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Research Areas

What is Health Services Research?

Health services research examines both individual and population health through a multidisciplinary scientific lens to better understand the mechanisms and processes that optimize healthcare quality, safety and value. As a result, health services research must take into account determinants and outcomes from the perspectives of individuals, families, communities, organizations and the larger contexts of healthcare access and delivery. To put it simply, health services research investigates the access, delivery, financing and management of patient-centered, high-quality health care to improve health and well-being for all, using scientific methods from a variety of medical and non-medical fields.

Health Disparities

The health disparities research program investigates the impact of preventable variations in the opportunity to attain optimal health for socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic and other demographic groups and communities. Investigators examine the reasons for and consequences of health disparities as well as develop strategies to mitigate and eradicate them.

Health Outcomes

The health outcomes research program investigates the impact of health interventions on outcomes from the perspectives of patients including their families, healthcare providers and the healthcare system. Investigators examine the utility and value of interventions to determine what works and what does not in terms of improving health-related quality of life.

Health Promotion

The health promotion research program investigates modifiable health risk factors to prevent disease and enhance disease management. Investigators examine health risk and protective variables, assess policies and programs that influence health behavior, and determine best practices that are sustainable and scalable at the population level.

Health Technology

The health technology research program investigates digital health technologies to improve access to high-quality healthcare while also adding value for patients and their families. Investigators examine technology-enabled interventions across the the six domains of quality healthcare, as well as technology-enabled methodological approaches such as artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning to improve disease diagnosis and management.

Current Center Researchers

Alex Price, PhD, DABR
Specialty: Radiation Oncology
Research Focus: Predictive computer models to improve care for patients with pancreatic cancer

Amy Middleman, MD, MSEd, MPH
Specialty: Pediatrics
Research Focus: Intervention programs to improve immunization rates among adolescents

Charles Macias, MD, MPH
Specialty: Pediatrics
Research Focus: Pediatric readiness for everyday emergencies and disasters

Christopher Towe, MD
Specialty: Surgery
Research Focus: Optimize postoperative pain management to enhance patient recovery and quality of life

David Axelrod, MD, MBA
Specialty: Surgery
Research Focus: Intersection of health economics and surgical outcomes in solid organ transplant

David Sheyn, MD
Specialty: Urology
Research Focus: Comparative effectiveness of treatments for female pelvic floor disorders

Faezeh Sodagari, MD
Specialty: Radiology
Research Focus: Improve access to high-value breast imaging for women with dense tissue

Julia Blanchette, RN, PhD
Specialty: Nursing
Research Focus: Self-management interventions for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes

Kevin Makino, MD, PhD
Specialty: Psychiatry
Research Focus: Interventions to integrate sexual and reproductive health into adolescent psychiatry

Kiran Faryar, MD, MPH
Specialty: Emergency Medicine
Research Focus: Interventions to integrate evidence-based practices in the emergency department to better address acute and chronic health conditions

Marlene Miller, MD, MSc
Specialty: Pediatrics
Research Focus: Healthcare quality, patient safety and diagnostic stewardship

Matthew Mirsky, MD
Specialty: Hematology and Oncology
Research Focus: Interventions to improve the delivery, accessibility and outcomes of cancer care

Qian Wang, MD, MPH
Specialty: Hematology and Oncology
Research Focus: Address disparities in lung cancer prevention and early cancer detection

Richard Hoehn, MD
Specialty: Surgical Oncology
Research Focus: System-level interventions to streamline cancer diagnosis and treatment

Samudragupta Bora, PhD
Specialty: Pediatrics
Research Focus: Neurodevelopmental follow-up and outcomes of high-risk neonates

Sarah Ronis, MD, PhD
Specialty: Pediatrics
Research Focus: Improve systems of care for low-income families particularly those with children with special health care needs

Trygve Dolber, MD
Specialty: Psychiatry
Research Focus: Defining, measuring and optimizing engagement between the health care system and patients with advanced and worsening chronic disease

Varun Sundaram, MD, PhD
Specialty: Cardiology
Research Focus: Comparative global outcomes in heart failure and utility of electronic health records systems