Dr. Timothy Hresko is a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and serves as an Orthopedic Surgeon in the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department at Boston Children's Hospital. He also holds the position of Director of Spine Research and Quality Improvement in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Hresko received his medical degree from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1981. He completed his internship at New England Deaconess Hospital in 1982, followed by residency at New England Medical Center in 1987, and a fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital in 1988. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. His research focuses on orthopedic surgery, particularly spine surgery and pediatric orthopedics. Dr. Hresko's work centers on scoliosis treatment, spinal deformity correction, and outcomes of pediatric spinal fusion surgeries. He has conducted extensive research on surface topography measurements for scoliosis assessment, bracing techniques for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and surgical outcomes for various spinal conditions. His recent work explores the biomechanical effects of thoracolumbosacral orthosis design and the relationship between spinal deformity and patient self-image. Dr. Hresko's recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on technological advancements in spine surgery, including robotic pedicle screw placement and computer vision algorithms. His work also explores the relationship between socioeconomic factors and surgical outcomes, as well as innovative approaches to non-surgical management of scoliosis. Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery As Director of Spine Research and Quality Improvement, Dr. Hresko leads initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and optimize care pathways for children with spinal conditions. His work emphasizes evidence-based approaches to pediatric spine care, with particular attention to quality improvement and research translation into clinical practice.
Vishal Ahuja is an Associate Professor and Corrigan Research Professor at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business, with adjunct faculty status at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He focuses on decision analytic tools for healthcare improvement through operations management. PhD, University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business His research interests span healthcare operations, service optimization, and AI applications in clinical decision-making. He collaborates with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Parkland Hospital, and pediatric institutions to address care quality and delivery efficiency. Recent publications emphasize predictive modeling for chronic disease management, adaptive clinical trial design, and regulatory healthcare policy. Awards include the Dlin/Fischer Clinical Research Award (2021), INFORMS Pierskalla Award (2012), and 2025 AI75 recognition for Dallas-Fort Worth AI leadership. D CEO Excellence in Healthcare Award - Outstanding Healthcare Innovator (2023) NSF Game Changer Academies for Advancing Research Innovation (2022) C. Jackson Grayson Faculty Innovation Award (2022-23) At SMU, he teaches graduate courses in operations, supply chain, and service management, integrating corporate sector experience from chemical and consumer goods industries. His work has been cited by the FDA in safety labeling changes workshops.
Lawton Robert Burns is the James Joo-Jin Kim Professor and Professor of Healthcare Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania . He serves as Co-Director of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management and Chairperson of the Health Care Systems Department since 2008. His career spans academic roles at the University of Chicago, University of Arizona, and University of Wisconsin. Education: PhD in Sociology, University of Chicago (1981) MBA in Health Administration, University of Chicago (1984) MA, University of Chicago (1976) BA, Haverford College (1973) Dr. Burns specializes in healthcare organization design , strategic change , and supply chain dynamics . His work examines hospital-physician relationships , integrated delivery systems , and market forces in healthcare. His recent publications analyze Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) , Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) , and strategic implementation failures. Notable awards include the Arthur Anderson Distinguished Visitor (2001), Edwin Crosby Memorial Fellowship (1992-93), and Udall Fellowship (1990-91). His research has been featured in Knowledge at Wharton , LDI News , and American Political Science Review . Dr. Burns co-authors works with experts like David Dranove and Stephen Shortell , focusing on clinical integration , retail supply chains , and global healthcare models (India, China).
