Rachel Hogg-Graham: 2026-27 University Research Professor Q&A

Rachel Hogg-Graham, Dr.P.H., associate professor and health management and policy chair in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky, has been honored as a 2026-27 University Research Professor.

Hogg-Graham examines how cross-sector collaboration can transform population health. Her research focuses on bringing healthcare, public health and community organizations together to make it easier for individuals to access the care and social resources they need. She has served as principal investigator (PI), co-PI and co-investigator on numerous high-impact research initiatives.

Hogg-Graham’s research is featured in leading journals, including Health Affairs and the American Journal of Public Health. Her mentorship has been recognized with the College of Public Health Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award and multiple nominations for the UK Excellent Research Mentor Award. She serves on the UK Vice President for Research’s Research Advisory Council and the Academy Health Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR) Interest Group Advisory Committee.  

Before joining the UK faculty in 2015, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in network science at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. She earned her Doctor of Public Health in health services management and an M.A. in history from UK. 

She spoke with UKNow about her latest honor as a University Research Professor in this Q&A.

UKNow: What does it mean to you to be recognized as a University Research Professor?

Hogg-Graham: I'm beyond honored and deeply humbled to be named a University Research Professor. I'm passionate about health systems science and how public health, clinical care and community organizations can work together to create healthier, more resilient communities.

This recognition is a powerful validation of that mission, and it underscores the university’s profound commitment to supporting research that translates complex, systems-level science into real-world practice. It's an immense privilege to lead the research team we have built. It's an even greater privilege to do this work at UK — the land-grant institution in the very state where I was born and raised. Being able to use our research infrastructure to directly serve the people and communities of the Commonwealth is a dream come true, and it makes this recognition incredibly meaningful to me.

UKNow: How will the professorship program advance your research?

Hogg-Graham: The professorship directly advances my research by expanding our capacity to study how major public health policy shifts impact local health systems and communities on the ground. I firmly believe that the most impactful systems research happens when students are central to the process. I am using the award to support a graduate student fellowship that turns our active research projects into high-impact training opportunities. By embedding fellows directly into our statewide health system evaluations, we can scale our data collection and accelerate our findings. It allows my research program to move beyond just analyzing data to actively training research translators, scholars who can take complex health systems science and turn it into clear, actionable policy tools that state and local leaders use to improve health outcomes across Kentucky. This honor reinforces my commitment to leveraging our research infrastructure to serve the Commonwealth, ensuring that UK remains a definitive leader in transforming public health practice and policy both locally and nationwide.

UKNow: What inspired your focus on this area of research?

Hogg-Graham: My path to public health research began with a background in history. My early training focused on the history of medicine and health in the United States, which opened up my curiosity into public health and gave me a deep appreciation for how large-scale factors, like public policy, can completely reshape community systems over time. When I transitioned from history to my doctoral training in public health, I became deeply interested in how our current public health systems are structured and how different organizations work together toward shared population health goals. That transition happened right around the time the Affordable Care Act was passed, which included major provisions encouraging cross-sector collaboration and the integration of healthcare and public health. I wanted to understand the “how” and “why” behind these collaborations, and how they could be designed to make local public health systems stronger. Unlocking how these organizations can align resources to solve complex problems is what launched my research agenda, and it continues to drive everything our team does today.

UKNow: What continues to motivate your work?

Hogg-Graham: My motivation comes from two groups of people: our incredible community partners and our students. First, I am constantly inspired by our clinical and community partners across the state. Their pure drive to serve their populations and make people’s lives better is powerful, but what truly motivates me is their willingness to take research and actively translate it into practice on the ground. Seeing a community partner, health department or clinical team use our research to reshape a program or policy is the ultimate reward. Second, I am fueled by our students. There is nothing more exciting than watching a student at any level have that “aha” moment where public health systems research finally clicks. Watching them launch their own independent research, transition into their careers and step up as the next generation of public health scholars is incredibly fulfilling. It allows me to give back to the academic community in the exact same life-changing ways my own mentors poured into me.

UKNow: How does your research impact Kentucky?

Hogg-Graham: Our research has a direct, tangible impact on the Commonwealth because we don’t just study health systems from afar — we are actively on the ground working alongside Kentucky communities. We apply innovative science methods to help systems seamlessly coordinate their efforts. By improving how different sectors collaborate, we can better identify unmet medical and social needs and connect people to accessible, real-world resources. Right now, we are especially focused on rural areas and priority populations, such as Kentuckians living with diabetes, who stand to benefit immensely from stronger, more integrated care networks. Ultimately, our goal is to move our findings straight into public health practice. We regularly share our data and frameworks both locally and nationally so they can be used to shape real-world programs and inform smart health policies that build a healthier Kentucky.

About the University Research Professors
Each year, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approves a cohort of faculty as University Research Professors. The distinction recognizes excellence in work that addresses scientific, social, cultural and economic challenges in Kentucky and the world. College leadership developed criteria for excellence within their area of expertise and then nominated faculty who excelled at these criteria. Each University Research Professor receives a one-year award of $10,000.