Jessica L Cohen

Biography

Jessica Cohen is a Professor of Health Economics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she focuses on health policy, behavioral economics, and maternal and child health. Her research examines how health systems, policies, and programs influence maternal and newborn health in the U.S. and East Africa with the aim of embedding this evidence into policy design and increasing policy impact. A principal investigator on the Bridges to Primary Care study funded by AHRQ, she is leading efforts to transform postpartum primary care coordination for postpartum chronic and mental health conditions. Her broader research portfolio includes studying prenatal care quality, stillbirth prevention, postpartum health system engagement, and behavioral interventions to enhance health care delivery. Her work has been published widely in top economics and public health journals and has been referenced in major national and international publications. Her research on subsidy policies for insecticide treated nets was deemed by Vox as a top social science paper of the decade. Dr. Cohen was a member of the WHO Global Malaria Program's Technical Expert Group on Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation and has served on NIH expert review panels related to implementation science and impact evaluation. She has also co-authored the behavioral economics chapter in the textbook Health Behavior: Theory, Research, and Practice.

A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Cohen has won awards for her teaching and mentorship and previously served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Harvard Health Policy PhD Program. She teaches courses on econometric impact evaluation and maternal and reproductive health policy, equipping students with methodological tools and policy insights. Her research has been supported by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the National Academy of Medicine. Her contributions have been recognized through honors like the Alice Hamilton Award and the National Academy of Medicine Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award. Dr. Cohen received her bachelor's degree in Economics from Wesleyan University and her PhD in Economics from MIT, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.

Education and Training

• PhD, Economics
  MIT
• BA, Economics
  Wesleyan University
• , Global Health and Development
  Brookings Institution

Publications

• The 1,7-malaria reactive community-based testing and response (1,7-mRCTR) approach in Tanzania: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

  Tampi RP, Wang D, Abdulla S, Mahende MK, Gavana T, Msuya HM, Kuwawenaruwa A, Mihayo M, Brown F, Masanja H, Anthony W, Bruxvoort K, Kihwele F, Chila G, Chang W, Castro M, Ning X, Chaki PP, Mlacha YP, Cohen J, Menzies NA. Infect Dis Poverty 2024 Dec 04

• "How I wish we could manage such things": A qualitative assessment of barriers to postpartum hemorrhage management and referral in Kenya.

  Miller N, Henry J, Opondo K, Garg LF, Calvert M, Clarke-Deedler E, Dulo L, Achieng E, Oguttu M, McConnell M, Cohen JL, Burke T. PLOS Glob Public Health 2025

• Malaria Rapid Tests, Febrile Illness Management, and Child Mortality Across Sub-Saharan African Countries.

  Zhang H, Fink G, Cohen J. JAMA 2024 Oct 15

• Betamethasone Exposure and Neonatal Respiratory Morbidity Among Late Preterm Births by Planned Mode of Delivery and Gestational Age.

  Clapp MA, Li S, Cohen JL, Gyamfi-Bannerman C, Knudsen AB, Lorch SA, Thaweethai T, Wright JD, Kaimal AJ, Melamed A. Obstet Gynecol 2024 Dec 01

• Postpartum Primary Care Engagement Using Default Scheduling and Tailored Messaging: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

  Clapp MA, Ray A, Liang P, James KE, Ganguli I, Cohen JL. JAMA Netw Open 2024 Jul 01