The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the selection of seven fellows for the 2026–27 class of its State Health Policy Fellowship (SHPF) program. Now entering its third year, the program has expanded to its largest cohort to date, with seven fellows representing six states. The fellows will spend one year working with state legislative and executive branch offices in Colorado, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, contributing their expertise to the development and implementation of state health policies and programs.
The NAM collaborates with the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) on the fellowship, which is designed to strengthen state health policy capacity by connecting policymakers with health and health care professionals who can provide analysis based on extensive subject matter expertise and experience.
“Decisions made at the state level have a profound impact on the health and well-being of people and communities,” said NAM President Monica M. Bertagnolli. “Our fellows will bring deep expertise from across health, medicine, research, and nursing to help strengthen the connection between what we know and the decisions that shape health in communities across the country.”
The 2026–27 State Health Policy Fellows are:
- Brian Antono, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine; North Carolina
- Bill Calawerts, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin; Wisconsin
- Evan Cole, PhD, Research Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh; Pennsylvania
- Narges Farahi, MD, Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; North Carolina
- John Lyons, MD, Surgical Oncologist, FMOL Health; Louisiana
- Ryan Ramphul, PhD, Assistant Professor, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Texas
- Jennifer Rosen, DNP, CPNP-PC, MPH, Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing; Colorado
By providing an opportunity for mid-career health professionals to contribute to state policy making, the SHPF program gives policymakers access to specialized expertise and evidence to help inform decisions on complex health and health care issues. At the same time, fellows gain firsthand experience with state policy processes and develop skills they can carry into leadership roles throughout their careers.
Launched in 2024, the nonpartisan fellowship has grown steadily in its first three years, from three fellows in its inaugural class to seven fellows in 2026–27. The expansion reflects the NAM’s continued commitment to strengthening state-level health policy capacity and creating more opportunities for health professionals to contribute directly to policymaking.
Following an orientation and training session in Washington, DC, fellows will serve part time in state government settings, which may include gubernatorial offices, state legislatures, state health agencies, and other state government offices. Throughout the fellowship year, participants will take part in educational programming, exchange lessons across state contexts, and build a professional cohort that supports continued collaboration and learning.
“We are thrilled to welcome this new cohort of State Health Policy Fellows, who bring deep subject matter expertise and experience to the program,” said Gregg Margolis, PhD, director of Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs Office at the NAM. “Over the coming year, they will have the opportunity to apply that expertise in senior state government advisory roles and add an important, frontline, perspectives to the policy process.”
The State Health Policy Fellowship builds on the NAM’s longstanding commitment to developing health policy leaders and strengthening connections between evidence and policymaking. The fellowship model complements the NAM’s Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program, which has provided health professionals with experience in federal policymaking since 1973.
