Victor Puac-Polanco

Victor Puac-Polanco, MD, DrPH, MSCE, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Health Policy and Management within the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. His academic journey includes a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) from the University of Pennsylvania, and a medical degree (MD) from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. He completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy.

Dr. Puac-Polanco specializes in population-based survey design, mental health, substance use, injury prevention, and social inequities. He develops statistical models for precision medicine applications, including personalized treatment rules for depression interventions. His current research focuses on evaluating state-level drink special laws' impact on alcohol-related health disparities and traffic outcomes, particularly among marginalized populations. He teaches advanced epidemiological methods courses (EPID 5205, EPID 7202) and health policy classes (HPMG 5206, HPMG 5208).

His recent publications analyze healthcare worker mental health during pandemics, alcohol policy impacts, and depression treatment prediction models. While not explicitly mentioning major awards, his work appears in journals like American Journal of Epidemiology and Psychological Medicine. He serves on SUNY Downstate's Faculty Search Committee and reviews grants through the CREST program. His methodological expertise bridges clinical practice and public health policy analysis.