The PCORI-funded SPIRE study was approved in 2025 to advance from a Phase I pilot to full-scale implementation. Led by Drs. Perloff, Donelan, and Mass General Hospital’s Dr. Christine Ritchie, the study will compare the effectiveness of two care models for older adults with complex health needs. Enrollment has begun as of January 2026.
IHS News
Remembering Stuart Altman.
Professor Stuart H. Altman passed away on January 1st, 2026. A formal memorial event will be announced in the coming weeks.
Since 1977, Professor Altman championed Heller and Brandeis in roles including Executive Co-Director of the Schneider Institutes and Professor of National Health Policy. He was a nationally recognized policy leader and a mentor to hundreds of students. The Stuart Altman Chair in Health Policy and an endowed fellowship will help celebrate his legacy.
Rajan Sonik, PhD’17, appointed Sol C. Chaikin Associate Research Professor of National Health Policy.
An Associate Research Professor in IHS since 2023, Sonik’s research examines how interventions to address the social determinants of health affect health care outcomes, with a special focus on disparities by race, ethnicity and disability status. Sonik leads three ongoing research studies funded by the National Institutes of Health [t.e2ma.net].
The Chaikin chair, named for a champion of the American labor movement, was held by Stuart Altman until his retirement in 2025.
Massachusetts Health Policy Student Forum Connects Future Policy Leaders With Legislators, Officials in Boston.
At the January 2026 Massachusetts Health Policy Student Forum, graduate students from across the state met with policymakers at the Statehouse, Department of Public Health, and Health Policy Commission in Boston. Speakers and panelists offered students their insight into how leaders in the field think about the legislative process, lobbying and advocacy, policymaking informed by social determinants of health, and more.
Jennifer Perloff, PhD '06, Director