Dr. Ryan Suk (pronunciation: Rye-un Sook; pronouns: she/they) is an Assistant Professor at Emory University, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Dr. Suk is a Health Economist by training with a primary focus on addressing limited resources and health inequity. Her research involves leveraging large-scale datasets and decision modeling for economic evaluation to gain meaningful insights into the social determinants of health and the cost-effectiveness of interventions.

Dr. Suk’s research focuses on HPV-associated cancer, with a particular emphasis on health equity and multi-level social determinants of health (SDoH), including LGBTQIA+ health and area-level social vulnerability. They have an interest in using inequality index measures and distributional cost-effectiveness analysis to address health inequities. Dr. Suk’s research has been published in JAMA Pediatrics, JAMA Network Open, JAMA Health Forum, JNCI, Annals of Internal Medicine, Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and more. 

She received a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Korea University (Seoul, Korea), an MS in Economics from the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah), and a PhD in Health Economics from The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) School of Public Health (Houston, Texas). Before joining Emory School of Nursing, Dr. Suk served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and at UTHealth School of Public Health.

Outside the academic sphere, Dr. Suk enjoys weight training, practicing Taekwondo, and backyard birding. She also has a great passion for singing in a worship band and choir. Dr. Suk is a Seoul (Korea) native.

1. Suk R, Xie Z, Spencer JC, Lemieux-Cumberlege A, Hong YR. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority adults in the US and their unmet medical needs and telehealth use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health. 2024. doi:10.1891/LGBTQ-2022-0029
2. Vu M, Zhu Y, Trinh DD, Hong YR, Suk R. Awareness and knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine among Asian American adults by origin group: A 2014-2019 population-based analysis. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2023. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08485-w
3. Hong YR, Xie Z, Lee J, Turner K, Suk R. Cancer Survivors’ Unmet Healthcare Needs and Emergency Department Utilization during the COVID-19 Pandemic. AJPM Focus. 2023. doi:10.1016/j.focus.2023.100065
4. Suk R, Liao K, Bauer C, Basil C, Li M. Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Administration Trends among Commercially Insured Adults Aged 27-45 Before and After Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommendation Change in the US, 2007-2020. JAMA Health Forum. 2022. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.4716
5. Bauer C, Zhang K, Xiao Q, Lu J, Hong YR, Suk R. County-level social vulnerability and breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates in the US, 2018. JAMA Network Open. 2022. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33429
6. Suk R, Hong YR, Rajan SS, Xie Z, Zhu Y, Spencer JC. Assessment of US Preventive Services Taskforce-concordant cervical cancer screening rates and reasons for underscreening by age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, rurality, and insurance, 2005 to 2019. JAMA Network Open. 2022. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.29913
7. Suk R, Hong YR, Wasserman RM, Swint JM, Azenui NB, Sonawane K, Tsai AC*, Deshmukh AA*. [* Authors with equal contribution] Analysis of Suicide after Cancer Diagnosis by US County-Level Income and Rural vs Urban Designation, 2000-2016. JAMA Network Open. 2021. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.29913
8. Deshmukh AA*, Suk R*, Shiels MS, Sonawane K, Nyitray AG, Liu Y, Gaisa MM, Palefsky JM, Sigel K. [* Authors with equal contribution] Recent Trends in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anus Incidence and Mortality in the United States, 2001-2015. JNCI. 2020. doi:10.1093/jnci/djz219
9. Suk R, Montealegre JR, Nemutlu GS, Nyitray AG, Schmeler KM, Sonawane K*, Deshmukh AA*. Public Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Receipt of Vaccination Recommendations. JAMA Pediatrics. 2019. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3105
10. Suk R, Mahale P, Sonawane K, Sikora A, Chhatwal J, Schmeler K, Sigel K, Cantor SB, Chiao EY*, Deshmukh AA*. Trends in Risks for Second Primary Cancers Associated with Index Human Papillomavirus Associated Cancers. JAMA Network Open. 2018. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.1999
11. Sonawane K, Suk R, Chiao EY, Chhatwal J, Qiu P, Wilkin T, Nyitray AG, Sikora A, Deshmukh AA. Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection: Differences in Prevalence Between Sexes and Concordance with Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection, NHANES 2011 to 2014. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2017. doi: 10.7326/M17-1363

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Complete List of Published Work: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ryan.suk.1/bibliography/public/

Dr. Suk’s primary objectives in teaching and mentoring are to: 1) provide a strong foundation in core concepts, 2) inspire students to pursue independent advanced learning, and 3) connect class or research material to their individual research or professional interests. Dr. Suk focuses on foundational teaching for students at all levels, aiming to clarify key concepts and encourage independent learning. By providing engaging materials and linking class content to students’ interests, she strives to make learning relevant and personal. As an educator and mentor, Dr. Suk’s ultimate goal is to ensure that the students are able to connect the knowledge they gain in class to their own personal stories. Moreover, Dr. Suk advocates for a classroom where students feel comfortable answering questions, speaking up, and embracing mistakes, which helps alleviate imposter syndrome and fosters a supportive and welcoming learning atmosphere.

She has taught various graduate-level courses, such as Advanced Health Economics, Economic and Social Determinants of Health, Health Services Research Methods, and Economic Evaluation, and has mentored students and trainees on topics related to data analysis, mathematical modeling (e.g., Markov model, microsimulation), and health disparities.

Dr. Suk pursues three closely related objectives in the area of infection-associated cancer prevention, especially human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related cancers: 1) To identify the epidemiology and disparities of specific health outcomes in a given population, 2) To investigate the multi-level social determinants of health (SDoH), and finally, 3) To assess the cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve health outcomes and reduce existing health disparities. As a Health Economist, she is passionate about balancing efficiency and equity in healthcare. She aims to continue investigating this topic by utilizing clinical and population-level data and constructing decision models that incorporate real-world and evidence-based information to inform clinical practice and guide health policy decisions through multi-disciplinary collaborations.

• Selected participant for the 3rd Annual SGM Cancer CARE Workshop (SGM Cancer CARE, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center) to be held Feb 29-Mar 2, 2024
• Selected participant for NIH All of Us data and LGBTQ+ research training, PRIDEnet Research Basecamp (PRIDEnet, All of Us, Stanford University) Mar 23-24, 2023  
•  SPHSA Research Day 2020, 3rd Place Award, UTHealth School of Public Health, 2020
• People with AIDS Public Health in the Americas Scholarship, UTHealth School of Public Health, 2019
• Scholarship in Management, Policy, and Community Health, UTHealth School of Public Health, 2019
• School of Public Health Travel Fund, UTHealth School of Public Health, 2019
• Grinter Fellowship, University of Florida Graduate School, 2016-2019
• Graduate Student Council Travel Grant, University of Florida, Spring 2018 
• Thesis Grant, Department of Economics, University of Utah, 2015-2016