Public Health Law Researcher

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated full-time Public Health Law Researcher to join Dr. Michael Pesko’s lab. Dr. Pesko’s research categorizes health policy changes and estimates the effects of these changes on health-related outcomes using survey and administrative data sources. The lab is currently generously funded by multiple awards from the National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society. Lab members publish in top-tier clinical, public health, health policy, and economics journals, including New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, American Journal of Public Health, and Journal of Health Economics.   

The primary responsibility of this role Is to leverage legal law databases, specifically LexisNexis and Westlaw, to conduct in-depth research on state and local municipality legislation and policies related to current grants, with a focus on topics such as tobacco and health insurance. The successful candidate will be tasked with summarizing these policies and producing high-quality, complex documents including peer-reviewed articles, white papers, briefing documents, and detailed reports. Additionally, depending on qualifications, the individual may have the opportunity to teach a health policy and law class for MPH students and engage with researchers in the Department of Public Health and/or the Law School.

Key Responsibilities:

1.       Legal Database Research

a.       Utilize LexisNexis and Westlaw to thoroughly investigate state and local municipality legislation and policies relevant to current grants. The individual will have subscriptions to these resources through the law school.

b.      Stay abreast of changes and updates in relevant legal frameworks.

c.       Collaborate with the Principal Investigator (PI) to share observations from original legal research.

2.       Variable Coding & Drafting

a.       Work with the PI and research team members to determine variables for coding based on legal research findings.

b.      Produce a first draft of the paper, seeking clarification from the PI on significant questions.

c.       Collaborate with the PI on modifications and refinements after reviewing the first draft.

3.       Content Expertise & Coding

a.       Utilize legal databases like LexisNexis to identify laws affecting the subject area of interest, e.g., mandates surrounding health insurers covering hearing aids.

b.      Develop content expertise on the topic to ensure inclusion of all relevant search terms.

c.       Code laws, including key features such as effective date, types of health insurance plans affected, characteristics of the products mandated, etc.

4.       Teaching & Collaboration

a.       Teach a health policy law class for MPH students, providing valuable insights and knowledge.

b.      Engage with researchers in the Department of Public Health to foster collaboration and exchange of ideas.

5.       Policy Lab Support

a.       Assist with other policy lab functions as needed, contributing to the overall success of the organization.

6.       Stakeholder Engagement

a.       Produce slides and deliver presentations for key stakeholders, effectively communicating research findings and insights.