Gemma Axelrad, M.P.H. is a Research Analyst with Dobson | DaVanzo. Ms. Axelrad supports several of the firm’s contracts with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Ms. Axelrad holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Public Health Policy and Management from New York University’s School of Global Public Health, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Human Health with a concentration in Health Innovation from Emory University.

Prior to joining Dobson | DaVanzo, Ms. Axelrad served as a Food Standards Associate at the New York City Department of Health, where she supported the rollout of updated citywide nutrition standards and developed technical assistance tools to aid in policy implementation. She also worked as a Qualitative Research Associate at Weill Cornell Medicine on a study examining weight loss and social networks, conducting participant interviews and managing data quality. Earlier, as a Policy Intern with Food Systems Collaborative, she advanced legislative priorities on food recovery, date labeling, and college hunger through research and advocacy.

In her graduate coursework, Ms. Axelrad gained experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, policy analysis, and program evaluation, providing her with a strong background in health policy research and evidence-based public health practice.