Alison Ward, PhD

Director, Policy & Economics

Dr. Ward is an expert in social value analyses, as well as cross-section and panel econometrics, including analysis of limited dependent variables, discrete choice models, and censored or zero-skewed outcomes. At PHE, Dr. Ward has estimated the social value of various oncology therapies and used trial data paired with SEER registry data to estimate long-term survival curves from short-term data. She also has extensive experience working with PHE’s microsimulation model, The Health Economics Medical Innovation Simulation (THEMIS). Prior to her work at PHE, Dr. Ward was employed with Abt Associates where she worked in their health policy group. Her research covered many health-related topics such as hospital quality measures, competitive bidding in medical device markets, fall prevention in nursing homes, and case management for patients with chronic conditions. Her work experience also includes research appointments at George Mason University, Analysis Group, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

EDUCATION
PhD, Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
MS, BS, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis

ASSOCIATED SERVICES

• Forecasting outcomes, costs, and trade-offs
• Advanced models and simulations

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Rhodes W, et al. Use of Monte Carlo simulation to inform design decisions for pairwise cluster randomization. Health Serv Outcomes Res Methodol. 2o15.
• Sail K, et al. Lifetime costs of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2017.
• Sexton SE, et al. Conspicuous conservation: the Prius halo and willingness to pay for environmental bona fides. J Environ Econ Manag. 2014.
• Vanderpuye-Orgle J, et al. Evaluating the economic burden of psoriasis in the United States. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015.