Meet Smitha Prabhu, the 2025 Judy Yin Shih Fellow
Smitha is a Graduate Assistant at the Hilltop Institute and a Ph.D. Candidate within the Health Policy track. Smitha graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Philosophy and a Minor in Bioethics and worked with community organizations in Baltimore for at least seven years, including the Baltimore City Health Department, International Rescue Committee, and Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition.
Her education and work experience inspire her research interest in harm reduction, maternal and child health policy, and equitable public policy. Her dissertation research explores providers’ perspectives and the impact of surveillance practices on the quality of care provided to families affected by substance use disorders.
Smitha currently works for the Aging and Disability team at the Hilltop Institute, where she conducts policy analysis and program evaluation to advance innovative service delivery for older adults and people with chronic conditions and disabilities.
The Judy Yin Shih Fellowship for the Advancement of Health Policy Research
The Judy Yin Shih Fellowship for the Advancement of Health Policy Research is intended to assist School of Public Policy doctoral candidates in devoting the necessary time and attention toward the expeditious completion of their dissertation in the field of health policy.
Dr. Judy Yin Shih is a 2002 School of Public Policy alumna, with a focus on health policy. Dr. Shih’s dissertation examined the impact of an intensive case management program on health care costs and service utilization for a Medicaid population of children with rare and expensive medical conditions. Prior to her doctorate, she worked as a master-level clinician at Johns Hopkins Medical School, Sinai Hospital, and in a private practice. While earning her doctoral degree, Dr. Shih served as a senior research analyst with what is now The Hilltop Institute. After graduation, she took the position of project director at JBS International, where Dr. Shih directed the implementation of evaluation projects focused on federally funded health care programs across the nation. Dr. Shih is active in community and philanthropic endeavors, and has served on several boards including the inaugural Board of Trustees for Southern Oregon University, the American Association of University Women (Ashland Branch), the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Advisory Board, and the Marquette University Arts and Sciences College Leadership Council. In addition to her Ph.D., Dr. Shih has a B.S. in psychology from Iowa State University and a M.S. in clinical psychology from Marquette University