Samudragupta Bora, Ph.D., Inaugural Director of the Center for Health Services Research is Ready to Take Research to the Next Level

UH Research & Education Update | February 2024

Samudragupta Bora, PhD

Born and raised in India, Samudragupta Bora, PhD is recognized internationally for his research on neurodevelopmental outcomes of high-risk infants, particularly those born preterm, along with a growing focus on congenital heart disease and global child health. Throughout his career, he’s sought to improve the early identification of infants at risk of adverse neurodevelopment outcomes, with a specific focus on risk and resilience using the social determinants of health framework.

Fueled by intellectual curiosity and commitment to understanding how the confluence of medical and non-medical factors like environment and socioeconomic circumstances impact individual and community health, Dr. Bora cultivates strategies to improve clinical outcomes and address health disparities and inequities.

As head of the newly established Center for Health Services Research, Dr. Bora oversees a broad multidisciplinary effort to accelerate the translation of clinical research within University Hospitals Health System to ensure the patients and communities we serve have access to the most advanced medical care and the best possible clinical outcomes. Health services research examines the management, finance, and delivery of safe, high-quality health care and identifies areas for improvement. It intersects with clinical research to advance state-of-the-art care.

New Center Augments Translational Research Capacity to Maximize Research Impact 

Dr. Bora assumed leadership of the new center in early January 2024. He brings dynamic scientific, academic, and administrative leadership to developing what he describes as a “bold and ambitious” strategic vision for the system-wide research center. The center links to all clinical departments within University Hospitals and is guided by a five-year strategic plan. Dr. Bora leads a comprehensive effort to organize and grow our current $95 million extramural-funded portfolio in the areas of health care delivery science, health equity, health outcomes, implementation science, and population health research. He will establish the infrastructure and core research support necessary for expanding health services research initiatives throughout the University Hospitals health.

“We have a growing portfolio in this area and the center will organize them into different themes and catalyze them for success,” Dr. Bora said. “A lot of the research areas overlap with ongoing clinical research that will be supported and expanded with help from the center.”

Strengthening and expanding our health services research portfolio will enable University Hospitals to have a larger positive impact on patient outcomes. “We want to catalyze excellence in the science of developing, evaluating, and disseminating knowledge for patient and population health intervention,” Dr. Bora said.

He envisions building a nationally and internationally recognized health services research center rooted in team science, with strong, multidisciplinary partnerships that elevate clinical research to the next level of excellence. Dr. Bora is on a “90-day listening tour,” talking to physicians and researchers at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, and beyond, to promote the new center and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Dr. Bora knows health services research is also integral to the pursuit of funding from donors, state, and federal agencies who seek tangible evidence showing that patients benefit from the research and scientific advances they support. Similarly, the outcomes of such research provide a basis for the development of health policy. The scope of this research is especially relevant to University Hospitals as it seeks to address health disparities and inequities in the communities it serves, Dr. Bora said.

An Inspired and Inquisitive Mind Embraces Cleveland

Dr. Bora first joined University Hospitals in 2023, drawn by the health system’s leadership and expertise in his field, including the mentorship of Marlene R. Miller, MD, MSc, Pediatrician-in-Chief and Marsha L. Antonucci Distinguished Chair of Pediatrics at UH and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Bora became Director of Early Childhood Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in January 2023, a role he will transition from to lead the new research center. Prior to his new appointment, Dr. Bora was also the founding program director of the University Hospitals Research & Education Institute Certificate in Foundations of Health Services Research. The 3-week intensive postgraduate certificate program helps senior fellows and early-career physicians gain knowledge and skills in health services research, including methodology and the pursuit of innovative, transdisciplinary research in a mentored environment.

As a child, Dr. Bora first thought about becoming a talk show host. Ultimately, he followed a different path, influenced by his mother, a psychology professor, and intrigued by how unexpected medical events at birth or in infancy can affect a person’s long-term health and well-being. He wondered about the potential to improve child development outcomes by altering non-medical factors, such as parenting and improving timely access to early intervention. He came across a seminal paper on this topic in college, and contacted the authors, which set his career in motion.

Dr. Bora earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with honors from the University of Delhi, India, and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Canterbury, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School.

He credits several influential mentors with shaping his career trajectory. They helped him understand the basics of doing strong, robust research, including how to develop appropriate methodology, ask the right questions, work as a team, and communicate findings to ensure research has translational significance. His mentors also modeled strong, savvy leadership and helped him find opportunities to apply and grow his skillset.

“I’ve had many sponsors who’ve advanced my career by providing me with opportunities they thought aligned well with my skillset,” Dr Bora said.

Dr. Bora bungee jumping.

An avid traveler, Cleveland is the 11th city Dr. Bora has lived in. He loves the collaborative, community-focused work environment at University Hospitals, and the Midwestern hospitality he’s experienced throughout the city. In his spare time, he explores Cleveland’s cultural and gastronomic scene, visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art and dining at a range of local restaurants. He counts Amba in Ohio City, Zhug and Zoma Ethiopian Restaurants in Cleveland Heights, and Cleveland’s Marble Room among his favorite eating establishments.

He enjoys bungee jumping and relishes the excitement and uncertainty of taking a leap, knowing the rope is tethered to a firm foundation. Similar to  any scientific endeavor, he says, “I like the challenge.”