Current PhD Students

Tamara Beetham, MPH is a PhD candidate graduating in 2025 in health policy and management with a concentration in health economics. Her research focuses on improving access to evidence-based healthcare for medically underserved populations, particularly in treatment for substance use disorders. She received dissertation funding support through a National Institutes on Drug Abuse Dissertation Award and RAND Pilot Project Award. Her research has been published in leading journals including JAMA and Health Affairs, featured in outlets such as National Public Radio and The New York Times, and been nationally recognized as among the annual Best or Highest Impact by Annals of Internal Medicine, AcademyHealth, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She has presented her research to policymakers and regulatory bodies including the US Senate, The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and The Joint Commission.

Atalay Demiray, MD, MSc, is a first-year PhD student in Health Policy and Management at Yale University. As a first-generation college graduate from Turkiye, he is a prominent advocate of diversity and global health equity. Atalay earned his Master of Science degree in Health Economics, Policy, and Law from Erasmus University, an endeavor enriched by the Jean Monnet Scholarship. His master's thesis, titled "Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Upholding Public Health," was recognized as the Thesis of the Year in the Netherlands. Prior to pursuing his master’s degree, he obtained a Doctor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Koc University. With a solid foundation in both medicine and international policy, Atalay is passionately working towards leveraging technological advancements to foster global health equity and improve public health outcomes. His ongoing research at Yale signifies a step further toward melding innovative solutions with pragmatic health policy frameworks.

Kim Gannon joined the Department of Health Policy and Management and is pursuing a disciplinary concentration in Economics. Her current work involves mental health and substance use disorder policy, specifically in harm reduction, the treatment industry, and long-term recovery. She received her BS in Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics from Michigan State University.

Kyle A. Gavulic was born in Flint, MI and raised in the small neighboring town of Goodrich. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and in Medicine, Health, and Society with a concentration in health economies and policies from Vanderbilt University. Prior to affiliating with Yale, Kyle served as a Health Policy Services Analyst in the Department of Health Policy in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In this capacity, he conducted quantitative health services research under the supervision of Dr. Stacie Dusetzina, focusing on high-cost prescription drugs and the Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval pathway. Kyle was also a teaching and research assistant to Dr. Melinda Buntin. From July 2020 to May 2022, Kyle also served as Editorial Intern of JAMA Health Forum. Kyle is now a MD-PhD candidate pursuing a PhD in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Yale School of Public Health. His research interests include access to health care including high-cost prescription medications, Medicaid policy, LGBTQ health, financial burden of health care spending, non-medical determinants of health, comparative health systems, and diversity of the physician workforce. His research in LGBTQ health disparities with Dr. Gilbert Gonzales and in U.S. prescription drug policy with Dr. Stacie Dusetzina has led to publications in the American Journal of Public Health, JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Health Forum, Journal of Adolescent Health, and Medical Care Research and Review. Kyle also has interest in medical education with a special focus on equity. Since July 2022, he has led a working group to implement new clinical skills curriculum on caring for transgender and gender diverse patients at Yale School of Medicine. He is Co-Chair of the Curriculum Working Group on the Dean's Advisory Council on LGBTQI+ Affairs. He previously served as co-leader of Yale School of Medicine's Chapter of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and has been a mentor to students applying to MD/PhD programs via the Program to Advance Training in Health & Sciences (PATHS).

Stephanie Horsfall (she/her) is a first-year PhD student in the Health Policy and Management department with a policy analysis concentration. Her research interests include social and political determinants of health, administrative burdens of welfare programs, and avenues of political power for medically underserved populations. Before her graduate studies, she served as a Research Assistant at the Medical Practice Evaluation Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she collaborated with non-profit organizations and program implementation experts to investigate the cost-effectiveness of novel HIV interventions for mothers and children across international settings.

Ruijie Liu is a Ph.D. student in health policy and management with an economics concentration. Her research leverages causal inference methods to understand policy-related factors that influence health service utilization, health outcomes, and equity. Her recent work primarily focuses on the accessibility and quality of care in the mental health and substance use disorder field.

Sarah graduated in 2019 summa cum laude from Emory University with degrees in Economics and Biology. After several years in a clinical research lab studying post-cardiac surgery outcomes of pediatric patients with connective tissue disorders, she shifted focus to health economics. Sarah's senior thesis analyzed the effects of a novel public health initiative on neonatal health. At Yale, Sarah is pursuing joint MD and PhD degrees with the understanding that clinical experience and knowledge in health economics serve as complements, each informing and improving the practice of the other. Research interests include maternal and child health, payment models, incentives in healthcare markets, and markets for biologics.

Yuting Qian is a Ph.D student in the Department of Health Policy and Management, with a concentration in Economics. Her research interests include public policies and the health of the aging population, particularly people with cognitive impairment. She holds an MS in Health Policy and Economics from Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University.