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David Grande Appointed Interim Executive Director of LDI

Will Serve as Provost Office Search for Permanent Director Continues

July 7, 2026

By:

Hoag Levins

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David Grande, MD, MPA, Professor of Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and Director of Policy at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) has been appointed Interim Executive Director of LDI, the University of Pennsylvania Vice Provost for Research has announced.

Vice Provost David Meaney said Grande will lead the Institute while the search for its new permanent Executive Director continues—an effort expected to conclude this fall.

“Dave has been an integral leader at LDI and a trusted voice on health policy at Penn and beyond,” Meaney said. “His combination of clinical expertise, policy experience, and deep knowledge of LDI’s research community makes him an outstanding choice to lead the Institute during this transition, and I am grateful for his willingness to serve.

LDI’s former Executive Director, Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD, stepped down at the end of June after serving for seven years to return full-time to research, teaching, and clinical practice at Penn and the Philadelphia VA.

Grande has been LDI’s Director of Policy since 2013 when he helped establish the Institute’s policy core.

“LDI’s impact is a result of the extraordinary staff who make its work possible. Their talent, commitment, creativity, and deep knowledge are central to everything LDI does, from supporting our faculty and research to bringing evidence into policy discussions and building a strong community around health policy,” Grande said. “I also want to recognize Rachel [Werner]’s extraordinary leadership and the tremendous progress LDI has made during her tenure. We are fortunate to build on such a strong foundation.”

During his 13 years as Director of Policy, Grande is credited for leading the Institute’s policy engagement work and strengthening the connections between Penn’s health services research community and federal, state, and local policymakers. He also serves as Co-Director of Penn’s National Clinician Scholars Program and as Special Advisor for Medicaid Innovation to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.