The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health welcomes new faculty member Michael Halpern, MD, PhD, MPH, an associate professor and chair of the public health policy and management section.

Dr. Halpern has more than 20 years of experience in health services research and policy analysis, including evaluating patterns of medical care, quality of care, comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, access to care, and disparities. His research includes analyses of patient outcomes, medical treatment patterns, and costs using Medicare, Medicaid, and other claims databases and national healthcare surveys; assessments of patient symptoms, satisfaction, and quality of life; examinations of health care provider shortages and policies to facilitate team-based care; and program evaluations for interventions to improve preventive services, access to care, and quality of care.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Halpern to our college. His academic portfolio will certainly strengthen our health services research program and develop the health outcomes research program. His leadership will guide the expansion of both the health outcomes and public health policy curricula to better meet the needs of both our undergraduate and graduate students,” said Iman Hakim, dean of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Dr. Halpern said, “This exciting position will provide me opportunities to collaborate with other researchers at the University of Arizona, work more closely with underserved populations, have greater involvement in teaching and student mentoring and assist in developing health policies for Arizona.

Halpern received his MD and PhD in the Medical Scientist Training Program and MPH in epidemiology at the University of Michigan. He previously worked at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Battelle Memorial Institute, American Cancer Society, and Research Triangle Institute. Dr. Halpern serves on the Cancer Survivorship Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Scientific Review Committee of the American College of Preventive Medicine. He has more than 130 publications and is Section Editor for Disparities for the journal Cancer.