Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has named Dr. Heidi Russell as the director of the Center for Health Policy. She is also appointed as the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health Policy and the Huffington Fellow in Child Health Policy. She will step into these roles at the Baker Institute Oct. 13.
Russell, a pediatric oncologist and health economist, brings a unique multidisciplinary perspective to health policy research and education. Her work has long focused on improving health systems through data-driven policy with a particular emphasis on child health. She has published extensively, including as a nonresident scholar with the Baker Institute, and has led multi-institutional research collaborations and major grant development initiatives.
Russell joins Rice’s Baker Institute from the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, where she served as professor in the Department of Management, Policy and Community Health and director of dual degrees, overseeing the strategic development of 19 programs across six campuses. She previously served as medical director of clinical systems integration at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she advanced value-based care initiatives at both institutional and state levels.
“Dr. Russell’s leadership will position the Baker Institute Center for Health Policy to expand its reach and impact,” said David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute. “Her impressive experiences connecting clinical practice, health economics and public policy exemplifies the Baker Institute’s mission to bridge the world of ideas and the world of action.”
The Center for Health Policy plays a critical role in advancing evidence-based solutions to some of the most pressing health challenges facing the United States and the world. By bringing together experts from Rice and the Texas Medical Center, the center provides collaborative research connecting medicine, economics and public policy. Its scholars conduct in-depth studies on issues ranging from health economics and nonmedical drivers of health to biomedical research policy, child health, firearm injury prevention and neuro-policy.
“Rice University’s proximity to the Texas Medical Center — the largest in the world — creates an unparalleled opportunity to advance research that is both rigorous and relevant,” Russell said. “At a time when public health challenges are more urgent and complex than ever, I’m honored to lead the Baker Institute’s health policy work. I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional team of researchers and practitioners to generate policy insights that not only strengthen health systems but also make a real difference in the lives of patients, families and communities.”