Stephanie Smooke Praw, MD Appointed Clinical Chief, UCLA Division of Endocrinology
The UCLA Department of Medicine is pleased to announce that Stephanie Smooke Praw, MD was appointed clinical chief of the UCLA Division of Endocrinology effective July 1, 2025.
“As clinical chief of the UCLA Division of Endocrinology, I look forward to helping create connection between our clinicians across multiple sites, assist our faculty with career development, and continue to build our reputation for providing outstanding endocrine care,” Dr. Smooke Praw said.
Dr. Smooke Praw is a professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM), director of education for the UCLA Division of Endocrinology and director of the UCLA Thyroid Center. She served as the director of the UCLA Endocrine Fellowship Program for the past 10 years; with her new appointment, she will be stepping down from this role and will be succeeded by Shira M. Grock, MD.

Dr. Smooke Praw has served as interim clinical chief of the UCLA Division of Endocrinology since 2023, during which time the division increased its clinical faculty by 15%. Dr. Smooke Praw has worked to improve scheduling workflow and consult utilization with the goal of improving access and expanded e-consults. She has instituted office hours to improve communication between clinicians and division leadership and prioritized establishing a culture of appreciation in the division. She has also worked to engage the endocrine faculty in new leadership and university service opportunities focused on patient education, wellness and scholarly activity. Additionally, Dr. Smooke Praw continues to lead the Multidisciplinary Endocrine Tumor Board with the goal of providing care for patients with complex medical conditions who require intervention by multiple specialists.
“I am most looking forward to continuing to work with and supporting our outstanding group of clinicians in their delivery of exceptional patient care, their collective commitment to educating the next generation of endocrinologists, and driving discovery,” Dr. Smooke Praw said.
Dr. Smooke Praw is an active member of multiple scholarly societies, including the Endocrine Society, the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology and Metabolism (APDEM) and the American Thyroid Association (ATA). She is co-director of the APDEM Curriculum and Milestones Committee and serves on the ATA Patient Care Committee. She has published her clinical research in leading journals including The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) and Thyroid. Her prolific leadership and outstanding patient care has led to her recognition as a Super Doctor by the Los Angeles Times since 2018; a Top Doctor by L.A. Magazine since 2020; and a Los Angeles Business Journal Leader of Influence in 2022 and 2023.
Dr. Smooke Praw completed medical school, residency and a fellowship in endocrinology at UCLA, including a chief resident year. She holds a BA in History of Art from Yale and an MA in Japanese History of Art from University College London.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Smooke Praw!
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