Health Services Research Team
Megan R. Haymart, MD
Director of Health Services Research
Nancy Wigginton Endocrinology Research Professor of Thyroid Cancer
Professor of Medicine
Assistant Director, Data Analytics and Information Technology
workgroup (DAIT), University of Michigan Precision Health
Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, & Diabetes & Hematology/Oncology
University of Michigan Health System
Education
MD, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 1998-2002
Residency in Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 2002-2005
Fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 2005-2007
Clinical Focus
Dr. Haymart’s clinical focus is on thyroid disease, especially thyroid cancer.
Research Interests
Dr. Haymart has an active health services research program that focuses on the role of the health system, patient, and provider in the diagnosis and management of thyroid cancer. She has been recognized with the 2021 AACE Hossein Gharib MD, Educational Lectureship Award for exemplary contributions to individual area of expertise, was inducted in 2018 as a Member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), received the 2017 American Thyroid Association’s Van Meter Award for outstanding contributions to research on the thyroid gland, as well as the 2017 University of Michigan Department of Internal Medicine’s Jerome Conn Award for Research Excellence.
Maria Papaleontiou, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, & Diabetes & Hematology/Oncology
Research Assistant Professor, Institute of Gerontology
University of Michigan
Education
MD, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czech Republic, 2004
Clinical/Translational Researcher, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 2006-2008
Internal Medicine Residency, St. Peter’s University Hospital, NJ, 2008-2011
Clinical Research Organization and Management Program, Drexel Medical College, 2009-2010
Fellowship in Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, MI, 2011-2013
Clinical Focus
Dr. Papaleontiou's clinical practice focuses on general endocrinology, thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. She is especially interested in the treatment of endocrine disorders in older adults.
Research Interests
Dr. Papaleontiou conducts health services research at the University of Michigan. Her research is supported by the NIA and multiple pilot awards. She has been recognized with the 2021 ASCI Young Physician Scientist Award, the 2021 AACE Rising Star in Endocrinology Award and the 2021 Women Advancing Thyroid Research Award from the American Thyroid Association.
Debbie W. Chen, MD
Clinical Lecturer
University of Michigan
Education
BA, Biology, Barnard College, 2010
MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2015
Residency in Internal Medicine, Jefferson University, 2018
Fellowship in Endocrinology, University of Michigan, 2020
Clinical Focus
Dr. Chen's clinical practice focuses on general endocrinology, thyroid disorders
and thyroid cancer.
Research Interests
Dr. Chen conducts health services research at the University of Michigan that is focused on disparities in thyroid cancer care. Her research is supported by a K08 from the NIH.
Mousumi Banerjee, PhD
Methodology Core Director
Research Professor of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, & Director of Biostatistics Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy
University of Michigan
Education
PH.D., Statistics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1994
M.S., Statistics, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, India, 1988
B.S., Statistics, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, India, 1986
Research Interests
Dr. Banerjee has an active research program that focuses on statistical methods for population-based studies of cancer. Her specific areas of research are tree and ensemble regression based methods, survival analysis, and correlated data methods with applications to cancer prognostication, and health services and outcomes research.
Brittany Gay
Research Coordinator
Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, & Diabetes & Hematology/Oncology
University of Michigan Health System
Education
BA, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 2008
Research Interests
Ms. Gay is very interested in health services research, particularity in the role of the patient, provider and treatment of thyroid cancer. Her daily work revolves around supporting faculty to accomplish study goals and disseminate research findings.
Sarah Hawley, PhD
Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Michigan
Education
B.A., Political Science, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1990
M.P.H., Health Policy, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 1992
Ph.D., Health Services Research/Health Policy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 1998
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Tx., 1999
Research Interests
Understanding and improving the quality of cancer care across the continuum (screening through survivorship). I am specifically interested in the role of patient-physician communication and decision making in the delivery and receipt of quality cancer care. I have developed and evaluated several interventions designed to improve informed decision making for patients considering cancer screening and/or treatment.
Lauren Wallner, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Michigan
Education and Training
BS, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 2003
MPH, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 2005
PhD, Epidemiologic Science, University of Michigan, 2010
Post-doctoral Fellowship, Cancer Health Services Research, Kaiser Permanente Southern California and University of California Los Angeles, 2011-2014
Research interests
Dr. Wallner’s research interests include understanding the determinants, outcomes and utilization of health services associated with cancer and the chronic diseases. Specifically, her research program focuses on improving the quality and coordination of cancer care, particularly in the survivorship period. She is also interested in the design, evaluation and implementation of interventions to improve the delivery of cancer care.
