Dr. Ryan Suk (pronunciation: Rye-un Sook; pronouns: she/they) is an Assistant Professor at Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing with a joint appointment at the Department of Health Policy and Management at Rollins School of Public Health. Dr. Suk also serves as a Faculty Consultant for HEOR at the Winship Center for Cancer Health Equity Research of Winship Cancer Institute. She 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, and she is dedicated to tailoring efforts for underrepresented populations, including the Asian American and LGBTQIA+ communities. Methodologically, she focuses on employing AI-driven decision support tools and distributional cost-effectiveness analysis and strongly believes in interdisciplinary team science. Her research has been published in JAMA Pediatrics, JAMA Network Open, JAMA Health Forum, JNCI, Annals of Internal Medicine, LGBT Health, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and more. They are also passionate about mentoring and teaching, with a special focus on enhancing knowledge in health economics and decision science among students across diverse disciplines, including nursing and other clinical fields.

Dr. Suk 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, they served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and at UTHealth School of Public Health.

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

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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.

• Top reviewer for 2023, JAMA Network Open 
• Selected trainee for the 3rd Annual SGM Cancer CARE Workshop (NIH1R25CA240113, SGM Cancer CARE, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center) Feb 29-Mar 2, 2024
• Selected trainee for NIH All of Us data and LGBTQ+ research training, PRIDEnet Research Basecamp (PRIDEnet, NIH All of Us, Stanford University) Mar 23-24, 2023  
• SPHSA Research Day 2020, 3rd Place Award, The University of Texas HSC, 2020
• (Title: Risks of Suicidal Deaths after a Cancer Diagnosis by County-level Socioeconomic and Metropolitan Status in the US, 1992-2016) 
• People with AIDS Public Health in the Americas Scholarship, The University of Texas HSC, 2019
• Department of Management, Policy and Community Health Scholarship, The University of Texas HSC, 2019
• School of Public Health Travel Fund, The University of Texas HSC, 2019
• Grinter Fellowship, University of Florida, 2016-2019
• Graduate Student Council Travel Grant, University of Florida, Spring 2018 
• Thesis Grant, Department of Economics, University of Utah, 2015-2016