Education
Ph.D. – Public Policy Analysis, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
M.P.P. – Public Policy Analysis, Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S. – Bachelor of Economics, Universidad de Costa Rica
Areas of Expertise
Health Policy
Healthcare Access and Utilization
Maternal and Infant Health
Introduction
Dr. Laura Chaves Cerdas is an Assistant Professor specializing in health economics and policy, with expertise in analyzing healthcare access and utilization across diverse populations.
Credentials, Accreditations, and Awards
2025 Impact Research Awards – For exceptional research that directly benefits North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2018-2019 Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems- University of California San Diego
Teaching Focus
Dr. Chaves Cerdas teaches health policy and health economics, helping students analyze healthcare systems, evaluate policy impacts, and use economics tools to understand healthcare access and utilization.
Research Overview
Dr. Chaves Cerdas research focuses on critical areas of health economics and policy, with particular emphasis on maternal and infant health, aging populations, and social policy. Her work examines important questions around healthcare access and utilization, including how barriers to care affect different populations and the impact of policy changes on healthcare delivery.
Recent Books or Publications
- Chaves Cerdas L. Adequate Prenatal Care and Maternal Morbidity Among Birthing People with Preexisting Comorbidities. Matern Child Health J. 2025 Apr;29(4):504-514. PMID: 39994104.
- Guichet PL, Duszak R Jr, Chaves Cerdas L, Hughes DR, Hindman N, Rosenkrantz AB. Changing National Medicare Utilization of Catheter, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Extremity Angiography: A Specialty-focused 16-Year Analysis. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2021 May-Jun;50(3):308-314. PMID: 32029351.
- Hanna TN, Friedberg E, Dequesada IM, Chaves L, Pyatt R, Duszak R Jr, Hughes DR. Disparities in the Use of Emergency Department Advanced Imaging in Medicare Beneficiaries. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2021 Feb;216(2):519-525. PMID: 33356434.
- von Ende E, Gayou EL, Dowell JD, Waid M, Chaves L, Rula E, Makary MS. Nationwide Trends in Tube-Related Genitourinary Interventions for Medicare Beneficiaries. J Am Coll Radiol. 2021 Sep;18(9):1289-1296. PMID: 34022134.
- Rosenkrantz AB, Chaves Cerdas L, Hughes DR, Recht MP, Nass SJ, Hricak H. National Trends in Oncologic Diagnostic Imaging. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020 Sep;17(9):1116-1122. PMCID: PMC7483645.
- Makeeva V, Hawkins CM, Rosenkrantz AB, Hughes DR, Chaves L, Duszak R Jr. Diagnostic Imaging Examinations Interpreted by Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants: A National and State-Level Medicare Claims Analysis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2019 Nov;213(5):992-997. PMID:31509444.
Please view Dr. Chaves Cerdas’ publications at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LPsxnbkAAAAJ&hl=en.
Fun Fact
I am a Mezzo-soprano and tennis addict. I follow the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry, but Rafa is still my undisputed GOAT.