Staff & Leadership

Staff

Elizabeth Rula, PhD

Elizabeth Rula, PhD

Executive Director
Dr. Elizabeth Rula is the Executive Director of the Neiman Health Policy Institute. With over 15 years of experience leading health services and outcomes research, Dr. Rula strives to establish a strong scientific foundation and objective evidence regarding the value of health care services. Most recently, Dr. Rula was Executive Director of Research and Thought Leadership for Tivity Health where she led research to evaluate, innovate, and optimize the utilization and outcomes of health and wellness programs, including the flagship program SilverSneakers. In this role she fostered productive academic collaborations and spearheaded a thought leadership strategy to establish brand credibility based on rigorous science. Read More
Eric W. Christensen, PhD

Eric W. Christensen, PhD

Director of Economics and Health Services Research & Adjunct Professor, Health Services Management at The University of Minnesota
Dr. Christensen is the Director of Economic and Health Services Research for the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute (HPI). Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor of Health Services Management at the University of Minnesota. He has over 20 years of experience as a health economist. Prior to working at the Neiman HPI, he led an interdisciplinary research team at the Center for Naval Analyses conducting research for various government agencies, served as the health economist for Children’s Minnesota hospital system and engaged in private consulting. Read More
YoonKyung Chung, PhD

YoonKyung Chung, PhD

Principal Research Scientist
Dr. YoonKyung Chung is a Principal Research Scientist at the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute.  Her main role in the HPI team is to lead and conduct research using large datasets to understand the value and role of radiology in evolving health care delivery and payment systems. With a background in economics, she has extensive experience exploring questions using quantitative methods: finding clear and accurate ways to understand and communicate how patient outcomes respond to how providers are delivering care in complex policy environments. Read More
Nichole Gay

Nichole Gay

Business & Media Manager
Nichole Gay serves as the Neiman Institute's Business & Media Manager. Nichole fills two primary roles on the Neiman Institute team: first to manage the business activities and finances of the team. Second, to manage the marketing for the team, which includes media relations and promotional efforts for the Institute. Read More
Chi-Mei Liu, PhD

Chi-Mei Liu, PhD

Senior Biostatistician
Chi-Mei Liu serves as the Senior Biostatistician of the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute. Her research training steps into three fields: public health, outcome research, and health behavioral health education. Chi-Mei’s work is primarily quantitative in nature, involving analysis of large claim databases or national survey datasets. Read More
Casey Pelzl, MPH

Casey Pelzl, MPH

Senior Biostatistician
Casey Pelzl became a member of ACR-NHPI as a Biostatistician in April 2021. She joins the Institute with nearly a decade of experience in outcomes research, working alongside trauma surgeons from across the nation to improve the treatment and care of injured patients. Casey brings to the group a passion for learning and utilizing advanced statistical designs and epidemiological methodologies. Read More
Mikki D. Waid, PhD

Mikki D. Waid, PhD

Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Mikki D. Waid is an economist by training, her research currently focuses on utilizing Medicare and other health data to analyze a wide variety of topics related to radiology and health, in general. Mikki enjoys using her extensive research experience to write sophisticated econometric programs in order to answer complex questions. Read More

Research Fellows

Danny R. Hughes, PhD

Danny R. Hughes, PhD

Georgia Tech School of Economics
Affiliate Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Hughes is a Professor in the School of Economics and Director of Georgia Tech’s Health Economics and Analytics Lab (HEAL). He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. His research focuses on the roles of technology, innovation, and incentives in the delivery and usage of health care services – with a specific focus on the economics of medical imaging. His externally funded research has focused on exploiting large scale data to explore contemporary health policy issues. He has published over 100 articles in leading journals across economics, health services research, and operations research.
Andrew Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, FACR

Andrew Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, FACR

New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Affiliate Senior Research Fellow
Andrew Rosenkrantz, MD, is Professor of Radiology and Urology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he serves as Section Chief of Abdominal Imaging, and as the department's Director of Health Policy. His research with the Institute has focused on characterizing practice patterns of the national radiologist work force and exploring drivers of variation in imaging utilization. He serves on the editorial boards for multiple radiology journals, and was recognized by AuntMinnie as the Most Influential Radiology Researcher in 2018.
Richard Duszak, MD, FACR

