Michael Johnsrud, Ph.D.
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy’s Texas Center for Health Outcomes Research and Education (TxCORE) will assume new leadership to support its and the university’s mission to transform healthcare. On September 17, Michael Johnsrud, Ph.D. will become TxCORE’s executive director, bringing his professional experience working across multiple stakeholders within the healthcare marketplace to provide leadership and execute goals focused on building partnerships and developing funding to support the center’s work in innovation focused on health outcomes research and education.
TxCORE’s mission is to lead the field to address population and individual patient health through innovative, high-quality research and education, and serve the community by responding to critical healthcare issues that impact patients’ daily lives. Its interdisciplinary team of researchers has expertise in health outcomes research, pharmacoeconomics, epidemiology, public health, and patient health behavior. As executive director, Dr. Johnsrud will collaborate with leading experts in health outcomes research in the college and across the UT campus, as well as with external stakeholders and experts.
“It’s a privilege to return to the university to lead TxCORE in its research and educational mission that keep the patient at the center of our focus,” says Dr. Johnsrud. “We will seek innovative collaborations across campus and externally to drive differentiation in our research, which will ultimately benefit patients in improving their outcomes and optimizing value across healthcare delivery systems here in Texas and elsewhere.”
Dr. Johnsrud will also work with TxCORE leadership to develop strategies and infrastructure to support development in innovative methods and approaches to outcomes research through the center’s work to better guide how care is delivered to patients to improve outcomes and derive increased value from interventions and technologies applied where the care is delivered.
“We are excited about Dr. Michael Johnsrud returning to The University of Texas College of Pharmacy to assume the role as executive director of TxCORE,” says Dean M. Lynn Crismon. “Johnsrud brings with him a wealth of leadership experience in his executive role in the private sector. He will lead our initiatives to expand health outcomes research efforts in the college, including synergistic collaborations with other academic units on campus.”
Dr. Johnsrud comes to TxCORE with nine years of experience at Avalere Health, a leading research and policy advisory services firm known for its integrated approach to providing healthcare solutions and impacting national and international policy. As a senior vice president at Avalere, Dr. Johnsrud led the health economics and advanced analytics team comprised of health service researchers and data scientists in designing and executing scientific research and translating findings for various stakeholders in the healthcare marketplace. He will bring his vast experience in research, leadership, and strategic planning to TxCORE, specifically with regard to innovation in health outcomes research and data analytic methods and applications.
“We had a wish list of characteristics the ideal TxCORE executive director would have, and we found all of those qualities in Dr. Johnsrud,” says College of Pharmacy professor, head of the Division of Health Outcomes, and TxCORE co-director Dr. Jamie Barner. “I have followed Mike’s illustrious career for years and am convinced there is no better candidate to lead TxCORE into the future. His expertise spans wide and deep, and I am excited to work with him as he leads TxCORE through the ever-changing healthcare landscape.”
Dr. Johnsrud received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 1991 and his Ph.D. from The University of Texas College of Pharmacy in 1998, and previously served as a researcher and associate director for the college’s Center for Pharmacoeconomic Studies for eleven years, through 2009. He has been a registered pharmacist in Texas since 1991 and is a member of the UT College of Pharmacy’s Advisory Council.