Laura Housman, DrPH, MBA, MPH Chief Public Health Officer | Practice Director, Evidence & Strategy | Avalere Health Laura Housman is Chief Public Health Officer and Practice Director for Evidence & Strategy at Avalere Health, where she works at the intersection of evidence, commercialization, market access, and public health to help life sciences organizations translate scientific innovation into improved patient outcomes and measurable healthcare value. She brings more than 25 years of experience spanning biopharmaceuticals, therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, biotechnology, health plans, and healthcare consulting, with expertise across the full product lifecycle—from early clinical development and evidence generation through commercialization, reimbursement, and lifecycle strategy. Laura is recognized for helping organizations develop integrated evidence and value strategies that demonstrate the clinical, economic, and societal impact of healthcare innovations across the healthcare ecosystem—from regulators and HTA bodies to payers, providers, patients, and policymakers. Her work encompasses integrated evidence generation, real-world evidence (RWE), health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), pricing and reimbursement strategy, value demonstration, personalized medicine, population health, patient-centered outcomes, and market access for innovative therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical technologies across diverse disease areas. In 2015, Laura founded Access Solutions Consulting, serving as Founder and CEO and advising biopharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device companies on evidence generation, commercialization, market access, reimbursement, and value strategy. Across her career she has also held executive leadership roles at Olaris, Exact Sciences, Novartis, Charles River Laboratories, and Genzyme, following a decade at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts leading health services evaluation, contracting, and provider profiling initiatives. She has supported the development, launch, commercialization, and reimbursement of numerous therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical technologies, with extensive experience navigating Medicare, commercial payer, and international reimbursement landscapes. Laura's expertise spans evidence strategy, clinical and commercial planning, market access, public health, and healthcare policy, enabling cross-functional teams to align scientific evidence with business strategy and patient needs. She has particular expertise in oncology, rare disease, precision medicine, women's health, diagnostics, and preventive health, and is passionate about advancing equitable access to healthcare innovation through evidence-informed decision making. She is an active thought leader, author, and speaker on topics including real-world evidence, value assessment, health equity, diagnostics, therapeutics, and the evolving healthcare landscape. Areas of expertise Evidence strategy and integrated evidence generation Real-world evidence (RWE) and health economics & outcomes research (HEOR) Therapeutic, diagnostic, and medical device strategy Clinical development, commercialization, and lifecycle planning Market access, pricing, reimbursement, and value demonstration Precision medicine and companion diagnostics Public health, population health, and preventive care Patient-centered outcomes and health equity Healthcare policy and evidence-informed decision making Cross-functional leadership connecting clinical development, medical affairs, commercial, market access, and corporate strategy Ideal questions for Laura How should we design an evidence strategy that supports both regulatory success and commercial value? What evidence will differentiate an innovative therapeutic, diagnostic, or medical technology with payers, HTA bodies, providers, and health systems? How can real-world evidence strengthen clinical development, commercialization, and market access strategies? How should organizations prepare for evolving reimbursement, value assessment, and healthcare policy landscapes? How can public health principles and patient-centered evidence be integrated into product strategy and value demonstration? How can cross-functional teams align clinical, medical, commercial, and market access strategies to maximize patient and business impact?
