معرفی
Laura Wherry is an Associate Professor at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Economics of Health program. During the 2024-2025 academic year, she served as the Senior Economist for health care on the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Her academic journey includes previous positions as an assistant professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholar at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Wherry received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago's Harris School and her B.A. from the College of William and Mary. Her educational background has prepared her for impactful research at the intersection of health economics and public policy.
Dr. Wherry's research focuses on the role of public programs and policies on the health and economic well-being of individuals in the US, with a particular interest in policies affecting access to health care for women and children in lower income families. Her work spans several critical areas including health economics, public policy, Medicaid policy, and maternal and child health. She has made significant contributions to understanding how insurance coverage affects birth outcomes, the economic consequences of abortion access, and the long-term impacts of public health programs.
Her recent research has examined state public coverage policies for pregnant undocumented immigrants, the labor market and health impacts of reducing cesarean deliveries, and public coverage of postpartum services for immigrants. Dr. Wherry's work often utilizes large-scale administrative data to provide rigorous evidence for policy decisions, with a focus on health disparities and economic inequality in health outcomes.
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Research Prize Winner (2024)
Dr. Wherry has received significant recognition for her work, with multiple papers cited in White House economic reports and featured in major media outlets including NPR, STAT, and PBS. Her research on immigrant postpartum health was highlighted on NPR's Academic Minute, and her work on state restrictions affecting postpartum immigrant health has been covered by major news outlets. Her research bridges academic scholarship and practical policy applications, making significant contributions to evidence-based health policy development.
