About

The Methods and Data Council is currently Chaired by Dr. Anupa Bir, Senior Vice President at RTI International, and Dr. Suzanne Tamang, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford School of Medicine, will serve as Vice Chair. The Methods and Data Council is comprised of 17 members representing the multiple disciplinary perspectives in health services and policy research. The Methods and Data Council meets quarterly, in the summer at the Annual Research Meeting, and in the winter, fall, and spring via a web-based meeting.

The Methods and Data Council has five primary responsibilities:

  1. Advise AcademyHealth leadership in identifying trends, opportunities, challenges and needs related to existing and emerging methods used in HSR and data science, including data quality, access, and availability for research,  evidence generation, and policy development.  
     
  2. Participate in planning committees on emerging and relevant methods and data offerings at the ARM and other relevant AcademyHealth sponsored conferences.  
     
  3. Participate as invited reviewers for AcademyHealth conference submissions and award programs. 
     
  4. Provide input to the AcademyHealth Committee on Advocacy and Public Policy (CAPP) to inform the development of AcademyHealth’s official public comments;
     
  5. Facilitate collaboration among the Methods and Data Council and other AcademyHealth Councils and advisory groups, AcademyHealth members, and HSR training program directors on AcademyHealth’s activities related to research methods and data. 

Chair

 

Anupa Bir
Committee Member

Anupa Bir, Sc.D., M.P.H.

Senior Vice President - Health Practice Area, RTI International

Dr. Anupa Bir is a health economist at RTI International, where she leads a division of 200+ researchers. Read Bio

 

Vice Chairs

 

Suzanne_Tamang_headshot
Committee Member, Presenter

Suzanne Tamang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor - Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Suzanne Tamang is an Assistant Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a Senior Comput... Read Bio

Meet the 2025 Members

Anupa Bir
Committee Member

Anupa Bir, Sc.D., M.P.H.

Senior Vice President - Health Practice Area, RTI International

Dr. Anupa Bir is a health economist at RTI International, where she leads a division of 200+ researchers. Read Bio

Benzer headshot
Committee Member

Justin Benzer, Ph.D.

Professor - UTHealth Houston School of Public Health

Justin Benzer, Ph.D., is Professor at the Implementation Science Institute at UTHealth Houston School of Publi... Read Bio

Robert_Tyler_Braun_headshot
Committee Member

Robert Tyler Braun, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor - Weill Cornell Medical College

Dr. Robert Tyler Braun is an assistant professor of population health sciences in the Division of Health Polic... Read Bio

Brittany_Brown_Podogorski_headshot
Committee Member

Brittany Brown-Podgorski, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor - University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

Dr. Brittany Brown-Podgorski is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pi... Read Bio

 

View all the Methods and Data Council Members »