Profiles

Dr. Pamela Davidson's expertise is in evaluation research design and methods, strategic planning, and leadership and professional development in translational research teams. Approximately 90% of her professional effort is spent in the UCLA research enterprise. For more than two decades she has directed large-scale multisite health services research and evaluation studies and taught graduate courses in ‘Health Services Evaluation’, ‘Organization and Management Processes’, and ‘Health Systems and Organizations’. Her research and professional activities continue to be transdisciplinary in medicine, public health, dentistry, life sciences, management, and nursing. Early in her career as a health services researcher, Dr. Davidson focused on utilization of health services and health outcomes, particularly among underrepresented minority groups. This research generated empirical evidence using methods such as, population based surveys, clinical examinations, and multi-level statistical analysis that could be used to guide policy, programmatic, and delivery system changes to improve access and access outcomes. Her other contributions include conceptualizing, measuring, and analyzing the effects of contextual variables on individual and population health behaviors and health outcomes.

By mid-career, Dr. Davidson gained expertise in applied evaluation research and participated on the leadership team that developed and launched the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Her studies in organizational change and development coupled with expertise in design and methods are useful in evaluating this large-scale change initiative (competitive renewal awarded 2016-2021). She serves as the director of the CTSI-Evaluation Core and has previously served as a member of the CTSI-Education and KL2 CREST Committees. Currently as the CTSI-Evaluation leader, Dr. Davidson collaborates with members of the national CTSA Program and the UC BRAID regional network [Biomedical Research Acceleration Integration and Development] to evaluate and improve the CTSA hubs and regional and national networks.

In 2014, Dr. Davidson became a Co-Leader of the newly awarded NIH sponsored Diversity Program Consortium Center for Coordination and Evaluation at UCLA (2014-2019). Her professional effort is shared as a co-leader on the CEC and the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Evaluation Core. These organizations are complementary. The CTSA Program is developing an integrated network connecting 50+ CTSA hubs for conducting translational science at research intensive academic medical centers nationally. The CTSA Program has the potential for accelerating translational science, improving population health, and contributing as an economic engine to drive biomedical research for the country. The CEC is concerned with promoting diversity in biomedical research to ensure under-represented groups have opportunities to lead and become substantially more represented in the future biomedical workforce.