Archana Radhakrishnan, MD
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Michigan
Education
MD, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 2009
MHS, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 2016
Residency in Internal Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 2012
Fellowship in General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 2017
Clinical Focus
Dr. Radhakrishnan is a primary care physician at the Ann Arbor VA.
Research Interests
Dr. Radhakrishnan’s research interests focus on understanding and optimizing the role of primary care providers in the care of patients throughout the cancer continuum. In particular, she is interested in low-risk cancer management (such as prostate, breast and thyroid) and the role of patients, primary care and cancer providers, and the healthcare system.
Palak U. Choksi, MBBS
Visiting Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Colorado Denver
Education
Higher Secondary Certificate (High School Diploma). Mithibai College of Sciences. Bombay, India.1993-1995
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals. University of Bombay, Bombay, India. MD 1995-2001
Fellow, Endocrinology and Metabolism. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR. 2005-2007
Clinical Focus
•Thyroid nodule and biopsy
•Transplant endocrinology
•Calcium and bone disorders
•Hospital Inpatient Diabetes Management.
Research Interests
•Effects of thyroid cancer on bone
•Other skeletal conditions
David T. Hughes, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Michigan
Education
MD, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 1999-2003
Residency in General Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 2003-2009
Fellowship in Endocrine Surgery, Norman W. Thompson Endocrine Surgery Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2009-2010
Clinical Focus
Dr. Hughes' specializes in surgical diseases of the endocrine system including the thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals and pancreas with a particular interest in thyroid cancer.
Research Interests
Dr. Hughes' academic interests include clinical research in the treatment of thyroid cancer, hyperparathyroidism and neuroendocrine tumors of the intestine and adrenal gland as well as focus on medical student and resident education in surgery.
Nazanene Esfandiari, MD
Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Michigan
Education
BA, University of Bordeaux III, Bordeaux, France 1986-1987
MD, University of Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France 1987-1995
Residency in Internal Medicine, U Mass Memorial Healthcare; Worcester, MA 1998-2001
Fellowship in Endocrinology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2001-2004
Clinical Focus
Dr. Esfandiari's clinical focus is on thyroid disorders including thyroid cancers.
Research Interests
Dr. Esfandiari is interested in investigating the treatment options and prognostic factors for patients with medullary thyroid cancer.
Susan C PItt, MD, MPHS, FACS
Associate Professor, Surgery
University of Michigan
Education
BA, Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 1996-2000
MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 2000-2005
Residency, General Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 2005-2007
MPH, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 2013-2014
Fellowship, Endocrine Surgery, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 2014-2015
Clinical Focus
Clinically, Dr. Pitt specializes in surgically treating diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands.
Research Interests
Dr. Pitt's research focuses on reducing overtreatment of low-risk thyroid cancer through behavioral interventions as well as implementation of less-invasive management strategies like active surveillance. Dr. Pitt’s team also investigates the effect of emotion (fear, anxiety, worry) and uncertainty on overutilization in healthcare.
Kevin C. Ward, PhD
Assistant Research Professor
Rollins School of Public Health
Research Biography
Kevin Ward is an Assistant Research Professor at the Rollins School of Public Health and the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University. He is the Director of the Georgia Center for Cancer Statistics and the current PI of the Metropolitan Atlanta and Rural Georgia SEER Registry. Dr. Ward has worked with the Georgia Center for Cancer Statistics and its SEER Registry for over 14 years and has collaborated with numerous researchers to utilize the registry population for rapid case ascertainment and other research studies. He has extensive experience with population-based registry data, registry operations, data security, uses of the registry for research purposes, and linkage of SEER data to external data sources.
Ann S. Hamilton, PhD
Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine
Keck School of Medicine
Research Biography
Ann Hamilton is a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) and the SEER Data Collection Core Co-Director. She received her Ph. D. from UCLA’s School of Public Health. Dr. Hamilton has a background in cancer epidemiology and her research has focused on etiology of breast and germ cell cancers. She has also studied cancer outcomes related to breast, prostate, NHL and other cancers. Dr. Hamilton has been the P.I. of several cancer registry-based NCI-SEER funded studies to assess quality of care received by cancer patients, as well as quality of life, late and long term effects of cancer, information needs, and how decisions are made regarding treatment. Recently she has been studying health behaviors and long term survivorship concerns among childhood cancer survivors. Dr. Hamilton also assists other researchers who wish to utilize the Cancer Surveillance Program, the SEER registry for Los Angeles County which is located at USC.
American Thyroid Association Meeting 2023
