Get to Know Our Schaeffer-NPC Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Policy, Dr. Ilene Hollin

The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) has partnered with Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California to create a post-doctoral, two-year fellowship that seeks to bridge the gap between health research and policy analysis, particularly in the biopharmaceutical industry.

This new fellowship has been awarded to Ilene Hollin, PhD, who recently earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Economics and Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and previously worked as a Graduate Research Associate at the School’s Roger Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care.

NPC sat down with Dr. Hollin to get to know her a little better:

NPC: Welcome to NPC, and congratulations on the fellowship. What sparked your interest in applying for the fellowship?

IL: The most appealing aspect of the fellowship was the ability to work in an environment that bridges the divide between researchers in academia and those working more directly with policymakers. Both NPC and the Schaeffer Center are organizations with strong reputations, excellent leadership and a great deal of expertise in their respective areas, and I wanted to take advantage of this unique opportunity to work with both in parallel and collaboration.

NPC: What are your goals with this fellowship—what do you hope to achieve?

IL: I want to conduct high-quality, policy-relevant research that moves the needle on improving the health care system for patients.

NPC: How did you get started in health policy? What prompted you to get involved in health policy as a career?

IL: I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth which has provided me with a lot of intimate experience with the health care system. Having personally benefited from our health care system, I felt this was a career that would allow me to give back. On the other hand, that kind of exposure also provided an acute awareness of the opportunities for improvement and positioned me uniquely to shape change in an area that touches all lives in profound and important ways.

NPC: What advice do you have for other aspiring health policy graduates?

IL: Start developing your interests early by diversifying; later on focus and don’t be afraid to commit to a passion. I’ve worked across various disciplines and different environments, each of which has helped to evolve my skills, sharpen my focus and contribute to health policy. However, it is the projects for which I was passionate that made me excited to work every day.

NPC: Outside of health policy, of course, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

IL: I love to spend time outside being active: biking, hiking, swimming, skiing and rock climbing. In the summer, you will find me at a local farmer’s market seeking out a flawless cup of coffee and perfectly ripened tomatoes and peaches. I live to travel, eat delicious food and spend quality time with family, friends and good books.

NPC and the Schaeffer Center welcome Dr. Hollin and look forward to her future work as the Schaeffer-NPC Postdoctoral Health Policy Fellow, especially in this exciting and challenging time in the health care world.