Director, Health Services Research Center University of Vermont, Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine | Burlington, Vermont We are pleased to announce the appointment of Erika Ziller, Ph.D., as director of the Health Services Research Center, Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, effective September 5, 2023. Prior to this role, Ziller served as director of the Maine Rural Health Research Center and chair of public health at the University of Southern Maine.Dr. Ziller earned an M.S. in health policy and management and a Ph.D. in public policy from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. Her career at the University of Southern Maine began in 1998 as a research analyst and progressed to a research associate position in 2001. In 2010, she was appointed senior research associate and deputy director of the Maine Rural Health Research Center.Rural and public health, as well as health policy, have always been central to Dr. Ziller’s clinical and research journey. Her role as principal investigator and director of the Maine Rural Health Research Center, a nationally recognized center funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (HRSA, DHHS), involved conducting policy-relevant research on rural health issues. Ziller also served on the Internal Advisory Committee for MaineHealth’s Acute Care Research and Rural Health Disparities COBRE. She has authored or co-authored nearly 40 articles and book chapters, focusing on such topics as health disparities in rural and low-income populations, access to health services, and maternal and pediatric health policy. In addition, her expertise has been consistently cited by various New England and national media outlets.Pam Pezzoli led this search with Diana Carmona, Iliana Gonzalez, and Melissa Barravecchio.The full press release can be found here.