Lawton R. Burns is the James Joo-Jin Kim Professor of Health Care Management and Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Co-Director of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management and Chairperson of the Health Care Systems Department since 2008. Dr. Burns holds a PhD in sociology and an MBA in health administration from the University of Chicago, along with a BA from Haverford College. PhD, University of Chicago (1981) MBA, University of Chicago (1984) MA, University of Chicago (1976) BA, Haverford College (1973) His research focuses on healthcare supply chains, organizational innovation, and strategic management in health systems. He has authored or co-authored 15+ books, including analyses of integrated healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, and global health systems in India and China. Recent works examine evidence-based healthcare innovation and the role of GPOs/PBMs in drug pricing. Dr. Burns advises on healthcare policy, including Senate testimony on pharmacy benefit managers and antitrust implications of physician-hospital organizations. His teaching covers healthcare strategy, managed care, integrated delivery networks, and the U.S. healthcare ecosystem, with courses requiring competitive analysis of producer, purchaser, and provider organizations. Board of Institute of Medicine, Health Services Research Section (2003) Arthur Anderson Distinguished Visitor, University of Cambridge (2001) Teacher of the Year, Administrative Medicine Program (1999) Edwin Crosby Memorial Fellowship (1992-93) Udall Fellowship (1990-91) Invited Lecture Series, Catholic University of Rome (1997)
Philip Boone, MD, PhD, is an Attending Physician in the Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital and an Instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in medical genetics with particular expertise in rare disorders, medical mysteries, deletion and duplication syndromes, and Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Dr. Boone sees patients at Boston Children's Brookline location (2 Brookline Place, 7th Floor) and provides comprehensive genetic care including diagnostics, counseling, and individualized management. Stanford University (Undergraduate, 2006) Baylor College of Medicine (Graduate & Medical School, 2013-2014) Boston Combined Residency Program (Internship & Residency, 2016-2020) Harvard Medical School Genetics Training Program (Fellowship, 2020) Dr. Boone's research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders, chromatin regulation, and genetic diagnostics. His work spans from fundamental genetic mechanisms to clinical applications, with particular emphasis on cohesinopathies including Cornelia de Lange syndrome. He has contributed significantly to understanding genetic variants associated with growth disorders, developmental features, and structural chromosomal abnormalities. His research combines advanced genomic technologies with clinical insights to improve diagnosis and management of rare genetic conditions. Analysis of Dr. Boone's publication record reveals a strong focus on medical genetics with emphasis on neurodevelopmental disorders, chromatin regulation, and genetic diagnostics. His work spans basic research on gene function and regulation to clinical applications in rare disease diagnosis. A notable trend is his investigation of cohesin complex disorders, particularly SMC3 variants and their relationship to Cornelia de Lange syndrome. His publications demonstrate expertise in both traditional genetic analysis and cutting-edge genomic technologies including long-read sequencing and telomere-to-telomere assembly. Dr. Boone actively contributes to medical education through publications on genetic diagnostics and distance learning resources for medical genetics. He has co-authored educational materials that help advance the field's knowledge base and training capabilities. As an attending physician in the Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital and a research fellow in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Boone works within one of the largest pediatric genetics practices in the country. The division includes over 30 board-certified clinical geneticists, genetic counselors, dieticians, and nursing staff who provide comprehensive care for patients with both common and extremely rare genetic conditions.
James O'Malley is a Professor at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and Professor of Biomedical Data Science at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College. He holds the prestigious Peggy Y. Thomson Professorship in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science, demonstrating his interdisciplinary expertise spanning statistics, healthcare policy, and computer science. Dr. O'Malley earned his B.Sc. (Hons) in Statistics from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (1994), M.S. in Applied Statistics from Purdue University (1999), and Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Canterbury (1999), followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biostatistics at Harvard Medical School (2001). His research spans statistical methodology and healthcare applications, with methodological contributions in statistical inference for social networks , multivariate hierarchical models , comparative effectiveness research , and Bayesian analysis . These methods address critical healthcare problems including health-social network relationships , healthcare quality measurement , medical technology diffusion , and comparative effectiveness in vascular surgery, cardiology, and mental health . His work bridges theoretical statistics with practical healthcare challenges through collaborations with physicians, epidemiologists, and health services researchers. Dr. O'Malley's recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on healthcare network analysis, comparative effectiveness research, and methodological innovations. His work examines physician networks and patient outcomes, evaluates surgical interventions, identifies healthcare disparities, and develops novel statistical approaches for complex healthcare data, with significant contributions appearing in high-impact journals across multiple disciplines. Mid-career Excellence award from the Health Policy Section of the ASA Elected fellow of the ASA (2012) ISPOR Award for Excellence in Methodology (2019) Peggy Y. Thomson Professorship (2021) 2025 Research Excellence Award for Senior Faculty in the Foundational Sciences As a dedicated mentor, Dr. O'Malley has supervised numerous post-doctoral fellows and PhD students across multiple programs. He currently leads major research initiatives including NIH/NLM R01LM014233 on Geographic Variations in Health Care, serves as PI for cores in NIH/NIA projects on healthcare inequity in Alzheimer's Disease and Rural Health Care Delivery Science, and contributes to multiple substantial grants totaling millions of dollars. He previously chaired the Health Policy Statistics Section of the ASA and co-chaired the 2011 International Conference on Health Policy Statistics. Dr. O'Malley co-organized the Dartmouth Interdisciplinary Network Research (DINR) seminar series (2014-2020) and serves as an Associate Editor for Statistics in Medicine and Observational Studies, demonstrating his commitment to advancing methodological research and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in health services research.
