Charles Leonard, PharmD, MSCE, MPH, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on generating real-world evidence that has informed clinical guidance, regulatory evaluation, and health policy decisions about medication safety, effectiveness, and use in routine care.
Dr. Leonard’s work sits at the intersection of pharmacoepidemiology, health policy, and population health, with a particular emphasis on cardiometabolic disease and the safe use of commonly prescribed medications. He leverages large healthcare databases and advanced epidemiologic methods to evaluate how medications perform outside of clinical trials, especially among populations underrepresented in traditional research. His work has been cited in clinical guidelines, policy reports, and global health assessments.
A central theme of his research is supporting decision-making by regulators, payers, and clinicians, particularly where randomized trial evidence is limited. His work has contributed to evaluations informing bodies such as the World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, underscoring the role of observational evidence in international drug policy and clinical guidance.
More recently, his research examines how structural and environmental factors—including extreme heat and energy insecurity—affect access to and safe use of therapies for chronic disease. His work highlights policy implications for programs such as LIHEAP and other investments in climate adaptation and health equity. He also co-directs a federally funded training program and teaches graduate coursework in causal inference and medication safety.
