Policy Researcher; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School
To schedule an interview, call (310) 451-6913 or email media@rand.org.
Alina I. Palimaru is a policy researcher at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. With a background in mixed methods, her research focuses on the juncture of poverty and health, including health outcomes measurement, quality of life, disability, mental health and substance use disorders, housing, homelessness, and food insecurity. She has been studying the impact of quality of care on quality of life in the context of disabling pathologies (e.g., spinal cord injury), but also across the lifespan.
Because communication is a vital component of research, Palimaru has also pursued the complementary discipline of knowledge transfer, through polished presentations (substance with style), and as a producer and coproducer on a series of award-winning films in health care. In recent years, her films and webinars garnered 18 awards, including a Silver Collision Award for social impact, four Bronze Telly Awards (social impact and animation), three Silver Telly Awards (social impact, animation, and accesssibility), three Platinum and four Gold dotCOMM Awards across several categories. In 2013, she was associate producer on the award-winning Spinal Injury Patient Film (www.spinalinjury.tv), and Choosing a Wheelchair (www.choosingawheelchair.com), playing a key role in development and production. These successful films were adopted as communication tools by NHS spinal injury centers and UK NGOs.
Palimaru holds a Ph.D. in health policy and management from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, an M.P.P. from American University, and a B.A. in history, politics, and communication from Drexel University. She aspires to do things that matter.
Ph.D. in health policy, UC Los Angeles; M.P.P. in public policy, American University; B.A. in history, Drexel University
