Ph.D. and M.S. in biomathematics, University of California, Los Angeles; B.S. in physics, MIT
Sarah Nowak is a physical scientist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Nowak specializes in mathematical modeling. One of her primary areas of research involves integrating agent-based modeling approaches with national surveys to examine how information individuals gather through their social networks impacts individual-level decision making as well as health outcomes at the population level. She has applied these methods to study how patients and providers make decisions about breast cancer screening. In addition, Nowak has been involved in a number of studies using microsimulation modeling to forecast the impact of health care reforms on health insurance coverage, families' health care costs, and costs to federal and state governments. Her other research interests include examining options to tailor Air Force medical capabilities for future conflict environments. Nowak received a Ph.D. in biomathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor's degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
