INSIGHTS

Kirstin Matthews and Steven Lewis coauthored the book “Secularity and Science,” which details the findings of their comprehensive international study of scientists' attitudes toward religion and reaches a new, more nuanced understanding of how science and religion interact. (read more)

Vivian Ho and Rice Ph.D. student Yingying Xu published a study finding that freestanding emergency departments in Texas’ largest cities have not alleviated emergency room congestion or improved patient wait times in nearby hospitals. (read more)

Farhan Majid published a first-of-its-kind study that examined the impact of the ride-sharing service Uber on drunk-driving deaths in a developing country. (read more)

Peter Hotez documented the role of mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases in reducing disability adjusted life years for more than 1 billion people per year in low- and middle-income countries. (read more)

Kirstin Matthews hosted a panel discussion on the critical need for a statewide registry to document, catalog and analyze stem cell interventions, as Texas aims to become a worldwide center of stem cell and regenerative medicine innovation. (read more)

Dayna Bowen Matthew, a law professor from the University of Virginia, spoke about her book “Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in U.S. Health Care,” at a Center for Health and Biosciences (CHB) event. (read more)

The CHB partnered with U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw and researchers at the Texas Medical Center to host a Congressional Health Care Innovation Summit. (read more)

Nobel Prize laureate James Allison shared his experience in transforming laboratory observations into an effective strategy against cancer that targets the immune system instead of the tumor. His work has saved countless lives. (read more)

Hagop Kantarjian and Vivian Ho published an analysis indicating that, of the total national health care expenditures of $3.21 trillion in 2015, only $1.4 trillion to $2.86 trillion was used to provide care to patients. (read more)

Nonresident scholar Kevin Erickson found that independently owned dialysis facilities appeared to experience more rapid improvements in patient outcomes over time relative to independent facilities acquired by larger dialysis organizations. (read more)

EXPERT COMMENTARY

Peter Hotez was lauded in the New York Times for his vocal campaign against anti-vaccine activists. (read more)

Vivian Ho explored how the government’s role in health care could be expanded under a Democratic president in 2021 — and the potential costs for consumers and taxpayers. (read more)

Farhan Majid gave a TEDx talk on the complex relationship between health and wealth in the context of health care expenditures. (read more)

Quianta Moore explained why Houston needs to invest in the first three years of life. (read more)

Hagop Kantarjian wrote that health care proposals must keep the current private system, but offer the government-sponsored Medicare and Medicaid to more Americans. (read more)

Elena Marks collaborated with the Kaiser Family Foundation to gauge Texans’ views on health policy priorities at both the state and national level. (read more)

ACCOLADES

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas announced collaborations with 11 key research institutions in Texas to address the critical issues created by gaps in services and fragmented care delivery that lead to high health care costs. Vivian Ho was selected to evaluate the impact of laws and public policies on health cost and outcomes. (read more)

UP AND COMING

Event — Health Care Reform Conference
Plans are underway for our seventh biennial health care reform conference. Join us on November 8, when four leading health policy researchers will discuss the changes most likely to influence U.S. health care. More details will be available closer to the event.

PUBLICATIONS

“Association of Statewide Certificate of Need Regulations with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Appropriateness and Outcomes.” Journal of the American Heart Association, Jan. 15, 2019. Vivian Ho. (read more)

“Estimating effects of Uber ride-sharing service on road traffic-related deaths in South Africa: a quasi-experimental study.” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Jan. 15, 2019. Farhan Majid. (read more)

“Politics and Policies guiding human embryo research in the United States.” This report is part of the Baker Institute series “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research from Ethical, Political and Scientific Perspectives,” Jan. 23, 2019. Kirstin R. W. Matthews. (read more)

“China's shifting neglected parasitic infections in an era of economic reform, urbanization, disease control, and the Belt and Road Initiative.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Jan. 24, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“How much of U.S. health care spending provides direct care or benefit to patients?” Cancer, Jan. 29, 2019. Hagop Kantarjian and Vivian Ho. (read more)

“Neglected tropical diseases in children: An assessment of gaps in research prioritization.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Jan. 29, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“The Warnock Report and International Human Embryo Research Policies.” The report is part of the Baker Institute series “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research From Ethical, Political and Scientific Perspectives,” January 2019. Kirstin R. W. Matthews and Nuria Gallego Marquez. (read more)

“Human Embryo Research Beyond Day 14: Ethical Questions and Considerations.” The report is part of the Baker Institute series “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research From Ethical, Political and Scientific Perspectives,” February 2019. Ana S. Iltis, Immaculada de Melo-Martin, and Jason Scott,Robert. (read more)

“Cell-Culture Models of Early Human Development: Science, Ethics and Policy.” The report is part of the Baker Institute series “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research From Ethical, Political and Scientific Perspectives,” February 2019. Kirstin R. W. Matthews, Jason Scott Robert, Ana S. Iltis, Immaculada de Melo-Martin, and Daniel S. Wagner. (read more)

“Human Embryo Research: What do we know and how do we know it?” The report is part of the Baker Institute series “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research From Ethical, Political and Scientific Perspectives,” February 2019. Daniel S. Wagner and Kirstin R. W. Matthews. (read more)

