Leadership

I have led the development and pitched the ideas for over 15 projects totaling $8.4 million in value that have been funded by government agencies, foundations, or other entities (listed in awards). The process of receiving research funds involves academic entrepreneurship - extensive knowledge of the research area, iterative development of the idea, rejection, and salesmanship to attract funder interest. The following provides examples of my entrepreneurship:

• Substance Abuse Treatment Policy Simulation: Leveraging on-the-ground knowledge of ongoing policy developments, I developed the idea to inform the policy debate on methadone prescribing and distribution using cutting-edge policy micro-simulation models. With my team of expert researchers, we engaged research foundations through an interative scientific proposal process to obtain research funding. The project continues to be engaged in ongoing developments with advocates and policy-makers 

• Pollution and Human Capital: Using a shoestring budget, I traveled to developing countries to conduct field research and compile highly-sensitive data only-accessible after repeated in-person meetings and agreements on data-use and collaborations

• State Tax Incentive Policy: With local contacts, I led the compiliation of research funds from multiple foundations to perform a study of state tax incentives for film productions. Client engagement and mangagement was key to this endeavor as RAND's objective research standards required that we publish our results whether or not they aligned with the client's advocacy

• Infant Mortality Risk Prediction and Prevention: I developed the idea to link multiple, highly-sensitive databases in order to develop highly accurate predictive models of infant mortality risk and implement a causal inference framework to identify the impacts of health and social services. Frequent pitch meetings with research foundations over 1+ year led to a multiple millions in research funding. The entrepreneurship continued throughout the project as the research required initiating and developing relationships with data providers and research collaborators. Additionally, the research required consistent client engagement to manage the multiple partners and to obtain buy-in from multiple organizations

During my time at RAND (2015-present), I have served as principal investigator (PI) or co-principal investigator (co-PI) on 15 research grants and contracts (listed in awards). After receiving funding for the research, serving as research team PI or co-PI involves (1) team construction, (2) team management, (3) sponsor management, (4) research execution, and (5) the development and dissemination of deliverables (i.e. reports, publications). The following provides examples of my project leadership:

• Infant Mortality Risk Prediction and Prevention: A massive, mulit-million dollar, long-term project with collaboraters embedded within healthcare systems and located across the country in premier academic institutions. The project requires consistent, in-depth client engagement, and relationship management with multiple large healthcare systems. I lead all elements of RAND's work. Additionally, I manage RAND's project team which includes quantitative researchers, qualitative analysts, software developers, and more. Furthermore, I design and execute the novel quantitative research strategy which combines causal inference and machine learning to provide unique insight for health and social service providers

• Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: I used on-the-ground knowledge of policy developments and constructed a team of over 10 expert researchers from multiple backgrounds and institutes to develop a proposal to conduct a nation-wide policy analysis of maternal care processes. I led our team in securing $2.5 million in research funding for a 4 year project following an interative scientific proposal process with the National Institutes for Health. Currently, I oversee all aspects of the study which involve team management, the design and fielding of a multi-level survey, additional data collection and acquisition from multiple public and private entities, development and execution of the empirical analysis strategy, community engagement, and project dissemination

• Opioid Epidemic: With personal insights on the toll of the opioid epidemic, I have developed multiple proposal to study the indirect effects of opioid misuse and the unintended consequences of state policies aimed at reducing opioid prescribing. Multiple projects have received multiple millions of dollars in research funding from the National Institutes for Health. I lead multiple teams of researchers and clinicians in developing the empirical strategy, compiling numerous databases, and executing the analysis. Furthermore, I develop training and dissemination strategies to expand the impact of the research

I have co-directed the RAND Center for Causal Inference (CCI) since 2022. CCI is a methodological center and repository of expertise housed within the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Co-directing CCI provides examples of my leadership in the following ways:

• Led multidisciplinary researchers in an international center that innovates and develops causal inference methods and provides a repository of expertise

• Providing research training by administering research grants and student fellowships; as well as frequently hosting and presenting during monthly seminars

• Scaling CCI's impact: Leveraged a unique dissemination strategy to reach hundreds of causal inference researchers across dozens of countries via the RAND Center for Causal Inference Symposium and efficiently maximized the center's budget to expand training resources 

• Strategic direction: Initiated and managed the strategic reorganization of the center with the aim of broadening impact