Lawren Bercaw

Lawren Bercaw is a research analyst within RTI’s Center for the Health of Populations. She has conducted implementation and evaluation research pertaining to social policy topics for more than 20 years. Dr. Bercaw currently leads RTI’s longstanding contract: Policy & Data Analysis in Support of the Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, & Aging Policy with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). She is also project director for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Independence at Home Demonstration implementation contract, and she is associate project director for the Rapid Cycle Research and Evaluation contract with the Administration for Community Living’s Office of Performance and Evaluation.

Dr. Bercaw’s primary interests include social drivers of health and services and supports that enable socially and economically disadvantaged populations to thrive in their communities. Recent project research has supported a variety of topics, including the Older Americans Act-funded Senior Nutrition Program, the National Paralysis Resource Center, federal housing supports for low-income older adults, and evidence-based programming for falls prevention. She also serves as the evaluation expert for RTI’s technical assistance contract to support the ACL-funded National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center.

Dr. Bercaw joined RTI in 2013. She holds a PhD from Brandeis University and an MPP from The College of William & Mary. She has authored and coauthored articles for Health Affairs the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Journal of Aging and Environment, Journal of Poverty, Gerontologist, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Journal of Aging and Social Policy, and The Milbank Quarterly. Dr. Bercaw has also authored several professional web postings, including for The Medical Care Blog, and she has been featured on the Aging Matters podcast.