Kate Ho is the John L. Weinberg Professor of Economics and Business Policy at Princeton University, where she also co-directed the Center for Health and Wellbeing (2018–2024). Her research focuses on the industrial organization of healthcare markets, with expertise in pharmaceutical policies, health insurance design, and provider-insurer interactions. She holds affiliations with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). Education includes a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University (2005) and degrees in Mathematics from Cambridge University (1993). Prior to academia, she served as Chief of Staff to the U.K. Minister of State for Health (1993–1997). Research interests emphasize healthcare market structure, drug pricing, and insurance competition. Recent work addresses formulary design, copayment coupons, and ACO savings. Awards include the Frisch Medal (2020) and Arrow Award (2010). She has edited leading journals like Econometrica and the RAND Journal of Economics . Teaching spans graduate courses in industrial organization and health economics at Princeton. Over 30 Ph.D. students have been advised, with placements at universities, policy institutions, and corporations. Active in professional service, including roles at the Congressional Budget Office and editorial leadership in economics. Labs/Teams: Co-leads Princeton’s Health and Wellbeing initiatives. Collaborates with researchers on projects funded by grants like the Commonwealth Fund ($50,000, 2015).
Sara Schaefer, MD, MHS, FAAN is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, where she serves as Program Director for the Movement Disorders Fellowship and Adult Neurology Residency Program Director. She specializes in treating patients with movement disorders including Parkinson's disease, tremors, chorea, dystonia, and Huntington's disease, and evaluates patients for deep brain stimulation surgery. Dr. Schaefer is also deeply involved in medical education innovation, having designed interactive video-based curricula used worldwide. Dr. Schaefer's educational background includes: ScB from Brown University (2007) MD from The Ohio State University College of Medicine (2012) Internship in Medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital (2013) Residency in Neurology at Yale-New Haven Hospital (2016) Chief Residency in Neurology at Yale-New Haven Hospital (2016) MHS with focus on medical education from Yale University (2019) Dr. Schaefer's primary research interests center on movement disorders and medical education. She has a particular focus on developing innovative educational tools for neurology training, including video-based curricula and podcasts. Her work aims to improve how movement disorders are taught to medical students, residents, and practicing physicians, with the goal of reducing diagnostic delays and improving patient care. She has designed an interactive, video-based online training curriculum in movement disorders that is used by learners worldwide and co-founded the MDS podcast. She also founded The Grey Matter Project, a virtual high school neuroscience club engaging students globally. Dr. Schaefer's scholarly work demonstrates a clear trajectory from clinical research in movement disorders toward an increasing focus on medical education innovation. While her early publications addressed specific movement disorder conditions and treatments, her more recent work centers on educational methodology, curriculum development, and assessment in neurology training. Her research bridges clinical neurology with educational science, creating practical tools that have been implemented across multiple institutions. Dr. Schaefer has received numerous honors and awards for her work: Fellowship Director of the Year from American Academy of Neurology (2025) Burton A. Sandok Visiting Professor of Neurologic Education from Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology (2024) Attending of the Year from Yale Department of Neurology (2023) Education Innovation Poster Award at Yale Medical Education Day (2018) Creative Expression of Human Values in Neurology award from American Academy of Neurology (2016) Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (2012) Gold Humanism Honor Society (2012) As an educator and program director, Dr. Schaefer has mentored numerous neurology residents and fellows. She serves as co-founder and deputy editor of the MDS podcast, launched in January 2019, and founder and producer of the Neurology Nuts and Bolts: Constructing your Career podcast, launched in February 2022. She is the Movement Disorders Section Head of the Annual Academy of Neurology Resident In-Service Training Examination (RITE) Committee and CME editor for the Movement Disorders Journal. Her educational initiatives have received institutional support through Yale's educational infrastructure, though specific grant funding isn't detailed in the provided text. Dr. Schaefer founded The Grey Matter Project, a virtual high school neuroscience club that engages students worldwide with lectures, career panels, and projects related to neurology. She is also actively involved with the Movement Disorders Society Education Committee and has contributed to developing educational resources through this professional organization.
