Hanke Heun-Johnson, PhD

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Hanke Heun-Johnson is a research scientist USC Schaeffer Center. Her current research is focused on cognition, COVID-19, obesity, and adverse childhood experiences, using dynamic microsimulations to model health and economic outcomes. In a prior position at the Schaeffer Center, she studied mental healthcare access and early interventions for the Keck-Schaeffer Initiative for Population Health Policy. Before joining the Schaeffer Center, her dissertation research focused on the interaction effects of early-life stress and genetic variations on brain circuit development and behavior at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She received her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Southern California, a master's in molecular biology, and a BSc in biological health sciences from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Recent Work

The Burden of Cognitive Impairment

Using microsimulation, researchers estimated the burden of cognitive impairment (ADRD and/or MCI) over remaining life years above 50 overall and by disease progression, age of onset, and sociodemographic subgroups for a nationally representative sample of Americans (age≥50) with cognitive status information in the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2016).
Categorized in
- Research
- Journal Articles
Using Dynamic Microsimulation to Project Cognitive Function in the Elderly Population

A long-term projection model based on nationally representative data and tracking disease progression across Alzheimer’s disease continuum is important for economics evaluation of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (ADOD) therapy.
Categorized in
- Research
- Journal Articles
Assessing the Use of Data Systems to Estimate Return-on-Investment of Behavioral Healthcare Interventions: Opportunities and Barriers

America is facing a behavioral health crisis, both in terms of increasing prevalence rates and high behavioral healthcare needs.
Categorized in
- Research
- Journal Articles
The Burden of 1 Million Excess Deaths: 13.5 Million Years of Life Lost During the COVID Pandemic

Analysis of excess deaths two years into the pandemic finds adults younger than 65 years old made up 56% of life years lost.

By Hanke Heun-Johnson, PhD and Bryan Tysinger, PhD
Categorized in
- Evidence Base
Measuring the COVID-19 Mortality Burden in the United States

A team from the USC Schaeffer Center undertook a full assessment of the first year of the pandemic’s mortality burden by measuring years of life lost and accounting for quality-of-life differences, factoring in age, sex, race/ethnicity and comorbidities.
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Hanke Heun-Johnson, PhD's Bio

Recent Work

The Burden of Cognitive Impairment

Using Dynamic Microsimulation to Project Cognitive Function in the Elderly Population

Assessing the Use of Data Systems to Estimate Return-on-Investment of Behavioral Healthcare Interventions: Opportunities and Barriers

The Burden of 1 Million Excess Deaths: 13.5 Million Years of Life Lost During the COVID Pandemic

Measuring the COVID-19 Mortality Burden in the United States