Opportunity for Health

The Opportunity for Health Lab, led by Director Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani and Chief of Staff Eva Fabian, conducts innovative research at the intersection of economic opportunity and health. The lab’s mission is to identify and evaluate interventions and policies that can boost opportunity and improve health for all Americans. The Opportunity for Health Lab strives to make significant contributions in understanding and addressing population health and influencing opportunity policy, collaborating closely with researchers, policymakers, and leaders in industry across the United States to achieve these goals.

Since launching in 2020, the lab’s research has already had significant impact on policy. In this past year, their research on WIC benefits reloading (published in JAMA) was cited by the White House Office of Management and Budget in its guidance on strategies to reduce administrative burden in public benefit programs. Their Health Affairs study on Medicaid continuous coverage policies and children’s Medicaid enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic was cited by the Department of Health and Human Services in their policy document on improving access to affordable and equitable health coverage. Another study on the spillover mental health consequences of police killings of unarmed Black Americans was cited in a recent amicus brief informing the recent U.S. Supreme Court hearing and deliberations on the legality of undergraduate affirmative action programs, as well as in the landmark California Reparations Report.

The team’s research has also informed public discourse, being featured in leading media outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, NPR, The Hill, and CNBC.

.