My name is Miranda Yaver. I am an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh, where I teach courses on U.S health policy, politics, and law. A political scientist by training, I additionally hold courtesy appointments in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Political Science and in the School of Public and International Affairs. In addition to my academic appointments, I am the 2025 Author-in-Residence and Healthcare Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, through which I am completing my forthcoming book and pursuing related work on racial and economic justice in health and political economy of health. My health policy work draws on the American political economy lens to examine administrative burden as a driver of health and health insurance disparities in the U.S. (across both public and private insurance, though especially amid increasing privatization), as well as the politics of health reform, with additional work on reproductive health policy and the cataloguing of the current administration's effects on health. My forthcoming book, Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the U.S., is now available for pre-order through Cambridge University Press and Amazon!
My research has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Law, Economics & Organization, Scientific Reports, Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law, JAMA Pediatrics, Lancet Regional Health-Americas, and World Medical & Health Policy Journal. My op-eds and other health care commentary has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post's Monkey Cage, MSNBC, The Hill, STATNews, MedPage, Rewire News, Public Seminar, Bustle, The Conversation, and Medium, and I have appeared on France 24, CBC News, CNBC Digital and NPR Morning Edition to discuss American politics and health policy. I have additionally been interviewed for pieces in such outlets as Huffington Post, Politico, The Guardian, The Hill, and STATNews. I additionally wrote numerous health policy briefs on the COVID-19 pandemic through the project Brief-19.
Prior to joining the Pitt faculty, I was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a postdoctoral researcher in Health Policy and Management in the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, with emphases in American Politics (major subfield) and Methodology (minor subfield). A Bay Area native, I received a B.A. with honors in Political Science from UC Berkeley (go bears!) in 2009.
Related Academic Work: I am part of the inaugural cohort of AcademyHealth's Champions for Health Services and Prevention Research Program. I am the co-leader of the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network, which brings together a multidisciplinary group of scholars to translate academic research into public facing work for dissemination to policymakers and the broader public to improve public policy and strengthen democracy. I am additionally a co-leader of the Scholars Strategy Network's Medicaid Working Group, which analyzes the impact of Medicaid and potential cuts to the program. Lastly, I am on the coordinating committee and Health Insurance Working Group co-leader of Defending Public Health, a nationwide group of public health practitioners, academics, and advocates. Finally, I am also the Social Media Co-Editor of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law.
A Little More About Me: I have performed stand-up comedy throughout New York City, New Haven, Boston, and Los Angeles. When not working or performing, I enjoy catching live music (Bruuuuce) and watching sports (go NY Yankees, SF Giants, and Golden State Warriors!). Find me on BlueSky.
My research has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Law, Economics & Organization, Scientific Reports, Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law, JAMA Pediatrics, Lancet Regional Health-Americas, and World Medical & Health Policy Journal. My op-eds and other health care commentary has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post's Monkey Cage, MSNBC, The Hill, STATNews, MedPage, Rewire News, Public Seminar, Bustle, The Conversation, and Medium, and I have appeared on France 24, CBC News, CNBC Digital and NPR Morning Edition to discuss American politics and health policy. I have additionally been interviewed for pieces in such outlets as Huffington Post, Politico, The Guardian, The Hill, and STATNews. I additionally wrote numerous health policy briefs on the COVID-19 pandemic through the project Brief-19.
Prior to joining the Pitt faculty, I was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a postdoctoral researcher in Health Policy and Management in the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, with emphases in American Politics (major subfield) and Methodology (minor subfield). A Bay Area native, I received a B.A. with honors in Political Science from UC Berkeley (go bears!) in 2009.
Related Academic Work: I am part of the inaugural cohort of AcademyHealth's Champions for Health Services and Prevention Research Program. I am the co-leader of the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network, which brings together a multidisciplinary group of scholars to translate academic research into public facing work for dissemination to policymakers and the broader public to improve public policy and strengthen democracy. I am additionally a co-leader of the Scholars Strategy Network's Medicaid Working Group, which analyzes the impact of Medicaid and potential cuts to the program. Lastly, I am on the coordinating committee and Health Insurance Working Group co-leader of Defending Public Health, a nationwide group of public health practitioners, academics, and advocates. Finally, I am also the Social Media Co-Editor of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law.
A Little More About Me: I have performed stand-up comedy throughout New York City, New Haven, Boston, and Los Angeles. When not working or performing, I enjoy catching live music (Bruuuuce) and watching sports (go NY Yankees, SF Giants, and Golden State Warriors!). Find me on BlueSky.