Leadership | Center for Healthcare Policy and Research

Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences

CHPR Director Courtney Lyles is a professor in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences. She joined CHPR and UC Davis in July 2023 after serving as an associate professor in the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations and the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. While at UCSF, Lyles served as co-director of the Innovation in Research and Informatics core for the UCSF Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and co-directed the UCSF Population Health Data Initiative. 

A trained health services researcher, she uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine quality of care, health behavior and health outcomes. Her research specifically focuses on harnessing health information technology to improve chronic disease management to reduce disparities in health and healthcare outcomes. Her research portfolio spans digital health design and testing, evaluation and implementation, including multiple large digital health studies for improving diabetes, depression, hypertension and referrals to community-based health and social resources.

Lyles leverages her research, teaching, administrative and leadership background to execute CHPR’s mission to facilitate research, promote education and inform policy about health and healthcare. She manages CHPR’s staff and day-to-day operations with support from the associate director as well as a leadership team comprised of key faculty members, the chief administrative officer and supervisors.

Associate Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
Professor and Chief, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Health Policy and Management

CHPR Associate Director Jeffrey Hoch was recruited to UC Davis in Fall 2015. He is a professor and chief of the Division of Health Policy and Management in the Department of Public Health Sciences. Hoch’s experience is in health services research and health economics. He pursues research that makes health economics more useful to decisionmakers. An award-winning teacher, Hoch has taught Health Economics classes in the United States and internationally. His extensive research, teaching and mentoring experience with students, fellows and faculty has expanded CHPR’s capacity to conduct and communicate cost-effectiveness research.

Hoch is internationally known for his research studying value in healthcare using applied cost-effectiveness methods. He has given over 250 invited presentations in 15 countries and published more than 200 scientific papers in a variety of different areas from cancer to mental health. Hoch is an award-winning teacher with research collaborations around the world and serves on the California Technology Assessment Forum and the BMC Cancer journal editorial board.

Chief of Staff, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research

CHPR Chief of Staff Hilary Spindler has 20 years of public health experience developing and managing complex local and global HIV, maternal health and COVID-19 programs. She has expertise in advancing strategic work plans, and budgets, communicating with funders and partners, as well as in staffing, hiring and managing deliverables. Spindler is motivated by the incredible people working in local, state, federal and global public health and healthcare and their dedication to improving lives.

Former Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
Professor Emeritus, Department of Family and Community Medicine

Former Director Joy Melnikow, M.D., M.P.H., led CHPR from 2009-2021. As Director, she leveraged her clinical, research, and teaching expertise to execute CHPR’s mission. Dr. Melnikow’s own research spans mental health, cancer screening and prevention in women, healthcare access, and the synthesis and integration of evidence in policy formulation. Under Dr. Melnikow’s leadership, CHPR experienced consistent growth in grant support, faculty membership, and interdisciplinary program development. 

Former Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine

Former Director Richard Kravitz, M.D., M.S.P.H., led CHPR from 1996-2006. As Director, Dr. Kravitz expanded CHPR’s interdisciplinary role, which was reflected by the decision in 2006 to rename the Center from the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care to its current name: Center for Healthcare Policy and Research. CHPR was awarded its status as an Organized Research Unit (ORU) in 1999 under the leadership of Dr. Kravitz.

Former Director, Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care (currently the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research)
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Family and Community Medicine

From 1994-1996, Klea Bertakis, M.D., M.P.H., served as the founding Director of the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, which was renamed the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research in 2006. She also served as CHPR’s Interim Director from 2007-2009. Dr. Bertakis guided the early development of the Center and positioned CHPR to play a critical role in both UC Davis Health and wider UC Davis academic research as an Organized Research Unit (ORU).