Bryan Patenaude Named One of Forbes 30 Under 30 for Achievement in Healthcare

Bryan Patenaude, ScD, MA, an assistant professor in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the healthcare field. The annual list recognizes the achievements of young leaders and innovators across 20 categories. Patenaude, a healthcare economist, was honored for his work examining the most effective interventions to prevent and treat disease and disability.

Patenaude currently leads the Decade of Vaccine Economics (DOVE) project based at the International Vaccine Access Center in the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health. The project aims to quantify the return-on-investment of vaccines, globally. The estimates from this project have been used to inform the Gavi investment case, which showcases impact and value of the vaccines that are made available to countries through its vaccine support programs. He has also been awarded a grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the project “Vaccine Economics Research for Sustainability and Equity (VERSE)” from 2020 – 2023 to continue examining the sustainability and equity of vaccine investments.

Patenaude recently led the first study to look at the value that a community in a low-income setting puts on its health. The study was the first to calculate the value of a statistical life-year for a low-income community. The findings provide some of the first empirical evidence that the standard practices employed by the World Health Organization and other public health organizations for determining whether an intervention is cost-effective are likely causing decision-makers to significantly underestimate the cost-effectiveness of many life-saving public health interventions in low-income settings. His research priorities also include health financing and sustainability in low- and lower-middle income countries and the impact of health investments on non-health sectors. He is currently conducting research on the impact of donor investments in public health, exploring how different types of donor investment and disease focus areas may or may not crowd out or complement domestic investment.

The Forbes 30 Under 30 list Class of 2020 includes 30 honorees in each of 20 categories. Nearly 20,000 nominations were received and evaluated by a wide range of reporters and judges, including Rear Adm. Denise Hinton, the FDA’s Chief Scientist, for the healthcare category.