Thomas S. Gruca serves as the George Daly Professor in Marketing and Director of the Iowa Electronic Markets at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business. His interdisciplinary work bridges marketing, finance, and healthcare through innovative prediction market applications. Education PhD in Decision and Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign MBA in Management Information Systems, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign BS in Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Illinois-Chicago His research centers on prediction markets for political and healthcare forecasting, with recent work analyzing geopolitical biases , anti-incumbency effects , and rural healthcare access disparities . This intersects with his expertise in marketing/finance interface phenomena like brand equity measurement and consumer behavior modeling in casino gaming. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals three dominant research streams: (1) Election forecasting through Iowa Electronic Markets (35% of output), (2) Rural healthcare access modeling (27%), and (3) Marketing analytics including brand equity and consumer behavior (38%). His work consistently appears in top journals like Journal of Marketing , International Journal of Forecasting , and PS: Political Science & Politics . Scientific Awards 9-time recipient of MBA Marketing Professor of the Year (2006-2019) President & Provost Award for Teaching Excellence (2018) Iowa MBA Instructor of the Year - Core (2014) Gruca has secured significant external funding including an NSF grant ($300,000) for Active Learning in Undergraduate Education Using Iowa Electronic Markets (2000-2003) and a US Department of Education grant for Enhancing Economic Literacy (1997-2000). His leadership roles include Faculty Director of the MBA Marketing Career Academy (2008-2019) and PhD Program Director for Marketing (2008-2014). He directs the Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM), a real-money prediction market used globally for election and economic forecasting research, which serves as both a research platform and teaching tool for over 10,000 students annually.
Dr. Steven K. Rothschild is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine at Rush Medical College, Rush University, where he also holds the distinguished title of The Roger C. Bone, MD, Presidential Professor. As a practicing family physician at Rush Family Physicians in Chicago (1700 W Van Buren St, Suite 470), he provides comprehensive primary care with particular expertise in managing patients with multiple chronic conditions, especially older adults. His educational background includes: Medical Degree from University of Michigan Medical School Residency in Family Medicine at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital Dr. Rothschild describes his clinical approach as being 'the conductor of the orchestra' for complex patients, ensuring medication regimens don't conflict and diagnostic testing is coordinated efficiently. With patients he's seen for 20-25 years, he emphasizes the importance of long-term patient-physician relationships and continuity of care. His patient satisfaction ratings consistently average 4.9/5.0 across multiple dimensions including communication, empathy, and shared decision-making. Analysis of his 22 publications from 2003-2024 reveals three dominant research themes: community health worker interventions (particularly for diabetes management in Hispanic populations), integrated care models addressing both medical and social determinants of health, and mental health interventions within primary care settings. His recent work increasingly incorporates digital health technologies for depression, anxiety, and sleep interventions. As Department Chair, Dr. Rothschild oversees academic programs, faculty development, and research initiatives within Family & Preventive Medicine. His leadership focuses on training the next generation of family physicians while advancing innovative approaches to primary care delivery for complex patient populations.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States
Kathleen Mulvaney is an Assistant Professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech and in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Her laboratory is located at the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C., where she leads research efforts focused on cancer biology and therapeutic development. Dr. Mulvaney's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill B.S. in Biology from the University of Rochester Dr. Mulvaney's research program centers on understanding and disrupting protein-protein interactions and protein modifications in cancer, with particular focus on pancreatic cancer and pediatric and adult brain cancers. Her laboratory investigates tumor dependencies - the specific enzymes and pathways that cancers rely on for survival - with the goal of translating these findings into meaningful clinical improvements for patient care. A