About Us

The Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF is an interdisciplinary collection of concerned researchers who share a mission — improve health and transform healthcare in America by working across competing interests, collecting evidence, informing policy, and improving practice.

We recognize that the health challenges we experience as a society are complex and systemic. Addressing these challenges therefore requires a comprehensive and equitable approach that spans across disciplines, ensuring that policy and practice serve everyone’s interests.

It is a fundamental human right that every individual can be healthy and have access to high-quality, affordable health care. When people are well-informed, it leads to better outcomes. In the same way, when policymakers and decision-makers have access to unbiased, comprehensive research, it leads to smarter, more effective policy. Smarter policy leads to healthier people.

But when systems are drowning in conflicts of interest and decisions are based on politics rather than science, health outcomes suffer. If research is unknown or not utilized, it can’t impact policy nor improve the health of anyone.

We are long past simply treating the symptoms of this systemic failure. We must collectively commit and invest in strong research that leads to sound policy and smart decisions. At The Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, we push the traditional boundaries of academia and health studies. Our researchers work across disciplines, championing improved health and better healthcare by generating, sharing, and advocating for new evidence with practitioners and policymakers who can put it to work.