Justin Hata, MD Steps in as Interim Chair

After 31 years as the chair of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), Jen Yu, MD, PhD, has made the decision to go on a six-month sabbatical leave to pursue his research interests. Dr. Yu is one of the longest serving chairs at UC Irvine. Under his leadership, the PM&R faculty and staff have provided quality physiatric care to patients, trained residents and medical students, and conducted research to improve the understanding and treatment of disabilities resulting from neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary dysfunction and age.

Dr. Justin Hata assistant clinical professor of PM&R and Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, will step in as interim chair of PM&R. Dr. Hata joined UC Irvine in 2007 as a co-director of our Comprehensive Spine Program. In 2008, he became chief of the Pain Medicine Division and medical director of the UC Irvine Center for Pain Management. Dr. Hata has played a vital role in the expansion of our pain management service and has made many contributions to our spine program. As the PM&R residency program director since 2011, Dr. Hata turned the program around and garnered it a continued full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Dr. Hata is an excellent physician who specializes in the treatment of back pain, neck pain, limb and joint pain, acute and chronic pain, post-operative pain and musculoskeletal problems. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the Association of Academic Physiatrists and the American Pain Society. He is continually looking at ways of strengthening our patient care services, as exemplified through his ongoing participation in the QUEST implementation ambulatory steering committee and the UC Irvine cancer campaign committee.

Dr. Hata earned his medical degree at New York Medical College. He completed his residency in PM&R at UC Irvine Medical Center, where he also completed a fellowship in interventional pain management in the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care.