About Penn LDI

Map of Penn LDI on Penn's campus

The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (Penn LDI) supports, connects, engages, and amplifies multidisciplinary research among experts from all of Penn’s schools, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Explore this page to learn about who we are and what we do.

From the Executive Director

Welcome to Penn LDI. We are the University of Pennsylvania’s hub for research on health care delivery, health policy, and population health. From our founding in 1967 when Medicare and Medicaid began, through the passage of and challenges to the Affordable Care Act, our researchers have asked and answered the most important questions aimed at creating a more equitable, robust, and sustainable health care system.

We bring together researchers from across the University with a common mission: to achieve effective and efficient health care for all people through collaborative, interdisciplinary research and education. Over fifty years ago, LDI was the first institute of its kind and, for decades, was the only interdisciplinary group dedicated to health economics. Today, it remains the leader in the field with a deep commitment to scientific rigor, policy-relevant research, and training the next generation of researchers.

While we were the first institute to bridge the once disparate fields of business and medicine, we do not rest on our laurels; our priorities continue to focus on the most pressing health system challenges of the day, whether it be COVID-19, the opioid epidemic, or more longstanding issues such as health equity, care of older adults, access and coverage, and population health.

On behalf of Penn LDI, welcome to our virtual home. I invite you to get to know us through our comprehensive directory of our more than 500 Fellows, as well as LDI leadership and staff. You’ll also find our latest news, blog posts, and briefs about the cutting-edge research we do, the evidence-based policy we promote, and the seminars and conferences we hold throughout the year. And, in everything that we do, we work together to create a stronger health care system that is part of a more equitable world.

I hope you find our work accessible, informative, and inspirational.

Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD
Executive Director of Penn LDI, Robert D. Eilers Professor of Health Care Management and Economics, and Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

P.S. Stay connected with us via Twitter, LinkedIn, and our enewsletters.

Our Priorities

Our priorities build upon our long-standing commitment to catalyzing collaborative, multidisciplinary research that influences policy and practice.

LDI Strategic Priorities

Penn LDI 2023 Year in Review

Our 2023 Year in Review features research and event highlights, LDI Fellows’ accomplishments, news about our training programs, and more.

Fast Facts

1967Year Penn LDI was Founded

400+LDI Fellows from Across Penn’s Schools

9,500Journal Articles Published (2019–2023)

$150M+Awarded in External Grant Funding

$1M+Awarded in Research Grants from LDI

2,900+Virtual Seminar Attendees

Partners

Penn LDI partners with a range of national, regional, and Penn-affiliated organizations, health departments, nonprofits, and centers.

A group of people working on a project
Penn Campus

Governance and Committees

An overview of Penn LDI’s governing and advisory members.

LDI Staff

Meet our team and find contact information.

Fellows Directory

Our 500+ Fellows are national experts and thought leaders who bridge all of Penn’s schools, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

History

With a gift from Leonard and Sophie Davis, the University of Pennsylvania established the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics in 1967.

Portrait of Founder Leonard Davis and wife
Colonial Penn Center sign on Lucst Walk

Contact Us

Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
University of Pennsylvania
Colonial Penn Center
3641 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-898-5611 | Fax: 215-898-0229
PennLDI-info@wharton.upenn.edu