Joseph Cuschieri M.D. earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, and his Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine.  He completed his general surgery residence and surgical critical care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.  Upon completion of his clinical training, he completed a 2-year NIH T32 Fellowship in the field of Trauma/Burn/Inflammation.

Dr. Cuschieri is certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery with subspecialty certification in Surgical Critical Care.

Upon completion of his fellowship in 2002, Dr. Cuschieri joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine.  After a couple of years he left Cincinnati and returned to Seattle, joining the faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine where he served as the Medical Director of Surgical Critical Care, Interim Associate Medical Director of Critical Care, Associate Medical Director of Surgical Services, and Program Director of Surgical Critical Care.  Dr. Cuschieri left Washington and came to UCSF in 2021 to join the faculty in the Department of Surgery as Professor and Trauma Medical Director at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Dr. Cuschieri currently serves as Principal Investigator, Co-Principle investigator, or Co-Investigator on 3 federally funded grants and has authored or co-authored over 170 peer-reviewed articles and more than 10 book chapters.  His national service includes active participation in major trauma, critical care, and surgical societies including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Society of Surgical Critical Care Program Directors.  He also serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.