HPM PhD Students
Meet current PhD students in each of the four HPM concentrations: Health and Public Policy, Health Services Research and Policy, Health Economics and Policy, and Bioethics and Health Policy.
Kim DeFiori, MBA, MA
Kim plans to focus on advancing wellness programs for first responders and veterans.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2022
Research Interests: Mental health; suicide; prevention; wellness and well-being
Glendedora Dolce, MPH
Glendedora uses research to advance policies that prevent injury disparities and promote equity within transportation systems.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2022
Research Interests: Transportation safety; injury disparities; transportation equity
Jirka Taylor, MPhil, MA
Jirka researches policies and interventions at the intersection of public health and public safety to improve health, well-being, and other outcomes for various populations, including vulnerable individuals
Pronouns: He/him/his
Year Started in HPM: 2022
Research Interests: Public health and public safety; drug policy; criminal legal system; substance use; opioids; policy evaluation; program evaluation
Health Services Research and Policy
Lauren CJ Barrow, MHA
Lauren researches the impact of hospital behaviors of quality of care and community health
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Health equity; hospital pricing; community benefits; health care disparities; quality of care; neighborhoods and the built environment; implementation science
Maria Cruz, BA
Maria's research focuses on mental health; one of her current projects is examining the association between the legalization of medical cannabis and related mental health outcomes.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Mental health; prevention; mental health services
Lois Dankwa, MS
Lois uses research to envision and identify opportunities to enhance care management for individuals experiencing chronic illness and complex social challenges in underserved communities.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2020
Research Interests: Cross-sector collaboration; stakeholder engagement; organizational behavior; implementation science; health behavior; maternal health
Valerie Ganetsky, PharmD, MSc
Valerie focuses on research around expanding access to medication for opioid use disorder and comprehensive programs, particularly in the pregnant and parenting population.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2022
Research Interests: Substance use; access to care; medication for opioid use disorder; disparities; pregnant and parenting individuals
Andrew Jopson, MPH
Andrew is working to develop contextual measures that consider how Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports (LTSS) influence the care experiences of older adults dually-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
Pronouns: He/him/his
Year Started in HPM: 2020
Research Interests: Long-term services and supports; home and community-based services; dual-eligibility; disability; caregiving; health workforce
Jenny Markell, BA
Jenny conducts health services research exploring the integration of health and social services, reducing U.S. health care costs, and international comparisons of high-income countries.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Social determinants of health; health equity; health care spending; international comparisons; EHR data
Jenni Seale Reiff, OTR/L
Jenni is an occupational therapist whose research focuses on identifying and improving healthcare policies and practices that promote physical resilience for older adults.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2020
Research Interests: Physical medicine and rehabilitation; gerontology; prevention; resilience; functional outcomes; Medicare; policy; disability
Aleksandra Wec, BA
Aleksandra uses research to inform policies and practices aimed at improving care for older adults.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Health services research; gerontology; family caregivers; patient-provider communication
Health Economics and Policy
Yiqing Kuang, BA
Yiqing uses research to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of long-term care services.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2022
Research Interests: Health economics; long-term care; economic evaluation
Jeffrey Marr, BA
Jeffrey applies methods from economics to examine how the behavior of payers and providers affects health care access, quality, and costs for older adults.
Pronouns: He/him/his
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Health economics; health insurance; Medicare; aging
Ben Thornburg, BS
Ben uses applied econometrics to study mental health and healthcare, particularly in the context of general equilibrium effects.
Pronouns: He/him/his
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Applied microeconomics & econometrics; mental health; substance use; HEOR
Bioethics and Health Policy
Odia Kane, MPH
Odia focuses on the social and ethical implications of digital health regulation and the dynamics between digital healthcare innovation and race-related health disparities.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year Started in HPM: 2021
Research Interests: Digital health; health inequity; artificial intelligence; machine learning; intersectionality