Danielle M. Varda, PhD, MPH

Dr. Varda specializes in collaborative management and policy networks focusing specifically in public health systems research, public-private partnerships, and all-hazard preparedness networks. Her research focus is on evaluating the network structure of collaborations between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and the subsequent network affects of these recorded interactions.

She has developed models and methods of network measurement; for example, she has developed a research model for measuring social capital by evaluating the network structure of local community networks including developing questionnaires and analysis of diverse network data.

In addition, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she recently developed a software tool (PARTNER- www.partnertool.net) that allows public health departments to measure and monitor their collaborative activity over time. Dr. Varda’s PARTNER tool was featured in her first place award for the 2008 Maxwell School Collaborative Governance Initiative competition, Teaching Simulation. In addition, she was recently awarded the “Public Health Systems and Services Article of the Year” award by Academy Health PHSSR Interest Group for her paper “Core Dimensions of Connectivity in Public Health Collaboratives”. Her research portfolio includes projects in the areas of pandemic influenza preparedness, public health infrastructure, maternal/child health, impacts of Homeland Security on local law enforcement agencies, nonprofit community networks, national service, and recruitment and retention of volunteers public health emergencies. She is an experienced interviewer and facilitator, and has extensive experience developing and administering surveys.

Her research has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans Administration, University of Kentucky School of Public Health, and the Department of Defense.

Dr. Varda joined SPA from the RAND Corporation, where she worked as an Associate Policy Scientist.