Maria Silveira, MD, MA, MPH(link is external) is a federally funded researcher and ethicist who was among the first palliative care clinicians to practice at the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). She grew up in New York City, completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, and obtained her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook. After residency training at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Internal Medicine, she served as a Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Clinical Scholar at the University of Washington where she earned her MPH. She has been at the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor VAMC since 2001. She is a member of the Rogel Cancer Center, where she serves as the Director for the Symptoms Management Clinic.

Her research aims to improve the management of symptoms related to cancer. She is the recipient of funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Veterans Administration.

Her research has been published in JAGS, JAMA, and NEJM. She has held several editorial positions, including Associate Editor for the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and UpToDate. In 2014, she was awarded fellow status by the AAHPM and was promoted to Associate Professor at the University of Michigan. She currently serves as the Director for Research for the UM’s Palliative Care Program. She teaches ethics, communication, and symptom management to students and trainees at the UM and VA, and mentors fellows, junior faculty, and doctoral candidates in research.

Areas of Interest

Cancer pain and chronic pain
Safe use of opioids in palliative care and oncology
Caregiving

Opioids for management of chronic pain in cancer patients
Interventions to improve quality of life for patients with serious illness and their families.
Advance care planning