Health and Law

Stanford Health Policy (SHP) researches the intersection of health policy and law, shaping healthcare delivery, regulation, and access. Their work covers insurance, medical ethics, patient rights, public health, and professional accountability. Legal principles influence everything from hospital operations to bioethics, while policies drive legal reforms on issues like pandemics, technology, and health disparities.

David Studdert, LLB, ScD, MPH, vice provost and dean of research, and professor of health policy and the law, is a leading expert in health law and empirical legal research. His work examines how legal systems affect public health, particularly the epidemic of gun violence. He co-led the LongSHOT cohort, a study tracking 28.8 million Californians over 12.2 years, producing landmark research about the consequences of gun ownership. The LongSHOT project was featured by The Washington Post and Studdert’s research has been cited by Congress as well as an amicus brief put before U.S. Supreme Court.

Studdert often collaborates with colleague Michelle Mello, JD, PhD, also a professor of health policy and of the law. She specializes in empirical health law, focusing on medical liability, public health, COVID-19, pharmaceuticals, and AI ethics in healthcare. Mello teaches the class Health Law: Improving Public Health and Torts at Stanford Law School and is a winner of the highest teaching award at the law school,.

Mello has written numerous policy briefs and commentaries focused on AI and medicine and testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee about the need for federal guardrails and standards regarding the use of artificial intelligence in health care. She has also focused on the liability risks of using AI tools in medicine, as well as the financial burdens that can arise from AI tools recommending diagnostic testing not yet reflected in insurance policies. Stanford Health Policy (SHP) researches the intersection of health policy and law, shaping healthcare delivery, regulation, and access. Their work covers insurance, medical ethics, patient rights, public health, and professional accountability. Legal principles influence everything from hospital operations to bioethics, while policies drive legal reforms on issues like pandemics, technology, and health disparities.

David Studdert, LLB, ScD, MPH, vice provost and dean of research, and professor of health policy and the law, is a leading expert in health law and empirical legal research. His work examines how legal systems affect public health, particularly the epidemic of gun violence. He co-led the LongSHOT cohort, a study tracking 28.8 million Californians over 12.2 years, producing landmark research about the consequences of gun ownership. The LongSHOT project was featured by The Washington Post and Studdert’s research has been cited by Congress as well as an amicus brief put before U.S. Supreme Court.

Studdert often collaborates with colleague Michelle Mello, JD, PhD, also a professor of health policy and of the law. She specializes in empirical health law, focusing on medical liability, public health, COVID-19, pharmaceuticals, and AI ethics in healthcare. Mello teaches the class Health Law: Improving Public Health and Torts at Stanford Law School and is a winner of the highest teaching award at the law school,.

Mello has written numerous policy briefs and commentaries focused on AI and medicine and testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee about the need for federal guardrails and standards regarding the use of artificial intelligence in health care. She has also focused on the liability risks of using AI tools in medicine, as well as the financial burdens that can arise from AI tools recommending diagnostic testing not yet reflected in insurance policies.