
Welcome to the Health and Environmental Economics Lab (HEEL)
Dr. Elaine Hill leads the Health and Environmental Economics Lab, which carries out diverse research related to health and environmental economics. The lab seeks to apply applied econometric tools and data science approaches to understand the intersection between health, policy, the environment and human capital formation, with an emphasis on the effect of environmental exposures on health and translating research findings into effective policy. The research team uses administrative health data (e.g., claims, hospital discharge data, vital statistics), administrative environmental data (e.g., EPA monitoring, USGS monitoring, regulatory sampling data, regulatory violations data), geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing data to address pressing questions for health policy. This lab regularly collaborates with experts in epidemiology, data science, exposure assessment, psychology, and various medical specialties. The goal of this research is to provide policy relevant evidence to promote healthy communities.

Elaine L. Hill, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Publications
View All Publications- Criterion validity and divergent risk profiles of long-term opioid therapy across medicare and medicaid.; PloS one; Vol 21(4), pp. e0347943. 2026 Apr 29.
- Association of Vaccination with COVID Outcomes in Pregnant People with Autoimmune Diseases: A Retrospective National Cohort Analysis.; Arthritis care & research. 2026 Apr 13.
- State Medicaid spending for long-term services and supports (LTSS) and the self-reported health of spousal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults with dementia.; Aging and health research; Vol 6(1). 2026 Jan 23.
- The Impact of Increased Medicaid Eligibility During Pregnancy on Medicaid Utilization and Gestational Age.; Health services research. 2025 Sep 14.
- Evidence-Based Framework for Identifying Opioid Use Disorder in Administrative Data: A Systematic Review and Methodological Development Study.; Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.). 2025 Aug 25.
- Medicaid Coverage Policy Variations for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment.; JAMA network open; Vol 8(8), pp. e2526796. 2025 Aug 01.
Contact Us
Hill Lab
601 Elmwood Ave
Rochester, NY 14642