“Weighing the Effects of Vertical Integration Versus Market Concentration on Hospital Quality.” Medical Care Research and Review, Feb. 9, 2019. Marah N. Short and Vivian Ho. (read more)

“Strategies to enhance access to diagnosis and treatment for Chagas disease patients in Latin America.” Expert Review of Ant-Infective Therapy, Feb. 13, 2019 Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Cutaneous leishmaniasis and co-morbid major depressive disorder: A systematic review with burden estimates.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Feb. 25, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“America and Europe's new normal: the return of vaccine-preventable diseases.” Pediatric Research, Feb. 27, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Does the ride-sharing service Uber reduce drunk-driving deaths in South Africa?” Baker Institute Health Policy Research newsletter, March 2019. Farhan Majid. (read more)

“Why Houston needs to invest in the first three years of life.” Houston Chronicle, March 4, 2019. Quianta Moore. (read more)

“Resolving ‘worm wars’: an extended comparison review of findings from key economics and epidemiological studies.” PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, March 7, 2019. Farhan Majid, SuJin Kang, and Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Why Mergers Can Impair Patient Care. “Baker Institute Policy Matters” podcast, March 15, 2019. Marah N. Short. (listen)

“Linking Tropical Infections to Hypertension: New Comorbid Disease Paradigms in Our Era of ‘Blue Marble Health.’” Journal of the American Heart Association, March 19, 2019. Peter J. Hotez (read more)

“Busting myths about health and wealth.” TEDx talk. Posted on YouTube, March 27, 2019. Farhan Majid. (watch)

“Moving the Line? Findings and Recommendations for Human Embryo Research.” The report is part of the Baker Institute series “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research From Ethical, Political and Scientific Perspectives,” April 2019. Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Ana S. Iltis, Immaculada de Melo-Martin, Jason Scott Robert, Daniel S. Wagner. (read more)

“Applying a value-based care framework to post-mastectomy reconstruction.” Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, April 1, 2019. Anaeze C. Offodile II. (read more)

“The many roads to universal health care in the U.S.” The Hill, April 3, 2019. Hagop Kantarjian. (read more)

“Female genital schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS: Reversing the neglect of girls and women.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, April 4, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Resurgence of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Venezuela as a Regional Public Health Threat in the Americas.” Emerging Infectious Diseases, April 25, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Immunizations and vaccines: a decade of successes and reversals, and a call for 'vaccine diplomacy'.” International Health, April 29, 2019.Peter J. Hotez. (read more) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31034023

“The physician-scientist: defending vaccines and combating antiscience.” Journal of Clinical Investigation, April 29, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Freestanding emergency departments in Texas do not alleviate congestion in hospital-based emergency departments.” The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, May 8, 2019. Vivian Ho. (read more)

“Pediatric tropical medicine: The neglected diseases of children.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, May 9, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Collateral Benefits of Preventive Chemotherapy – Expanding the War on Neglected Tropical Diseases.” The New England Journal of Medicine, May 8, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Economic value of a therapeutic Chagas vaccine for indeterminate and Chagasic cardiomyopathy patients.” Vaccine, May 16, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Association of Hospitalization and Mortality Among Patients Initiating Dialysis with Hemodialysis Facility Ownership and Acquisitions.” JAMA Network Open, May 17, 2019. Kevin Erickson and Vivian Ho. (read more)

“Venezuela's humanitarian crisis, resurgence of vector-borne diseases, and implications for spillover in the region.” Lancet Infectious Diseases, May 19, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Are we ready to genetically modify a human embryo? Or is it too late to ask?” Accountability in Research, May 20, 2019. Kirstin R. W. Matthews (read more)

“Transmission-Blocking Vaccines for Malaria: Time to Talk about Vaccine Introduction.” Trends in Parasitology, May 29, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“A therapeutic vaccine prototype induces protective immunity and reduces cardiac fibrosis in a mouse model of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, May 30, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“How Conditional Cash Transfers Impact Reproductive Choices: Evidence from Peru's Juntos Program.“ GrOW Research Series policy brief no. 12. Montreal, Canada: Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University. June 2019. Farhan Majid. (read more)

“The public health control of scabies: priorities for research and action.” Lancet, June 6 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Science tikkun: A framework embracing the right of access to innovation and translational medicine on a global scale.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, June 6, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Medicare-for-all could mean a migraine for most.” Baker Institute Blog, June 7, 2019. Vivian Ho. (read more)

“’Running the Gauntlet’: Formidable challenges in advancing neglected tropical diseases vaccines from development through licensure, and a ’Call to Action.’“ Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, June 10, 2019. Peter J. Hotez. (read more)

“Short-term and long-term distributional consequences of prenatal malnutrition and stress: using Ramadan as a natural experiment.“ BMJ Global Health, June 2019. Farhan Majid. (read more)

“Peru’s JUNTOS Conditional Cash Transfer Program: Geographic Targeting, (2005-2017).” Research to Practice Policy Briefs, Institute for the Study of International Development, June 2019. Farhan Majid. (read more)

ABOUT THE CHB

The Center for Health and Biosciences (CHB) employs comprehensive research analysis to develop health policy recommendations that promote health and well-being in the United States and globally.

Rice University's Baker Institute is a nonpartisan public policy think tank located in Houston, Texas. The institute's distinguished fellows and scholars conduct research and collaborate with experts from academia, government, the media, business and private organizations on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy.