Kevin Nguyen, assistant professor of health law, policy & management, has received the 2026 Alice S. Hersh Emerging Leader Award from AcademyHealth. The award recognizes early-career health services researchers who demonstrate exceptional promise for contributions in research and leadership to the field.

Nguyen is among six other recipients receiving recognition during the annual awards program organized by AcademyHealth, a national organization for health services and policy research that accelerates solutions to health and healthcare issues by connecting research, policy, and practice. He will receive this award during the opening plenary session of the organization’s Annual Research Meeting on Sunday, May 31 in Seattle, Washington. 

“I am incredibly grateful to AcademyHealth for this honor,” says Nguyen. “As an early-stage investigator, I have been fortunate to have support from a strong community at BUSPH and many collaborators beyond the school. Research is a collective effort, and I am deeply appreciative of the mentors and colleagues who have helped advance my work and guided my growth as a researcher.”

A health services researcher, Nguyen was drawn to public health and health policy by a desire to identify inequities and barriers to care that marginalized populations face, having “seen firsthand the complexities of navigating the US health care system and accessing inclusive care.” His research examines the roles of Medicaid policies and care delivery reforms on quality and equity of care, including Medicaid managed care plan performance, Medicaid accountable care organizations, safety-net program participation, and inequities in patient experiences of care. Since joining SPH in 2022 from Brown University School of Public Health, Nguyen has published studies that analyze the declining participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program among eligible immigrant children, links between historical redlining and kidney failure, the disproportionate burden of unmet social needs and access to Medicaid coverage among sexual and gender minorities, among many others.

Nguyen is also co-director of the BU Medicaid Policy Lab, which evaluates the impacts of policy changes and innovative care delivery models on health insurance coverage, access to care, quality of care, health outcomes, and equity in low-income and Medicaid-enrolled populations.

The Alice S. Hersh Emerging Leader Award celebrates the dedication of Alice Hersh, founding executive director of the Association for Health Services Research, and her commitment to supporting professional development in the field of health services research.

“This recognition is especially meaningful as it reflects the continued value and importance of health equity research,” Nguyen says.