Manoj Mohanan Becomes Interim Dean of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy

As interim dean of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, Manoj Mohanan is looking forward to “supporting my colleagues and continuing to build the resources and community of the school.” The Indian-American, who took over as interim dean on July 1 for a two-year term, told the university in an interview that his new position gives him “the opportunity to provide stability and continuity to the school and my colleagues as we move forward,” as well as “the opportunity to hopefully make a difference and support my colleagues.”

Mohanan, most recently senior dean for faculty and research at Sanford, has been a faculty member at the school since 2011. He is an applied microeconomist with a focus on health and developmental economics, with experience in medicine and public health. “Most of my work is about provider behavior, like how health care providers, doctors and nurses, are doing in real-world settings and how we can improve the quality of care,” he told the university.

According to Sanford’s profile, in addition to his ongoing research on quality of care and efficiency of health care services, Mohanan has been studying the long-term mental health consequences of the widespread disruption caused by COVID-19 and its impact on household vulnerability in India.

He has spearheaded initiatives and held leadership positions. He led the Undergraduate Task Force at Sanford to help shape the student experience in public policy. Along with Professor Deondra Rose, Mohanan received a Duke grant to create an immersive educational experience for students to engage directly with U.S. policymakers in partnership with Duke in Washington, D.C.

Mohanan grew up in Khopoli, a small town outside Mumbai. He wanted to be an Air Force pilot and was selected for service in the Indian Air Force. Instead, he went to medical school. After studying medicine in India and then completing a postgraduate degree in public health, he discovered his true passions in health policy, economics and public policy.

“I love my job. I love my research, I love the community I’m a part of, the impact my work has had so far and the potential for more impact. It’s really more than I could have hoped for,” he told the university.

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During the pandemic, Mohanan directed and co-directed the first two seroprevalence studies that provided crucial early evidence on the spread of the pandemic in India.

In 2022, Apolitical magazine named him one of the 100 most influential scientists in government.

His research has been published in leading interdisciplinary and disciplinary journals. He is an editorial board member of Health Economics and a permanent member of the NIH Study Section on Social Science and Population.