Marcela Horvitz-Lennon

Marcela Horvitz-Lennon is a Senior Physician Policy Researcher and Professor at the RAND School of Public Policy, with a part-time role as Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She also serves as a Senior Scientist at the Health Equity Research Laboratory and practicing psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance. Her research focuses on mental health policies, disparities in care, treatment efficacy, and Medicaid reforms. She has led NIH-funded studies on serious mental illness populations, emphasizing health equity and integration of physical/mental healthcare. Key areas include antipsychotic drug management, telemedicine diffusion post-pandemic, and value-based payment models. Horvitz-Lennon holds an MD from Santiago, Chile, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University.

Education:

• M.D., Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
• Master’s in Public Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health
• Psychiatric Residency, University of Maryland Medical School
• Fellowship in Community Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medical School

Research Interests: Her work addresses disparities in mental healthcare access, policy impact on marginalized groups, and innovations in treatment delivery. She examines racial/ethnic disparities, medication adherence, and the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs. Recent studies highlight telemedicine adoption and Medicaid policy reforms in behavioral health integration.

Professional Contributions: She chairs NIH’s Clinical Data Management & Analysis (CDMA) study section and has mentored doctoral students. Her articles span 20+ years, emphasizing evidence-based practices and systemic healthcare improvement.