Lauren Erickson (she/her) serves as the Director of Policy and Programs at IEC, where she oversees the development and implementation of programs and policies that support IEC’s organizational goals and mission.

Lauren brings more than 12 years of industry experience in the healthcare field, most recently at Berkeley Research Group where she advised clients on healthcare mergers and acquisitions. She also worked at Anthem, Inc., where she developed and implemented a partnership strategy to support independent physicians in providing high-value care. Lauren also led the implementation of the Quality Payment Program at the CMS Innovation Center, based on the most significant legislative changes to Medicare physician payment policy in more than 30 years. She previously worked for Senator Tom Harkin in the United States Senate and for the Iowa Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Disability Services.

Lauren also serves as a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee to conduct an Independent Analysis of the Department of Defenses’ Autism Care Demonstration Program.

Lauren received her MPH from the University of Iowa and her BA from the University of Northern Iowa. She has the lived experience of supporting a sibling with IDD.

Dr. Priya Chandan is a physician-scientist who engages in health services research to improve the quality of medical care for people with disabilities. She has been involved in health policy and advocacy efforts for over 15 years and has served in leadership positions in both academia and industry at national, state, and local levels. She is a clinical associate professor at the University Louisville School of Medicine and is passionate about medical education. She serves as a mentor and a teacher to medical students and medical residents nationwide, across multiple medical specialties. For the last eight years, she has served as Project Director of NICHE-MED, an initiative that has activated close to 40 medical schools to develop and implement community-engaged medical education efforts that are co-created with disabled self-advocates. Dr. Chandan serves as a senior editor for PM&R, the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has expertise in mixed methods, econometrics, and community-engaged research methods. She also currently serves on the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board for the National Down Syndrome Society and the Board for Special Olympics Kentucky.