprehensive care to children and adolescents with headaches including injections, infusions, medical acupuncture, mental health support, and clinical research. As a neurology educator, she has been active in many areas including holding roles as the course director for medical neuroscience and as the SIGN advisor at University of Missouri-Kansas City. As faculty of the American College of Healthcare Executives, she leads seminars for health care administrators on how to prioritize clinician well-being within health care operations. 

Bickel has been active in the AAN for over a decade, beginning with participating in the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum in 2012 and in following years as advisor and faculty. Additional neurology advocacy includes serving on the BrainPAC Executive Committee,

attending Neurology on the Hill, and leading grant-supported community outreach programs. In 2016, she became involved in AAN education through a focus on undergraduate education and the medical student pipeline. Currently, she is a member of the 好色先生 Committee. In 2017, she graduated from the AAN’s Transforming Leaders Program and later served as project advisor and physician liaison for the program. For seven years, she was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Neurology Today®. As the chair of the AAN Wellness Committee, she also serves on the Member Engagement Committee.