Denise Lillvis

Denise Lillvis, PhD, MPA, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions. She holds a UB Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-linked KL2 Mentored Career Development Award. Her work bridges health policy, implementation science, and pediatric trauma research, with a focus on children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN).

Dr. Lillvis earned her PhD from the University of Michigan in Health Services Organization & Policy and Political Science. She also holds an MPA from the Fels Institute of Government (University of Pennsylvania) and a BA in History from Swarthmore College. Her postdoctoral training was at SUNY Buffalo's Primary Care Research Institute.

Her research examines healthcare access and policy implementation, including studies on pediatric trauma outcomes, vaccine waiver programs, and gun violence mitigation. She collaborates with Buffalo’s John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and leverages her prior experience in nonprofit leadership and healthcare advocacy to address systemic inequities in child health services.

Professional affiliations include AcademyHealth, the American Political Science Association, and the Pediatric Trauma Society. Key contributions include systematic reviews on social safety nets' impact on child maltreatment and qualitative assessments of pediatric transport safety protocols.