Addressing Disparities in Chronic Disease Care
Gray Babbs work is recognized by his nominators as both methodologically rigorous and highly relevant to policy, offering powerful insight into how inequities in care emerge and how they may be addressed.
Babbs’ dissertation represents the first large-scale, national analysis of healthcare quality among transgender populations. Using innovative methods and Medicare data, his research demonstrates that transgender beneficiaries experience higher rates of chronic conditions, develop these conditions at younger ages, and receive lower-quality care than cisgender counterparts. Importantly, his work moves beyond documenting disparities to identifying actionable solutions. He finds that patients who receive care from providers with more experience treating transgender individuals have significantly better outcomes, highlighting provider experience as a key and modifiable factor of care quality.
Methodological Rigor That Sets a New Standard
Aaron Breslow, who holds leadership and faculty roles at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, highlights the research's technical rigor. Babbs employs innovative methods for identifying transgender individuals in insurance claims, expertly wrangling large administrative datasets. Breslow also notes Babbs' careful attention to statistical challenges like confounding and selection bias, details frequently underaddressed in doctoral research, and points to the quasi-experimental techniques used in the dissertation's final section as strengthening the reliability of its findings.
“Groundbreaking for understanding the care for transgender communities in the U.S. healthcare system. It sets a new standard for research” in this area, shares David J. Meyers, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Director of the Doctoral Program in Health Services Research.
Research Completed Against the Odds
Completed amid significant political and institutional challenges to research on transgender health, the work also reflects Babbs’ persistence and commitment to advancing equity in healthcare. Babbs’ research has already begun to reach broad audiences due to his commitment to disseminating results to clinicians, policymakers, and trans community members.
“During these challenging times, Gray has continued to uplift vulnerable communities through research and advocacy, all while maintaining exceptional productivity and publishing a substantial body of high-impact work that is shaping the field,” shares Jaclyn White Hughto, Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Epidemiology, Vice Chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Recognition Beyond Brown
One chapter of his dissertation has been published, with additional manuscripts currently under peer review. In his time at Brown, Babbs has published 19 peer-reviewed publications, including in top journals such as JAMA Internal Medicine and the American Journal of Public Health.
His work has also been recognized nationally, including the 2025 Early Career Investigator Award in Quality and Value from AcademyHealth, and at Brown through the Diversity and Inclusion Catalyst Award at the School of Public Health and the LGBTQ+ Graduate Community Impact Award. Following graduation, Babbs will continue his work as a Postdoctoral Specialist in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.
Contributing to the Brown Community
On campus, Babbs has been a valuable member of the campus community. He regularly volunteers to support and mentor other students and has an excellent performance record as a TA in courses for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. Babbs has also engaged in university-wide service, most recently serving on the Graduate Council and participating in the competitive Brown Executive Scholars Training Program.
In His Own Words
Reflecting on the honor, Babbs stated he is “truly humbled” to be selected for the Joukowsky Award, adding that the recognition “affirms the importance of research that supports trans communities.” He also emphasized the role of mentorship in his journey, expressing gratitude to his advisors “whose guidance shaped this dissertation and whose advocacy made it possible to complete it, despite the many roadblocks created by anti-trans federal policies.”
Through his dissertation, Babbs not only advances understanding of healthcare disparities but also provides a framework for improving care. His work demonstrates how rigorous research can inform policy, strengthen clinical practice, and support more equitable health systems.
Doctoral candidates and graduates, Gray Barber Babbs, Sarah Ferris Christensen, Meg Shieh, and Semilore Sobandewere selected for the Graduate School's Joukowsky Family Foundation Outstanding Dissertation Award. Prizes are awarded at the Doctoral Ceremony on May 24, 2026.