November 2025
Dear colleagues and friends,
As IU-HEC concluded its inaugural year, I am inspired by the momentum we have built and by the growing community of scholars, students, and partners advancing the science and practice of health economics at Indiana University and beyond.
IU-HEC’s mission—to produce rigorous, policy-relevant research that applies economic principles to improve health and healthcare—has brought together faculty and trainees across medicine, public health, economics, and other social sciences. Together, we study how resources are allocated, how value is created, and how health can be improved through evidence-based, economically grounded decision-making.
This first year has flown by as we pulled together the essentials and laid the foundation for a sustained research community: developing our online presence and identity, launching the IU-HEC Consultation Service to connect economists and investigators across IU, establishing the Affiliate and Advisory networks, and creating streamlined pathways for participation in grant applications. These efforts, supported by outreach across IU’s schools and institutes, have positioned IU-HEC as a visible, collaborative, and responsive consortium.
We are honored to introduce the inaugural IU-HEC Advisory Board, whose collective expertise will guide IU-HEC’s growth and strengthen its role as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration:
Nir Menachemi, Ph.D.
Dean, IU Fairbanks School of Public Health
Expertise: Nationally renowned population health and organizational change scholar.
Lisa A. Prosser, Ph.D., M.S.,
School of Public Health, University of Michigan
Expertise: International authority on cost-effectiveness and child-health policy.
(Joining IU-HEC as external advisor in 2026 following her sabbatical)
Kosali Simon, Ph.D.,
Distinguished and Herman B. Wells Endowed Professor, O’Neill SPEA, IU Bloomington
Expertise: National leader in health-insurance policy and labor-market economics.
Sarah Wiehe, M.D., M.P.H.,
Associate Dean for Community and Translational Research, IU School of Medicine
Expertise: Data-driven population health research and community partnerships.
Their perspectives and mentorship will continue to shape IU-HEC’s direction and evolution.
We are equally delighted to welcome our first 14 IU-HEC Affiliates, distinguished scholars spanning health-services research, behavioral economics, labor markets, aging, and public-health policy. Their engagement has already sparked new collaborative proposals and partnerships that exemplify IU-HEC’s interdisciplinary reach.
Through our Consultation Service, IU-HEC has begun supporting investigators across IU in integrating economic evaluation into their research, from clinical program assessments to population-health initiatives. These conversations have been both productive and inspiring, underscoring IU-HEC’s role as a bridge between rigorous analysis and real-world policy impact.
Looking ahead, IU-HEC will continue to deepen analytic capacity, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration through funded pilot studies, and host advanced training and seminar events in economic evaluation led by internationally recognized experts. These initiatives aim to strengthen research excellence, mentor the next generation of health-economics scholars, and enhance IU-HEC’s visibility across Indiana and nationally.
Announcements
We are excited to share that Dr. Phaedra Corso, a national leader in economic evaluation whose work has informed health policy at both state and federal levels, will offer a new 16-week graduate course, PBHL-H 657: Applications of Cost Effectiveness Analysis in Public Health, in Spring 2026. The course provides hands-on training in linking economic theory with evaluation and policy translation, covering cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), decision modeling, and QALY-based value assessment—skills highly valued in research, policy, and consulting careers. Offered through the Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University Indianapolis, registration opened November 3.
Thank you all for your insight, generosity, and engagement during this formative year. IU-HEC’s strength lies in the intellectual breadth and collegial spirit of its community. I look forward to building on this foundation together and shaping IU-HEC into a lasting home for health-economics scholarship, collaboration, and policy impact.
As we head into the holiday season, I wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for your collaboration, your insights, and the energy you bring to our collective work. Wishing you a restorative break filled with good food, good company, and absolutely no significant findings in your inbox!
Warm regards,
Sumedha Gupta, Ph.D.
Director, IU-Health Economics Consortium
Associate Professor of Economics, IU Indianapolis