Elizabeth Rula, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute where she oversees a large, diverse portfolio of research that informs health policy and radiology practice. The Institute’s mission is to publish impactful research to promote the effective and efficient use of health care resources to improve patient care. The Neiman Institute is affiliated with the American College of Radiology, where Dr. Rula serves as Vice President of health services and policy research. With over 15 years of experience leading health services & outcomes research, Dr. Rula strives to establish a strong scientific foundation for the value of health care services & health policy that promotes broad & equitable access to high-value care. Read More

Eric Christensen, Ph.D., is the Director of Economic and Health Services Research for the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute (HPI). 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, taught health economics at the University of Minnesota, and engaged in private consulting. Read More

YoonKyung Chung, Ph.D., 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

Alexandra Drake, MPH, joined the ACR-NHPI team in May 2023 as a Senior Health Services Data Analyst. She brings with her over 5 years of experience in population health analytics and visualization development. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Biology from SUNY Fredonia, Alexandra worked as a Basic EMT and nurse assistant in rural WNY for 1 year before attending the University of Buffalo for her master’s in public health. Read More

Nichole Gonzalez 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, Ph.D., serves as a senior biostatistician for the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, utilizing her strong analytical skill set. With broad training in various social science research methodologies, she approaches data analysis for radiology health policy research aligned with the goals of the Neiman Health Policy Institute. Chi-Mei excels at adapting different coding languages to handle data and collaborates with others to address diverse research questions. She is skilled at systematically sourcing research resources to drive results. Read More

Casey Pelzl, MPH, joined HPI as a Biostatistician in April 2021, and has since become the team’s Senior Economics and Health Services Analyst. She brings nearly a decade of experience in outcomes research, during which she worked closely with trauma surgeons from across the nation to improve the treatment and care of injured patients. Since joining HPI, Casey has developed a passion for identifying the radiological inequity and accessibility issues in the pediatric Medicaid population. Read More

Mikki D. Waid, Ph.D., 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

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.

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.

Dr. Christopher Comstock is a radiologist and director of Breast Imaging Postgraduate Training & Education at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He earned his medical degree from Tulane in 1990 and finished his residency in radiology in 1995 at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans. Following his residency, he completed a fellowship in Breast Imaging at the University of Chicago. Dr. Comstock then worked as an Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Chicago and later at Northwestern University Hospital’s Lynn Sage Breast Center. For 2 years, he was the medical director of the West Suburban Hospital’s Center for Breast Care in River Forest Illinois, and later worked at Memorial Care’s breast centers in Long Beach and Orange Coast California. Dr. Comstock is co-author of “Abbreviated Breast MRI: A Practical Guide” published in 2018, co-author of a textbook on breast cancer imaging, has written several book chapters, has been involved in numerous breast imaging publications, and has given over 400 invited lectures.

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, 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.

Dr. Richard Barth is Professor of Radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine and serves as Radiologist-in-Chief, Emeritus the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University. Dr. Barth is a pediatric radiologist with specialty expertise in fetal imaging, pediatric ultrasound and body imaging. Dr Barth started the fetal MRI program at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and currently serves as Medical Director. He is also Medical Director for Pediatric Imaging at California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco. Dr. Barth’s clinical and research interests include pediatric quality and safety initiatives, public advocacy to improve pediatric health, development of new fetal MRI applications, and pediatric applications of ultrasound contrast agents and elastography. He is past president and board chair of the Society for Pediatric Radiology. Dr Barth serves on the ACR Board of Chancellors as Chair of the Pediatric Radiology Commission.

Dr. Pandharipande is Professor and Chair of Radiology at Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center. 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.

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.

Alan H. Matsumoto, M.D. FSIR, FACR, FAHA, is a professor of radiology and chair of the Department of Radiology at the University of Virginia. He has pioneered many novel and innovative, minimally invasive, image-guided procedures during his 20 years at the University of Virginia, many of which have become incorporated into practice at many nationally recognized medical facilities. He has published more than 180 articles and book chapters and has trained more than 100 residents and fellows. His patient-oriented, multidisciplinary collaboration with other medical specialists has led to optimization of care in patients with complex diseases.