Nikhil Rao
About Nikhil Rao
Nikhil Rao serves as a Health Policy Quantitative Research Assistant at the Urban Institute, where he has worked since 2021. He has a background in health policy and management, with experience in various roles related to public health and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Work at Urban Institute
Nikhil Rao has been employed at the Urban Institute as a Health Policy Quantitative Research Assistant since 2021. In this role, he focuses on quantitative research related to health policy, contributing to various projects that analyze health data and inform policy decisions. His work is based in the Washington DC-Baltimore area, where he collaborates with other researchers and policy analysts to address pressing health issues.
Education and Expertise
Nikhil Rao earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed a minor in Public Policy. His academic achievements include graduating Phi Beta Kappa and receiving highest honors for his senior thesis, which examined the relationship between county-level social characteristics and the receipt of DATA 2000 waivers.
Background in Health Policy
Nikhil Rao has a diverse background in health policy and management. Prior to his current position, he worked as the LGBTQ+ Health Project Manager at Railcare Health for four months in 2021. He also served as a Summer Intern at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2020. Additionally, he has held various roles within the UNC Student Government Executive Branch, including Senior Advisor and Mental Health Committee Co-Chair, where he contributed to initiatives aimed at improving mental health resources.
Research Contributions
Rao engages in research that focuses on opioid use disorder and Medicaid in North Carolina. He has worked as a Research Assistant at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health since 2020, contributing to ongoing research projects. His previous experience includes an eight-month stint as a Research Assistant in 2019 and participation in community-building efforts with Partners In Health, where he served as Co-Chair of the Community-Building Committee.
Professional Development
Throughout his career, Nikhil Rao has actively participated in various committees and task forces. He was a member of the Mental Health Task Force in the UNC Student Government Executive Branch and has taken on leadership roles, such as Co-Chair of the Mental Health Committee. His involvement in these initiatives reflects his commitment to addressing health policy issues and advocating for mental health resources.