“USC is a research-oriented university with great faculty and resources, and it values entrepreneurial and innovative thinking. One of the unique aspects of our department is that it’s housed in the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, so we have a really talented group of economists, social scientists and physicians studying a wide range of health policy and economic issues.”
Located in Los Angeles on the USC University Park Campus, the USC PhD program in health economics offers students the opportunity to help shape the future of health care through groundbreaking research and innovative policy solutions. Our multidisciplinary program offers rigorous training in microeconomics, econometrics, cost effectiveness analysis, welfare economics, public finance, epidemiology and health status measurement. Students in the program work closely with our world-renowned faculty, gaining the practical research experience needed to launch their careers.
Our program offers numerous benefits to help position our students for future success. All of our PhD students are fully funded, including tuition remission and stipend, for up to five years through teaching and research assistantships or competitive fellowships. Many of our students participate in internships that offer real world experience and networking opportunities in industry, policy analysis and consulting. Our department’s affiliation with the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics provides opportunities for students to work closely with distinguished faculty from across USC on impactful projects. Bolstered in part by our strong alumni network, our students are highly sought after for positions in academia, government and industry.
High Demand, Real Impact
A partnership between USC Mann and the Price School of Public Policy, the Schaeffer Center brings together health policy experts, seasoned pharmacoeconomics specialists and faculty across USC and other leading institutions to solve pressing challenges in healthcare.
Meet the Faculty
Ken S. Wong, PharmD, MPH
- Director, Division of Healthcare and Biopharmaceutical Business & Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
Ken Wong is an expert in innovations in market access and drug pricing.
Erin Trish, PhD
- Co-Director, Schaeffer Center; Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
Health economist focusing on the intersection of public policy and healthcare markets
Seth Seabury, PhD
- Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
Seth Seabury is an expert in the impact of health on productivity and the law impact delivery of care and patient outcomes.
John A. Romley, PhD
- Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
John Romley is an expert in health care costs, public health, and health insurance markets and benefits design.
William Padula, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
Expert in health economics, cost-effectiveness analysis, health services research and quality improvement
Darius N. Lakdawalla, PhD
- Professor of Pharmaceutical Economics and Public Policy; Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Innovation
Darius Lakdawalla is a widely published, award-winning researcher and a leading authority in both health economics and health policy.
Geoffrey Joyce, PhD
- Associate Professor & Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
Geoffrey Joyce is an expert in health care economics, including the impact of Medicare Part D, drug benefit design and costs of disease.
Dana P. Goldman, PhD
- Leonard D. Schaeffer Director of the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service and University Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy, and Economics
Expert in healthcare reform, managed care and drug costs
Steven Fox, MD, MSc
- Research Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics
Steven Fox is an expert on methods to improve health outcomes through innovative use of data.
