Lisa Welch, PhD

Director, Evaluation; Assistant Professor
Tufts CTSI; Tufts University School of Medicine

Dr. Lisa Welch is a sociologist with over 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and disseminating results from large and small research projects, including evaluation studies. Her current research focuses on the “science of the science,” to identify and test strategies to overcome roadblocks and inefficiencies in clinical and translational research. As Evaluation Director, she develops and oversees the implementation of an overall evaluation program that addresses the processes, outcomes, and impact of Tufts CTSI’s work, collaborating closely with the Organizational Impact and Research Process Improvement programs. Dr. Welch also provides expertise in program evaluation for supplemental grants and Tufts CTSI partners and collaborators, and she has a faculty appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is an active participant in multi-CTSA initiatives to improve research processes and translation, including a CTSA Consortium Working Group to better understand the translational process by examining successful case studies. She also facilitates a co-learning working group focused on how CTSAs intersect with and support their local learning health systems. Prior to joining Tufts CTSI, Dr. Welch conducted health services research for NIH and industry sponsors at New England Research Institutes and served as a member of the sociology faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She received a PhD in Sociology from Brown University, where she conducted research at the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research.