Dr. Sen becomes the first woman to hold an endowed chair faculty position in the School of Public Health (SOPH) at UAB.

“We are fortunate to have right here at UAB a person well-qualified for this endowed chair– Dr. Sen – whose work as a health economist is well known. We are looking forward to her leadership in addressing critically important questions for public health and healthcare in the state and beyond,” said Dr. Paul Erwin, Dean of the UAB School of Public Health.

Dr. Sen’s research is focused on empirical analyses of the impact of socio-economic-demographic factors and the policy and programmatic landscape on health outcomes of vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. Over the past 10 years she has focused on health outcomes for children enrolled in Alabama’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Dr. Sen received her PhD in economics from The Ohio State University. She joined UAB in 2002, and is a full professor in Department of Health Care Organization and Policy. Dr. Sen is extensively involved with the local community, and serves on the Board of Directors of The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham.

This appointment is made possible by a $1.5 million endowment from BCBS. Goals include exploring and developing practical solutions to health problems; facilitating the translation of solutions into practice, both public health and health care; and strategizing to improve health and well-being of all residents in the state of Alabama.

More information about the endowment can be found in the UAB award announcement.