Marci Nielsen, PhD, Mph
About Marci Nielsen, PhD, Mph
Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH, serves as the Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Resolve To Save Lives in Washington, D.C. She has extensive experience in public health, having held leadership roles in various organizations and contributed to significant health policy initiatives.
Work at Resolve to Save Lives
Marci Nielsen serves as the Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Resolve to Save Lives, a position she has held since 2022. In this role, she focuses on shaping health policy and advocating for initiatives that improve public health outcomes. Her work is based in Washington, DC, where she collaborates with various stakeholders to advance health-related policies.
Education and Expertise
Marci Nielsen holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health Policy and Management from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she studied from 1996 to 2000. She also earned a Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Additionally, she has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from Briar Cliff University. Her educational background supports her extensive expertise in health policy and advocacy.
Background in Public Health and Advocacy
Nielsen began her career in the Peace Corps, collaborating with the Thai Ministry of Public Health. She has held various significant roles in public health and advocacy, including serving as the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative and as the Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Her experience spans both academic and legislative environments.
Leadership in Health Policy Initiatives
As the executive director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority, Marci Nielsen launched a new $2 billion health agency responsible for Medicaid, CHIP, the State Employee Health Plan, and health IT. She also served as the chief advisor for COVID-19 coordination for Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, leading the state's unified testing strategy and vaccine rollout.
Previous Roles and Contributions
Nielsen has held various positions that contributed to her expertise in health policy. She worked as the Vice President for Policy & Strategy at GEHA Health and as the Assistant Director of Legislation and Health Lobbyist at AFL CIO. Her research experience includes roles at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Arizona, and George Washington University, focusing on public health research areas such as cancer prevention and HIV-AIDS.