Note: Responses were edited for clarity and conciseness.
What is your current research focus and some of the ideas you’re interested in?
I’m interested in insurance coverage and provider acceptance of insurance for mental health services, as they are much lower than other forms of healthcare in the United States. I plan to investigate the incentives for the provider and insurance network and how they impact consumers’ access to mental healthcare.
What motivated you to investigate insurance coverage and mental health crises?
I have always found mental health to be an interesting topic to study, especially since I’ve had some personal struggles with mental health. I also find this topic fascinating from an economics perspective. There is a strong body of literature around how providers organize themselves in health economics. When it comes to behavioral health, however, things are somewhat different. There is a shortage of behavioral health providers, which shifts the balance of power and therefore changes how the market works for consumers.
What’s one major insight you’ve discovered so far in your research?
One thing that struck me was the diversity in mental health providers. There are counselors, therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, and so on, and each of them have their own certification process and unique conditions that they treat. It remains to be seen whether and how consumers differentiate among them.
What led you to do research at JHBSPH? How have your experiences at Stanford Law School and in the private sector informed your decision to pursue a PhD?
I always wanted to get a higher degree after my undergrad. I did a one-year pre-doc at Stanford Law School and got my formal introduction to the health system in the US. I was always curious about what it was like working in the health sector, so after my time at Stanford I spent some time in the private sector as an economic consultant. I then realized my research interests in mental health and insurance coverage. I find that going to BSPH rather than pursuing a pure economics PhD was a good choice because of the many different angles from which we approach research into health and health care. It has been very intellectually stimulating.
How have your experiences in the private sector shaped your perspective on public health in the US?
It was interesting to see how companies approach their decision-making process. Companies are driven by profit incentives, so I began wondering about how we can use policies to align firm incentives with public health interests. It was a question I couldn’t answer as an economic consultant but something I think about often now.
How do you hope that your research will impact mental health and insurance?
I hope to identify frictions for why some providers don’t accept insurance. There are some obvious reasons, but I’m curious about whether there are any others that haven’t been explored yet. There are also policies that have been put in place to prevent this, and I hope to contribute to the literature examining their impacts. Trying to pinpoint the policy knobs that can be turned is a definite goal of mine.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I’m keeping it open. There are three main paths: academia, think tank, or private sector. Right now, I’m leaning towards academia, but no commitments yet!
What’s one stand-out experience you’ve had so far at JHBSPH?
My favorite program at BSPH is a monthly health economics seminar where researchers come in and discuss their work so far. It was very inspiring to see all their works in various stages of progress, and it was very educational to be able to speak with them in a more casual setting and learn about what their research focus is. I remember coming out of every session with so many questions and ideas, and I would say it helped me to figure out what I wanted out of my own career.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I love to make ice cream! My favorite ice cream is a goat cheese habanero marionberry flavor from Salt and Straw, an ice cream place from the Bay Area. It’s incredibly divisive, but it’s what inspired me to begin making ice cream.
What’s your favorite place in Baltimore?
I love going to Bird in Hand in Charles Village. It is incredibly cute. They have art and keychains made by local artists, and the atmosphere is amazing. I definitely have been guilty of hogging a table for a little bit too long in there.
Finally, do you have any book recommendations?
One of my favorite books is Know My Name by Chanel Miller. She was the victim of a sexual assault case at Stanford. She wrote an incredibly impactful victim statement and eventually a book about her experience. Besides being a crucial perspective on the subject matter, the book has amazing prose and really captures how she feels being re-traumatized by the criminal justice system and processing her mental health. She is extremely transparent, and it’s such a moving book.