Baker Institute names Dr. John Mendelsohn as senior fellow in health and technology policy

MD Anderson President Dr. John Mendelsohn has been named the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health and Technology Policy at Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. Starting in March 2012, he will play an active part in the Baker Institute’s health policy research programs and work closely with collaborators at Rice University and other institutions in the Texas Medical Center.

Mendelsohn’s work at the Baker Institute will focus on the identification and evaluation of new technologies, therapeutics and best practices, as well as the promotion of policy recommendations to improve national and global health outcomes. This new position was made possible by the generosity of L.E. and Virginia Simmons.

“Technology plays a critical role in medicine today, and policymakers are looking for the best ways to evaluate and understand these tools of the future,” Mendelsohn said. “My new position at the Baker Institute will allow me to contribute to these important decisions and employ my background as a practitioner, researcher and leader in the medical field. I am also excited about joining the Baker Institute Health Economics Program, which I have long admired for its collaborative work at Rice University, across the Texas Medical Center and with the global health community.”