significant portion of her recent work has focused on PRMT5, an enzyme found in approximately 15% of human cancers, exploring how to target this enzyme for therapeutic benefit. Her research employs CRISPR gene editing, molecular biology techniques, and biochemical approaches to identify vulnerabilities in cancer cells. Her laboratory has made significant contributions to understanding the molecular basis of substrate recruitment to the PRMT5 methylosome and has discovered first-in-class inhibitors of the PRMT5-substrate adaptor interaction. Recent work published in Cancer Research demonstrates a promising combination therapy approach for hard-to-treat cancers that lack specific tumor suppressor genes. These cancers, which include certain lung, brain, and pancreatic tumors, become dependent on PRMT5 for survival, making it a potential therapeutic target. Dr. Mulvaney has received numerous scientific awards and honors, including: National Institutes of Health F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (2018-2021) National Institutes of Health LRP Award (2019-2021) Sigma Xi Research Society Graduate Student Travel Award (2015) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention (2011, 2012) Dr. Mulvaney actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in her laboratory at the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus. Her research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, including an R35 grant to examine cancer-related enzymes. She collaborates extensively with researchers across Virginia Tech and Children's National Hospital to advance cancer research and therapeutic development, participating in the Virginia Tech Cancer Research Alliance which brings together scientists and physicians to develop innovative approaches to cancer treatment. The Mulvaney Lab is part of the Cancer Research Center - D.C. at the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, where they work alongside other researchers in the Children's Cancer and Immunobiology Center. This collaborative environment allows for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding cancer biology and developing novel therapeutic strategies, with particular emphasis on translating basic science discoveries into clinical applications for hard-to-treat cancers.
Daniel P. Kessler is the Keith and Jan Hurlbut Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor at both Stanford Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He holds a PhD in economics from MIT and a JD from Stanford Law School, blending expertise in law, economics, and public policy. His research focuses on health care economics, antitrust, industrial organization, and law and economics. PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Juris Doctor (JD), Stanford Law School His primary research interests include health care policy, US labor markets, budget & spending, regulation, and property rights. He is particularly known for his critical analyses of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance markets. His work often explores how market structures, regulations, and legal frameworks affect health care costs, provider behavior, and patient outcomes. Kessler’s recent publications reveal a consistent focus on health care reform, hospital integration, opioid prescribing, and fiscal sustainability. His articles and books, such as Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise , advocate for market-based solutions to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the U.S. health care system. He frequently collaborates with leading scholars like John F. Cogan, R. Glenn Hubbard, and Mark McClellan. The Effect of Hospital Ownership on Medical Productivity Designing Hospital Antitrust Policy to Promote Social Welfare The Responsiveness of Medicaid Spending to the Federal Subsidy Non-Profit Hospital Governance, Conduct, and CEO Pay The Relationship Between Provider Age and Opioid Prescribing Behavior Among his scientific contributions are influential working papers and commentaries published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Hoover Institution Press, and major journals. He is a founding member of the Hoover Program on the Foundations of Economic Prosperity and participates in the Health Care Working Group. Kessler has not received explicitly listed awards in the text, but his sustained publication record and senior fellowship at Hoover reflect high scholarly recognition. He regularly contributes to public discourse through op-eds in the Wall Street Journal , Hoover Digest , and The Hill , demonstrating active engagement in policy debates. Kessler advises on health and economic policy and has been involved in research on public opinion, labor supply effects of health reform, and malpractice liability. He does not appear to have formal PhD advisees listed, but his collaborative work suggests mentorship and leadership in research teams. He is not associated with a specific lab but contributes to interdisciplinary research initiatives at Hoover and Stanford.
Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD is a Professor at Johns Hopkins University with dual appointments at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine. He holds a primary affiliation with the Department of Epidemiology, specifically within the Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology division. Dr. Matsushita also maintains significant affiliations with the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and serves as Director of the Data Coordinating Center for the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC), which comprises over 70 cohorts totaling approximately 11 million individuals worldwide. Dr. Matsushita earned his MD in 1998 and PhD in 2007, both from Nagoya University in Japan. His academic journey began with clinical experience as an interventional cardiologist, which shaped his early research interests in diabetes as a key risk factor for coronary heart disease and its antecedent, obesity. Since joining Johns Hopkins, he has expanded his research to include kidney-related aspects, particularly investigating the complex associations among kidney disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease using the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and the CKD Prognosis Consortium. Dr. Matsushita's research program focuses on bridging medicine and epidemiological research to establish evidence that can improve treatment and prevention of cardiovascular and kidney diseases. His work spans multiple areas including cardiovascular epidemiology, chronic kidney disease prognosis, peripheral artery disease, hypertension, diabetes complications, and risk prediction modeling. He has made significant contributions to understanding how kidney function metrics relate to cardiovascular outcomes across diverse populations. Analysis of Dr. Matsushita's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the intersection of kidney and cardiovascular disease. His research employs large-scale meta-analyses of individual participant data across multiple international cohorts, with particular emphasis on glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, and their relationship to cardiovascular outcomes. Recent work has expanded into novel areas including arterial stiffness, artificial intelligence applications in kidney disease management, and the impact of modifiable risk factors like smoking and dietary protein on kidney and cardiovascular health. Honors & Awards: American College of Physician Membership (2005) Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (2007) Best Reviewers of the Year 2012 of the Annals of Internal Medicine (2013) Japanese Society of Interventional Cardiology Clinical Research Award (2004) Aichi Foundation for Diabetes, Rheumatic Disease and Gout Research Grant (2005) Takao Fund Travel Award (2006) Early Career Travel Award from the American Heart Association (2009) The Aoyama-Kita Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2009) Early Career Best Science Award at AHA Scientific Sessions (2013) The Sandra Daugherty Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (2014) Golden Apple Award for Teaching from JHSPH (2019) Dr. Matsushita's leadership extends to major collaborative projects including the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study, research on weight loss with bariatric surgery and vascular changes, and national trend analyses of critical limb ischemia hospitalizations. His work with the CKD Prognosis Consortium represents one of the largest international collaborative efforts in kidney disease epidemiology, providing critical evidence for clinical guidelines worldwide.
Mimi (Paulomi) Bhatt, PhD, MPH, CNM, is an Assistant Professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is a certified nurse-midwife, researcher, educator, and theorist whose work centers on birth equity, reproductive justice, and the integration of midwifery care in public health systems. She actively provides clinical care within NYC Health + Hospitals and contributes to national and global maternal health policy. PhD in Nursing Theory, NYU Meyers College of Nursing MSN, Frontier Nursing University MPH in Global Health Leadership, NYU Global Institute of Public Health BSN, NYU Steinhardt School of Education BA in Comparative Literature and English Education, NYU College of Arts & Science Dr. Bhatt’s research is grounded in critical feminist theory and qualitative methodologies. Her work investigates how midwifery models can advance health equity, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized communities. She explores themes such as autonomy in childbirth, respectful maternity care, perinatal mental health, and systemic barriers faced by midwives of color. Her scholarship emphasizes anti-oppression frameworks and community-based participatory research. Her recent publications analyze experiential outcomes in maternity care, revealing that midwife-led care—especially in community settings—leads to higher autonomy, respect, and lower mistreatment. She has also published on the experiences of sexual and gender-diverse parents, cervical cancer screening in the Dominican Republic, and midwifery integration in India. Her work consistently highlights structural inequities and advocates for transformative change in maternal health systems. Scientific awards and honors include: NYU University-wide Dissertation Award – Allied Health & Social Services (2020) Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Award (multiple years) Johnson & Johnson Minority Faculty Nurse Scholar Award (multiple years) Herman Biggs Health Policy Fellow Women’s Leadership Initiative at NYU Dr. Bhatt mentors future nurse-midwives and contributes to policy through service on the NYC Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and the International Confederation of Midwives’ Americas Regional Committee. She received postdoctoral training at the Birth Place Lab, University of British Columbia, and as a Provost Postdoctoral Fellow at NYU. Her clinical and academic work is deeply informed by her identity as a first-generation immigrant and her mother’s legacy as a nurse-midwife in India. She is affiliated with the Birth Place Lab and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams focused on respectful maternity care, midwifery practice climate, and global maternal health capacity building.
