Rochelle Sun

I am a PhD student in the Department of Government at Harvard University, where I also hold affiliations with the Center for American Politics, the Institute for Quantitative Social Science, and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. My research evaluates the role of healthcare provision in diplomatic relations, governance, and conflict. Specifically, I analyze the impact of international health aid on political and economic outcomes in recipient localities and investigate variation in the responses of combatants to healthcare providers in conflict-affected areas. Additionally, I support research on optimizing HIV care services in settings of conflict and instability through my work with the GHESKIO centers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Prior to my graduate studies, I worked as a health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) analyst specializing in cost-effectiveness modeling and indirect treatment comparisons. My research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at academic conferences, and relied upon by global regulatory agencies during health technology assessments.

I have also had the opportunity to support research at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. I received my bachelor's in Political Science and Health Policy from the University of Rochester. I am a member of the associate board for the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).

My current research explores the intersection of health, diplomacy, and security.

Highlights of my HEOR experience include cost-effectiveness analyses of anti-obesity medications and population modeling to estimate the impact of novel cell therapies on racial disparities among patients indicated for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Other projects include matching-adjusted indirect treatment comparisons, network meta-analyses, patient surveys, and physician chart reviews.

Through my partnerships with global health non-profits, I have also had the opportunity to work on data analysis for NIH-funded clinical trials in HIV and tuberculosis research, impact modeling for large-scale COVID-19 contact tracing programs, and grant proposal-writing to support continued improvement in global health service provision.