Dr. Frederick J. Zimmerman is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and a core faculty member of the UCLA Center for Health Advancement . An economist by training, he integrates economic, sociological, and psychological perspectives to illuminate how economic structures—from poverty and inequality to housing markets—shape population health outcomes. Education: PhD, Economics, University of Wisconsin–Madison Research Interests: Dr. Zimmerman’s scholarship centers on the political economy of health and social policy . He examines how housing affordability , transportation systems , media exposure in early childhood , and health equity measurement influence population-level health. His Win-Win simulation model demonstrates how multi-sector interventions ripple through high-school graduation rates, crime statistics, and local government finances, providing an evidence base for cross-sector health policy. Using advanced statistical methods and agent-based simulations, he quantifies the opportunity costs of excess medical spending , tracks long-term BMI disparities , and crafts policy frames that increase public support for obesity prevention. His work has been featured in The New York Times , NPR, the BBC, and Radio France Internationale. Teaching: Advanced Statistical Research Methods Determinants of Health Public Health Ethics Current Projects & Labs: At the UCLA Center for Health Advancement , Dr. Zimmerman leads efforts to build systematic measures that track health equity across jurisdictions over time. The center serves as a hub for interdisciplinary teams employing simulation modeling to inform policymakers on the health and economic returns of social investments.



