Newsletter Issue No. 5 | March 2026
Dear colleagues and friends,
As spring break approaches, we hope you’ll enjoy some well-deserved rest—may your out-of-office replies be firm and your to-do lists be mercifully short. Before you unplug, here’s a quick update on what’s ahead and some recent wins from our community.
Coming Next Month
Economic Evaluation for Medical Decision Making
April 14-15, 2026 – IU Indianapolis • Campus Center
A friendly reminder that IU-HEC’s Inaugural Workshop on Economic Evaluation Methods is just around the corner! On April 14–15, Dr. Anirban Basu (University of Washington)—one of the field’s leading voices on cost-effectiveness, causal inference, and the role of AI in health technology assessment—will lead two days of workshop sessions, a research seminar, 1-on-1 consultations, an “Ask a Health Economist” expert rotation, and a reception.
The event is free and open to all researchers, faculty, and students. CME credit is available for select sessions. Registration details will be shared via IU-HEC communications—keep an eye on your inbox!
Recent Affiliate Publications
Congratulations to the following IU-HEC affiliates on their recent publications:
Real-World Impact of AUD Pharmacotherapy on Healthcare Utilization, Cost, and Cost-Effectiveness in the United States
Hepatology, February 2026. DOI: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001720
Chi Mai Nguyen, Hanna L. Blaney, Jing Su, Shihui Jiang, Yang Li, Yining Li, Samer Gawrieh, Wanzhu Tu, and Suthat Liangpunsakul
This study evaluates the real-world impact of alcohol use disorder pharmacotherapy on healthcare utilization, costs, and cost-effectiveness, providing new evidence on the economic value of AUD treatment in the United States.
Statewide Trends in Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Among Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorders in Indiana
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 18, 100417, 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2026.100417
Sumedha Gupta, Kara Schwartz, Lindsey A. Bell, Nicole Siegal, and Matthew C. Aalsma
This study examines statewide trends in access to medications for opioid use disorder among adolescents in Indiana, highlighting gaps and progress in treatment availability for a vulnerable population.
Share Your News!
New publication, grant, award, or milestone? We’d love to celebrate it with the IU-HEC community—no formatting requirements and absolutely no referee reports needed. Send your updates to iuhec@iu.edu.
As always, thank you for your engagement with IU-HEC and for the collaborative spirit that continues to define this community.
Wishing everyone a restful spring break—may your standard errors be small, your vacation days be long, and your email inbox remain mercifully quiet!
Warm regards,
Sumedha Gupta, Ph.D.
Director, IU-Health Economics Consortium
Associate Professor of Economics, IU Indianapolis