Contact Info
Gilbert Gimm, PhD, FGSA
Associate Professor, HAP
Director, Health Services Research PhD
Please visit our PhD Program FAQs. Additional information is available in our department’s FAQs for prospective students.
If you still have unanswered questions, please email us at hap@gmu.edu.
Health Services Research doctoral graduates celebrating at the 2022 Winter Commencement Ceremony.
Program Overview
The doctoral program in Health Services Research (HSR) prepares students to conduct independent research studies that analyze the delivery, financing, and outcomes of health care services using rigorous methods from the social sciences, public health, and health informatics. Ultimately, evidence from HSR studies can be used to inform policy and improve outcomes as well as public health. This post-master’s interdisciplinary program emphasizes the application of data-driven research methods.
Since 2015, the HSR PhD program in the Department of Health Administration and Policy has provided students with the foundation to conduct independent, high-impact research studies. Faculty researchers and PhD students collaborate to generate evidence-based insights that policymakers, healthcare leaders, and researchers can use to enhance healthcare access, quality, and population health outcomes.
Located near Washington, D.C., the HSR program offers PhD students unique advantages, including:
- Proximity to federal agencies, think tanks, and healthcare organizations
- Opportunities to engage with leaders in health policy and health informatics
- Career pathways in academia, government, industry, and contract research organizations
Concentrations
Health Systems and Policy (HSYP)
The HSYP concentration prepares our PhD students to evaluate, design, and implement policies that impact healthcare delivery, financing, and population health. Students will develop:
- Expertise in U.S. healthcare systems, including their structure, organization, and financing
- Analytical tools to assess the effects of health policies and regulations on access, cost, and quality of care
- Institutional knowledge to shape evidence-based solutions to address disparities in health insurance, care delivery, and public health systems
Knowledge Discovery and Health Informatics (KDHI)
The KDHI concentration focuses on big data analytics, predictive models, and computational research methods to improve clinical, administrative, and public health decision-making. Students will gain:
- Technical expertise in machine learning, predictive analytics, and data modeling
- Experience in extracting and analyzing health data from large-scale databases
- Theoretical foundations for applying artificial intelligence (AI) and causal inference methods to address issues and improve outcomes in health services research
Student and Alumni Achievements
HSR PhD students regularly present their research findings at national conferences, including:
- AcademyHealth – national forum for health services research
- American Public Health Association (APHA) - largest public health conference in the U.S.
- American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) - national forum for health informatics
Recent PhD Alumni Placements
- T32 postdoctoral fellowships at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University
- Tenure-track faculty positions at the University of Delaware and the University at Albany
- Industry, government, and contract research jobs in health policy, informatics, and data science
Program Structure
The seventy-two-credit-hour PhD program consists of:
- A common core curriculum covering health services research (HSR) methodologies
- Concentration coursework in one of the following two tracks:
- Health Systems and Policy
- Knowledge Discovery and Health Informatics
- A dissertation sequence designed to develop students’ independent research capabilities
Research Areas Include:
- Temporal data analysis
- Causal inference
- Agent-based modeling
- Biomedical ontologies
- Complex data analysis
Many of our PhD graduates in health informatics pursue careers in academia, health informatics, data science, and industry research organizations.
Opportunities and Career Outcomes
The PhD in Health Services Research prepares graduates to become leaders in research, policy, and data analysis that can help to inform decision-making and address complex challenges in health care services and public health. With expertise in quantitative analysis, health policy evaluation, and advanced informatics, graduates are equipped for impactful careers in academia, government, and industry.
Career paths include:
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University faculty and researchers, contributing to advancements in health services research, policy, and informatics.
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Health policy analysts, shaping evidence-based policies in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and advocacy groups.
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Consultants and data scientists, applying analytics and predictive modeling in health care systems, think tanks, and private industry.
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Leaders in public health and health administration, driving innovation in federal, state, and local health agencies.
The Knowledge Discovery and Health Informatics (KDHI) concentration further prepares students to develop and refine advanced analytical methods for use in clinical, administrative, and public health applications, ensuring data-driven solutions to improve health outcomes.