Julie K. Schwarz, MD, PhD, FASTRO is a tenured Professor of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, where she serves as Vice-Chair of Research and Director of the Cancer Biology Division. She also holds appointments as Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology and is affiliated with the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences, specifically within the Cancer Biology and Molecular Cell Biology programs. Dr. Schwarz is a key member of the Siteman Cancer Center and co-leads one of only five centers comprising the NIH's Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN). Dr. Schwarz completed her BS in Biology at Duke University (1995) followed by an MD/PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at Washington University School of Medicine (2004) through the Medical Scientist Training Program. She completed her Internal Medicine internship (2005) and Radiation Oncology residency (2009) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, becoming board-certified by the American Board of Radiology in Radiation Oncology (2010). Her research program focuses on translational studies of gynecologic cancers, particularly cervical cancer, with emphasis on tumor metabolism, biomarker discovery, and treatment resistance mechanisms. Dr. Schwarz's laboratory maintains one of the largest tumor repositories for cervical cancer, which includes specimens collected before and during chemoradiation treatment. Her work has demonstrated the critical role of pretreatment and post-treatment FDG-PET scanning for cervical cancer patients and has identified alterations in PI3K/Akt pathway genes associated with treatment response. Recent research directions include studying obesity's paradoxical favorable impact on cervical cancer outcomes, glucose and glutamine metabolism as targets for cancer therapy, and the role of tumor immunology in therapy resistance. Analysis of Dr. Schwarz's most recent publications reveals a strong focus on cervical cancer biology, tumor metabolism, and novel therapeutic approaches. Her work integrates clinical data with laboratory research to identify biomarkers and develop improved treatment strategies. Current research emphasizes the interface between tumor metabolism, the microenvironment, and response to therapy, with particular attention to HPV-related cancers, tumor imaging, and metabolic targets for radiosensitization. Fellow of American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) (2024) Danforth WashU Physician-Scientist Scholar Award (2024) Elected into American Society for Clinical Investigation (2022) Michael Fry Research Award for Outstanding Junior Investigator: Radiation Research Society (2012) Fellow: National Cancer Care Network (2008) RSNA Roentgen Resident/Fellow Research Award (2008) As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Schwarz has guided numerous trainees across all levels including undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, residents, fellows, and postdoctoral researchers. Her Schwarz Lab is highly collaborative and actively recruits students and researchers, with recent successes including Leahan Castillo receiving an Honorable Mention at AACR and Brett Tortelli developing significant research on the vaginal microbiome's relationship to cervical cancer treatment response. Dr. Schwarz is R01-funded and leads multiple research projects, including work on the TARGET Center which focuses on understanding the biologic effects of radiation therapy in cancer treatment. She actively participates in national organizations including the ASTRO/NCI Radiobiology Consensus Workshop, AACR Radiation Oncology Think Tank, and the ASTRO Community of Radiation Oncology Physician Scientists. Dr. Schwarz directs the Schwarz Lab, which is growing and actively recruiting postdocs, staff scientists, and graduate students. The lab employs a multidisciplinary approach combining well-annotated clinical databases, prospectively collected patient tumor banks, and state-of-the-art sequencing technologies. Current research directions include single-cell sequencing approaches to study treatment effects on tumor cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, glucose and glutamine metabolism as targets for cancer therapy, and targeting myeloid-derived cells to improve anti-tumor immunity. The lab is highly collaborative and studies multiple tumor types including cervical, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers.
