Investigator Awards In Health Policy Research Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research
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Investigators And Their Projects » Awards by Year:
Section Info
This section contains information about all of the projects and researchers that have been funded through the Investigator Awards program since the first grants were made in 1993. The indexes in this section can be used to identify investigators by name, area of expertise, or year of award. Throughout the site, you will find that each investigator’s name links to details including contact and project information.
»List Projects awarded in
Projects Awarded in 2008:
Investigator names link to complete details.
Alan S. Gerber, Ph.D.
Eric M. Patashnik, Ph.D., M.P.P.		Inadequate Medical Evidence: Political Incentives and the Prospects for Sustainable Reform
Award Year: 2008

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The effectiveness of many medical treatments and procedures remains unknown, despite concerns that the United States spends too much on ineffective care. Why has the federal government invested so very little in rigorous effectiveness research up to now? Co-PIs Alan S. Gerber, Ph.D. and Eric M. Patashnik, Ph.D., M.P.P. believe that the answer lies in the incentives built into our political system. Their project, Inadequate Medical Evidence: Political Incentives and the Prospects for Sustainable Reform, explores the lack of a strong policy response to the need for medical evidence. Drs. Gerber and Patashnik consider a range of factors, including the influence of health care providers and other special interests, lack of policy initiative, insufficient federal agency capacity, the limits of patient advocacy, and the silence of the wealthy and powerful. Results should provide fresh insights into the opportunities and challenges that emerge as the Obama Administration adopts comparative effectiveness research as a strategy for controlling U.S. health care spending by reducing ineffective care.
William K. Hallman, Ph.D.
Neal H. Hooker, M.A., Ph.D.		The Diet-Health Nexus: Communicating Emerging Evidence
Award Year: 2008

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As increasing numbers of Americans try to eat healthily and reduce their risk of chronic disease, they are paying more attention to product ingredients, labeling, advertising, and information from a variety of sources about the health benefits of foods and beverages. They are also spending more on foods that they believe are "heart-healthy" or can reduce their risk for certain cancers. But given the level of scientific uncertainty surrounding the health effects of food, what are consumers getting for their money? Co-PIs William K. Hallman, Ph.D. and Neal H. Hooker, Ph.D. study how information is used in food claims and marketing, as well as how adeptly consumers grasp the information provided. Their project, The Diet-Health Nexus: Communicating Emerging Evidence, examines how information is crafted and conveyed; how older consumers understand and evaluate food claims and dietary advice; and whether the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulatory approach has educated consumers about the limits of scientific evidence and the accuracy of health claims. Drs. Hallman and Hooker will produce recommendations on how to inform consumers better. Their project should help shape the FDA's efforts to revise, or perhaps even revamp, its policies for regulating health claims by food and beverage manufacturers and producers.
Sherman A. James, Ph.D.After the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Health Legacy of the 1960s Civil Rights Era in a Southern Community
Award Year: 2008

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During the years immediately following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, gaps in health and access to medical care between black and white Americans began to narrow. How did civil rights legislation and newly created social programs help lead to those health improvements? Sherman A. James, Ph.D. probes this question in his project, After the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Health Legacy of the 1960's Civil Rights Era in a Southern Community. Through a case study of Pitt County, North Carolina, a poor rural southern community, Dr. James looks at the activities of those who led the desegregation of the county hospital and efforts by citizen activists, voluntary organizations, community leaders, and the press to open the doors of opportunity. Using the fundamental cause framework developed by Investigator Awardees Jo Phelan, Ph.D., and Bruce Link, Ph.D., Dr. James analyzes how access to money, knowledge, prestige, power, and social connections is linked to population health and to the success of public policies. His findings should help illuminate the role civil society plays in distributing life-enhancing resources more fairly and in facilitating or impeding public policies aimed at improving the health of all Americans.
Jason Karlawish, M.D.The Making and Unmaking of Alzheimers Disease
Award Year: 2008

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When is Alzheimer's disease (AD) a diagnosis and when is it a prediction? As we develop new tests to identify a person's propensity for the disease, and as we expand the definition of Alzheimer's to include patients with "preclinical AD", "prodromal AD", and mild cognitive impairment, we blur the line between diagnosis and risk assessment. With that comes the potential to harm patients and to overburden our system by treating what is actually normal, age-related cognitive change. Jason Karlawish, M.D. explores how our understanding of brain aging is changing and raising controversies. In The Making and Unmaking of Alzheimer's Disease, he examines issues such as disagreements among experts about how to define and treat dementia, the use of neuroimaging, Medicare reimbursement for PET scans, genetic testing, healthy brain initiatives, and the emerging market for brain fitness activities. Dr. Karlawish considers the actors involved - from clinicians, researchers, and pharma to advocacy organizations, patients, and families - as well as the ethical, economic, and policy implications of changes in how AD is defined and measured. The project's results will contribute to policy debates about the value of costly testing, preventive treatments, and public health initiatives to maintain brain health.
Naa Oyo A. Kwate, Ph.D.
Ilan H. Meyer, Ph.D.		On the Content of our Character: The Myth of Meritocracy and African American Health
Award Year: 2008

