Dr. Patel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Education. She completed her M.P.H and PhD in HBHE at the University of Michigan. Dr. Patel's research program focuses on the development and evaluation of behavioral interventions that focus on improving self-efficacy and navigation skills for individuals to access complex health care delivery systems, affordable healthcare, and management of chronic disease. Emphases of her work include health-related financial toxicity, team-based care, health and financial literacy, and populations with a long history of health disparities. Dr. Patel's research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American Lung Association, and private foundations. She has led studies focused on improving health insurance literacy in economically disadvantaged communities, screening and addressing unmet social needs in clinical settings, and health care provider training in implementing guideline-based care. She also serves on the evaluation team of Michigan's expanded Medicaid program. Dr. Patel's work is primarily situated in a broad range of health care and health care delivery settings. She is particularly interested in methods of intervention that utilize e-health and m-health technologies, and community engagement.
Dr. Patel directs the Center for Behavioral Solutions to Healthcare Engagement and Access (CBSHC) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is a member of the Michigan Center for Diabetes and Translational Research, the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Dr. Patel is also the Middle East and North African (MENA) Community Liaison for the Rogel Cancer Center and leads the MENA Research Group. Dr. Patel is an active member of the Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Research Assembly of the American Thoracic Society, and serves on the society's Health Equality and Diversity Committee and International Conference Committee. In 2017, Dr. Patel received the Early Career Achievement award from the Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Research Assembly of the American Thoracic Society. Dr. Patel is currently an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine through the National Academy of Medicine.