Kacie L. Dragan, PhD, MPH

Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health

Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management

Twitter | Google Scholar | kld2128@cumc.columbia.edu

(Yes, it's pronounced like "dragon"!)

I am an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. My research draws on theories and methods from both economics and epidemiology to study how health systems interact with the broader social safety net, including evaluations of policies addressing social determinants of health for children and families. I received my PhD from the Harvard University PhD Program in Health Policy, where I was also a 2023-2024 Radcliffe Institute fellow.

Most of my current research concerns the relationship between health and the housing, urban planning, food security, education, and family services sectors, with a focus on Medicaid-insured families and children with chronic diseases. I also study Medicaid policy more generally, and I tackle methodological questions, like outcome measurement in claims data, variation in hospital coding behavior, and administrative data linkage methods. I am highly committed to interdisciplinary research. My work has been published in JAMA Health Forum, Health Affairs, the Journal of Health Economics, the American Journal of Public Health, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, among others, and it has been featured by the New York Times, Vox, and public radio.

Prior to my doctorate, I earned my Master of Public Health from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. I hold a BA from Barnard College in sociology. I was previously a lead researcher with the NYU Policies for Action research hub, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I also previously worked at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where I co-authored the NYC Community Health Profiles, summarizing key health and economic indicators for each of NYC's 59 neighborhoods.

In addition to research, I care greatly about teaching and mentoring, as well as supporting student wellbeing by addressing issues like the "hidden curriculum" in academia. I've taught and mentored students at the undergraduate, Masters, and doctoral level, and these experiences are the highlights of my career. Outside of my academic work, I enjoy nature-related travel and am an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction (recommendations always welcome; please take a rec -- or leave a rec -- here!).