People

Amanda Perry
Program Manager
BA, Sociology, Wake Forest University

Amanda’s current research interests include rural health care access/delivery and social determinants of health. Amanda has studied the ways in which social norms affect the utilization of health services for women who have experienced intimate partner violence in rural vs. urban communities. Email Amanda here.

Research expertise:
Navigating required institutional approvals/ human subjects research regulatory requirements (IRB) and institutional operations (including clinical trials)
Designing/setting up, and reporting of REDCap data collection forms (e.g., surveys)
Proofreading & editing academic papers
Improving readability of patient-facing materials
Facilitating contracting processes through Dartmouth College or Dartmouth Health

Megan Murphy
Research Programmer
MS, Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
MS, Biostatistics, Columbia University
BEng, Chemical Engineering, McGill University

Megan’s current interests are developing optimal approaches for understanding patients’ health and healthcare experiences with the data sources we have available to us. Email Megan here.

Christian Spalding
Research Administrator Manager
MPH, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
BA, History, University of Vermont

Christian served as Barnato Lab Research Director for two years and remains interested in the ongoing research of the lab. He is particularly interested in studying variation of health outcomes and demonstrating the need for universal health insurance in Vermont and the United States. Email Christian here.

Eleni Fanouraki
Project Coordinator
MPH, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice
BS, Millsaps College

Eleni’s research interests are rooted in the idea that person-centered care can improve patient and caregiver experience, relieve clinician burden, and promote quality of life through medical services that align with patient preferences. Email Eleni here.

Garrett T. Wasp
Mentee & Collaborator
Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Internal Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
MD, SUNY – The State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine

Garrett is a practicing medical oncologist and mixed-method researcher who studies how patients and clinicians communicate and make decisions on cancer treatment. His overarching goal is to design and implement flexible communication tools and processes that promote more effective shared decision-making. Email Garrett here.

Catherine Hylas Saunders
Mentee & Collaborator
PhD, Health Policy Analysis, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice
MPH, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice
BA, Sociology/Anthropology, Middlebury College

Katie is a mixed methods health services researcher focused on making the experience of serious illness better and easier to measure. She works to develop, test and implement innovations on behalf of patients, care partners and clinicians. Her research is anchored in the belief that patients and their families are better off when they have a seat at the table and a voice in the discussion.When she isn’t doing science, she is exploring the forests and streams near her home with her husband, two young children and big shaggy dog. Email Katie here.

Meredith MacMartin
Mentee & Collaborator
Hospice and Palliative Care, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Internal Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC

Meredith is a palliative care physician and researcher studying the mechanism of action of specialty palliative care. Her goal is to leverage insights from the field of palliative care to improve the care of all patients with serious illness. Email Meredith here.

Research expertise:
palliative care, end of life, qualitative methods

Rachel Forcino
Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine
Mentee & Collaborator
PhD, Health Services Research,
Radboud University Nijmegen
MSc, Business and Economics, Lund University
BA, International Studies and French Studies, American University

Rachel’s research focuses on designing, testing, and implementing evidence-based approaches to reduce burdens associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. She uses mixed methods to study the role of direct and indirect costs in treatment decision-making and develop supports for people with high healthcare costs. Email Rachel here.

Timothy B. Elder
Postdoctoral Researcher
PhD, Sociology, University of Chicago
BA, Philosophy and Sociology, Kent State University

Timothy is a sociologist who studies how networks of collaboration evolve and influence the work of professionals and experts, particularly in the scientific and medical fields. Using a variety of methods including open-ended unstructured interviews, ethnography, network and text analysis, he is investigating how different medical specialists synthesize their expertise in the care of the chronically and terminally ill. Email Timothy here.

Benjamin Carter
Postdoctoral Researcher
PhD, Political Science
MA, Public Policy
BA, Political Science Stony Brook University

Benjamin’s research investigates the sources and consequences of public opposition to policies that promote equity, health, and economic security.
He uses experimental economics and survey research methods to examine how policy designs and political
rhetoric shape citizens’ preferences
and behavior. Email Benjamin here.

Sophie Skallerud
Research Assistant
MD candidate, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
BS, Biology, Dartmouth College

Sophie graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in Biology and she is currently working under Dartmouth’s Lombard Public Service Fellowship. Sophie is interested in improving the attitudes and experiences of physicians, patients, and families surrounding end-of-life conversations.