PhD Faculty

Expertise: Public health, racial/ethnic disparities in health and social determinants of health, social policy and health

Acevedo-Garcia’s research focuses on the social determinants of racial/ethnic inequities in health, such as in residential segregation, neighborhood inequality and immigrant adaptation; the role of social policies in reducing those inequities, such as housing and immigration policies; and the health and wellbeing of children with disabilities and their families.

Expertise: Organization and financing of alcohol, drug and mental health service; quality and effectiveness of behavioral health treatment

Horgan’s research focuses on the organization, financing and quality of behavioral healthcare. She examines how alcohol, drug and mental health services are financed, organized, and delivered in the public and private sectors, and what approaches can be used to improve the quality and effectiveness of the delivery system.  

Expertise: Poverty, economic security, homelessness and housing, research methods/statistics, working with large national data sets

Meschede’s research centers on economic inequities and social and economic mobility with a specific focus on racial wealth disparities, housing and homelessness. A skilled qualitative and quantitative researcher, her work ranges from community centered evaluations collaborating with local non-profits and state departments to national data projects.

Expertise: Evaluation research, study design, survey tool design and validation, data analysis, including claims data, manuscript preparation

Perloff is an expert in health services research and evaluation, with a strong emphasis on value-based payment. She has been involved in numerous studies on the cost, quality and efficiency of nurse practitioner-delivered primary care, as well as research and policy analysis to support population health models and other value-based models, such as episode-based payment.