Richard Duszak, MD, FACR

Emory University School of Medicine
Affiliate Senior Research Fellow
Richard Duszak, MD, is Professor and Vice Chair for Health Policy and Practice in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Emory University. Recognized with awards from multiple organizations for research, teaching, and service, Dr. Duszak previously served on the influential CPT Editorial Panel and as ACR Council Speaker. Prior to joining Emory, he held a variety of leadership roles in private and community practice. His interdisciplinary approach to imaging health policy research and education has led to nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications and 500 invited national lectures.
Joshua A. Hirsch, MD, FACR, FSIR, FSNIS

Joshua A. Hirsch, MD, FACR, FSIR, FSNIS

Massachusetts General Hospital
Affiliate Senior Research Fellow
2017 - Current
Joshua Hirsch, MD, is director of Interventional Neuroradiology, chief of the Interventional Spine Service, vice chair of Interventional Radiology Quality & Safety and associate Departmental Quality Chair at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has extensive experience in diagnosis, management and treatment of cerebrovascular disease, minimally invasive spine surgery and acute stroke treatment.
Michal Horný, PhD

Michal Horný, PhD

Emory University
Affiliate Research Fellow
Michal Horný is a health services researcher and health economist at Emory University. His main research interests include health care spending, health disparities due to financial barriers to care, and the assessment of the value of care with a particular focus on screening and diagnostic imaging. He received his doctorate in Health Services Research in 2017 from Boston University School of Public Health.
Pina C. Sanelli, MD, MPH, FACR

Pina C. Sanelli, MD, MPH, FACR

Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Affiliate Senior Research Fellow
2018 - Current
Dr. Pina C. Sanelli is a Professor of Radiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Professor in Health System Science at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Dr. Sanelli serves as the Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Radiology and Director of the Imaging Clinical Effectiveness and Outcomes Research (iCEOR) program at Northwell Health. Dr. Sanelli’s research interests are focused in clinical effectiveness and outcomes-based research in the context of health policy. Dr. Sanelli is a national leader and advocate for promoting clinical effectiveness and outcomes research focused on demonstrating the value of imaging in healthcare.

Advisory Board

Co-Chair: Pamela K. Woodard, MD, FACR

Co-Chair: Pamela K. Woodard, MD, FACR

Washington University School of Medicine
Chair, ACR Research Commission
Pamela K. Woodard, MD, is the Hugh Monroe Wilson Professor of Radiology and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University, where she is also the Sr. Vice Chair and Division Director of Radiological Research Facilities. In this role she provides administrative oversight to the directors of the department’s eight research facilities. She is also Director for the Washington University Center for Clinical Imaging Research (CCIR) and a principal investigator on several NIH-funded research grants, including a T32 grant to train residents and fellows in translational imaging research. She serves on the ACR Board of Chancellors as the Chair of the Research Commission.
Co-Chair: Gregory Nicola, MD, FACR

Co-Chair: Gregory Nicola, MD, FACR

Vice President, Hackensack Radiology Group
Chair, ACR Economics Commission
Dr. Gregory N. Nicola, MD, is a practicing radiologist subspecialized in neuroradiology. He currently serves as an executive leader of the Hackensack Radiology Group in Hackensack, New Jersey, as well as board member and finance chair for the Hackensack Meridian Health Partners Clinically Integrated Network. Dr. Nicola is a leader in the radiology community specifically in regards to health policy and economics issues, and currently serves as chair of the ACR Commission on Economics. He is the past ASNR advisor to the AMA RUC and a past two-time participant of the CMS/Acumen Resource Use Measure Committee. Aside from his leadership roles, he has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles pertaining to health policy and economics, as well as serves a frequent speaker at national medical conferences.
Robert M. Barr, MD, FACR

