Dr. Juliana Friend is a medical anthropologist specializing in ethnographic and community-engaged qualitative research. Drawing on expertise in digital health, bioethics, and critical dementia studies, Dr. Friend's work has two synergistic foci: 1) promoting well-being of people with dementia, caregivers and community networks and 2) addressing the intersection of tech policy and health policy by amplifying the perspectives of diverse constituents on how to amplify the benefits of emerging technologies while minimizing potential harms.
As a member of UCSF's Decision Lab, Dr. Friend conducts ethnographic research with people with dementia and caregivers about their personal values, processes of value continuity and change, and potential impacts of value change on caregiving relationships.
She recently completed data collection documenting how people self-sourcing abortion pills online in states with abortion bans conceptualize and experience digital privacy risks. This data will inform efforts to support digital and reproductive autonomy in restrictive settings. She has also worked internationally, collaborating with criminalized communities in Senegal to produce a digital privacy toolkit and recommend policies to strengthen protections against image-based sexual abuse. In 2024, she joined Dr. Krista Harrison's NIH/NIA-funded study which aims to improve hospice and end-of-life care for people with dementia and care partners. Dr. Friend's work with UCSF CTSI's Regulatory Knowledge and Support (RKS) program promotes the meaningful involvement of patients and community stakeholders in AI governance at an academic medical center.