Jose A. Plascencia, MD, MS

Jose A. Plascencia Jimenez is a physician and population health researcher committed to advancing health equity through causal, policy-relevant research. His work sits at the intersection of health services research, epidemiology, and implementation science, with a focus on how structural and institutional forces produce inequities in health and healthcare.

Working in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic, he witnessed how systemic neglect disproportionately harms marginalized populations. That experience continues to shape his approach to research: one grounded in the realities of care delivery and oriented toward meaningful systems change. Jose’s prior work has included the design of equitable HIV prevention strategies, contributions to health systems strengthening through training and surveillance efforts, and research on the social and political determinants of health outcomes.

His current interests center on developing evidence that can inform more equitable interventions in population health, understanding causal pathways in how we evaluate and assess quality in health operations, strengthening accountability in health systems, and expanding the role of communities in shaping research and decision-making.