Robert M. Barr, MD, FACR

Mecklenburg Radiology Associates
Robert M. Barr, MD, is a neuroradiologist, past president of the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR), and chair of the Novant Health Board of Trustees. He is past president of Mecklenburg Radiology Associates, former ASNR advisor to the AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee, and former chair of the ASNR Health Policy Committee. He currently serves as president-elect of the American Board of Radiology.
Elizabeth Burnside, MD, MPH, MS, FACR

Elizabeth Burnside, MD, MPH, MS, FACR

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Elizabeth Burnside, MD, MPH is a professor of radiology in the University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH). Her degrees include an MD combined with a master's in Public Health as well as a master's degree in Medical Informatics. Her extramurally-funded research investigates machine learning to improve decision-making in breast imaging in the pursuit of improving the population based screening and diagnosis of breast cancer. Dr. Burnside has published over 120 peer review articles. Her transdisciplinary research is facilitated by affiliate appointments in the UW Departments of Industrial Engineering, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, and Population Health Science. Her leadership roles at UW, including SMPH Associate Dean, focus on team science fueling the evolution of research and care to converge and create a true learning health system.
Pari Pandharipande, MD, MPH, FACR

Pari Pandharipande, MD, MPH, FACR

Harvard Medical School
Dr. Pandharipande is an Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, a Radiologist in Abdominal Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Director of the MGH Institute for Technology Assessment. She is a graduate of Cornell University, Cornell University Medical College, and the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency in diagnostic radiology at NYU, and an NCI-sponsored fellowship in cancer outcomes research and abdominal imaging at MGH. Dr. Pandharipande's research is centered in imaging, decision science, disease modeling, and cost-effectiveness analysis, with a primary focus in cancer outcomes. Dr. Pandharipande is also clinically active within the Abdominal Imaging Division at MGH, where she interprets imaging studies and trains residents and fellows.
Andrew Moriarity, MD, FACR

Andrew Moriarity, MD, FACR

Advanced Radiology Services
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Dr. Moriarity completed residency at Henry Ford Hospital and fellowship in Abdominal Imaging and Cross-Sectional Interventional Radiology at UCLA. In Grand Rapids he is a member of the Board of Directors, the Vice President of Clinical Operations, and the Quality committee chair at Advanced Radiology Services, and is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine serving as the director of Quality and Safety. He is the current YPS representative on the ACR Board of Chancellors.
Kurt Schoppe, MD, FACR

Kurt Schoppe, MD, FACR

Radiology Associates of North Texas
Dr. Kurt Schoppe, MD is a diagnostic radiologist at Radiology Associates of North Texas. He has practical experience in healthcare payment policy, quality improvement, and patient safety. He has designed and implemented projects in both quality improvement and revenue cycle management for large single specialty physician practices and across hospital systems. He completed his residency at Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC and fellowship in abdominal imaging and interventional radiology at Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC. He is currently the ACR RUC advisory and at-large member of the Neiman HPI Advisory Board.
Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, FACR

Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, FACR

Director of Neuroradiology at Montefiore, & Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Chair, ACR Board of Chancellors
Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, FACR, is board certified by the American Board of Radiology, with a CAQ in Neuroradiology. In 2016, Dr. Bello received the New York Roentgen Society Distinguished Radiologist Award. She is a past president of the NY Roentgen Society, NY State Radiological Society and the American Society of Neuroradiology. She currently chairs the AMA Council on Medical Education and is the Chair of ACR Board of Chancellors. Her clinical focus is on adult and pediatric neuroradiology, medical education, quality and safety, and healthcare policy.
Etta Pisano, MD

Etta Pisano, MD

Harvard Medical School
ACR Chief Research Officer - Board Liaison
Etta Pisano, MD, is the Chief Research Officer at the American College of Radiology. Dr. Pisano is a professor in residence at Harvard Medical School and is the principal investigator for the Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST) involving 165,000 women. The study aims to compare 2D digital mammography to digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and determine if DBT is more effective at reducing advanced breast cancers.