Ashlyn Tom

Ashlyn Tom is a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. She has dedicated her career to conducting research aimed at improving the delivery of health care. She currently supports and manages several projects assessing health care performance, evaluating physician incentives, and promoting health equity. She also worked to support efforts in the Community Planning and Capacity Building Sector, assisting in the creation of a disaster and economic recovery plan in Puerto Rico in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. 

Prior to joining RAND, Tom worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in radiation oncology where she explored initiatives to improve patient-physician communication and quality of life for patients undergoing chemoradiation. More recently she worked on prevention of non-communicable diseases within disparately affected Pacific Island populations, creating resources and legislative talking points to aid in the implementation of health-promoting policies. She supported a project at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Hawaii, in partnership with the National Cancer Institute to identify provider challenges to improve HPV vaccination. Her work was used to support mandatory HPV vaccination for 7th grade entry in the state of Hawaii. Her interests include reducing health disparities, improving health care delivery, and advancing cancer prevention and communication.

Born and raised in Hawaii, her island upbringing ingrained in her the aloha spirit, an appreciation for collaboration and communication as essential elements in achieving successful outcomes. Tom received her B.A. in anthropology from New York University and her M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.