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Many people believe that, with the right mix of talent, ability, hard work, and opportunity, anyone can achieve the wealth and success that the American Dream has come to represent. Yet the rise to the top in America is limited, especially for those who live in segregated neighborhoods and those who have few educational and economic opportunities. Co-PIs Naa Oyo A. Kwate, Ph.D. and Ilan H. Meyer, Ph.D. propose that, for African Americans, living in a culture that so highly values self-determination can lead to demoralization, unhealthy coping strategies, and higher rates of illness and early death. In their project, On the Content of Our Character: The Myth of Meritocracy and African American Health, Drs. Kwate and Meyer look at how widely ingrained such beliefs are across the United States. They also consider how meritocratic beliefs may be linked to political views about the role of government and the plight of the disadvantaged, and to disparities in health and well being. This project will shed light on the hidden consequences of meritocratic beliefs.
Edward W. Maibach, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D.		Mobilizing Citizen Support for Climate Stabilization and Adaptation Policies
Award Year: 2008

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Climate change poses a potentially significant threat to the public's health, and addressing it is among President Obama's top priorities. Co-PIs Edward W. Maibach, Ph.D., M.P.H. and Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D. believe that citizens and stakeholders need to play an active role in formulating effective public policies and investments in greenhouse gas reduction. Their project, Mobilizing Citizen Support for Climate Stabilization and Adaptation Policies, investigates how best to engage Americans on climate control issues and analyzes the extent to which a health perspective can enlist community interest and participation. Through surveys and interviews, Drs. Maibach and Nisbet explore people's beliefs and motivations and test their reactions to various policy proposals and messages about climate change and its health implications. Their research findings could help galvanize the public health community and provide policy experts, government agencies, journalists, and other stakeholders with practical guidance on how best to increase public understanding of the implications of climate change.
Alberto Palloni, Ph.D.
Carolina Milesi, Ph.D.		Analyzing the Relationship Among Early Childhood Conditions, Reproduction of Socioeconomic Inequalities and Adult Health Disparities
Award Year: 2008

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Despite increased attention to the disturbing problem of disparities, certain groups of Americans remain healthier than others, due largely to differences in race and ethnicity, income, education, residential segregation, and other social factors. Co-PIs Alberto Palloni, Ph.D. and Carolina Milesi, Ph.D. seek to better understand the mechanisms that lead to health gaps by probing the connections between child and adult health. Their project, Early Childhood Conditions, Reproduction of Socioeconomic Inequalities, and the Persistence of Adult Health Disparities, employs innovative methods to study how pathways to fair or poor health in adulthood unfold from early childhood. Drs. Palloni and Milesi analyze a host of factors, including the effects of parents' socioeconomic status, their health and use of tobacco and alcohol, child health outcomes, development of personality traits such as tenacity and perseverance, exposure to stressful environments, and educational attainment. Project findings should help improve the design of strategies aimed at reducing disparities by identifying options for mitigating the consequences of poor health in children.
Richard M. Scheffler, Ph.D.
Stephen P. Hinshaw, Ph.D.		ADHD Medication in America: Society, Schools, and Public Policy
Award Year: 2008

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Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects over 4 million children in the United States. The disorder inhibits academic achievement and the development of social relationships, life skills, and independence. Yet the causes of ADHD and its diagnosis and treatment remain mired in controversy. Co-PIs Richard M. Scheffler, Ph.D. and Stephen P. Hinshaw, Ph.D. examine clinical and policy issues surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. Their project, ADHD Medication in America: Society, Schools, and Public Policy, considers ADHD's biological basis and risk factors; market influences on diagnosis and medication rates; prevalence and treatment disparities; the impact of relevant federal and state laws on schools, children, and their parents; and the cost effectiveness of treatment options. Drs. Scheffler and Hinshaw will produce evidence-based policy recommendations for reducing diagnostic and treatment disparities, for improving access to effective treatments, and for increasing use of the most cost-effective treatments. Their research findings should inform policy debates and expand our understanding of how to treat children with ADHD more effectively and improve their quality of life.
Gary A. Taubes, M.S.E., M.S.The Sweetening of a Nation: The History, Politics and Health Effects of Sugar and High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Award Year: 2008

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Over the last 150 years, Americans have increased their intake of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) dramatically, so that caloric sweeteners now comprise 20 to 25 percent of the calories we consume. While most experts agree that such large amounts of either sugar or HFCS are bad for our health and should be avoided, we still don't know if they can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Gary Taubes, M.S.E., M.A. seeks to learn more about the possible relationship between excess consumption of sweeteners and chronic health problems and about how special interests may have influenced research and policy development in this area. In The Sweetening of a Nation: The History, Politics, and Health-Effects of Sugar and HFCS, Mr. Taubes investigates not only past research on the health effects of sugar consumption, but how the Western diet became saturated with caloric sweeteners to begin with, and how industry and other special interests may have thwarted government efforts to rein in sugar consumption and limit scientific inquiry. Mr. Taubes' investigation should enhance the knowledge we need to develop a fuller range of policy options that protect Americans' health and more adequately address the epidemics of obesity and diabetes.
Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Ph.D.Health, Hardship, and Renewal: Economic Strategies among Black Women Living with HIV/AIDS
Award Year: 2008

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People with HIV are living longer than ever before, giving us a new window on chronic illness and economic hardship. How do poor and working-class black women with HIV continue to make ends meet and take care of themselves as their disease progresses? Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Ph.D. collects the first longitudinal ethnographic data to study the economic and social survival strategies these women use to get by. In Health, Hardship, and Renewal: Economic Survival Strategies among Black Women Living with HIV, Dr. Watkins-Hayes examines employment opportunities and barriers, disability benefits, access to a complicated array of public services and providers, help from family and friends, and other informal sources of support. She also investigates how survival efforts might promote or undermine the health and well being of disadvantaged black women with HIV, and whether they are at increased risk of becoming homeless, engaging in prostitution or drug dealing, or being exposed to other infectious diseases. Research findings should help advance our understanding of the economic and social challenges that women coping with HIV/AIDS must face.