Wei Lyu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Health Services Administration, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award for the University of Iowa College of Public Health. He was honored at a college-wide event in Iowa City on September 23, 2026.
Wei Lyu, who earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in health services and policy from the University of Iowa in 2020, has published more than 35 peer-reviewed research articles and, according to Google Scholar, his work has been cited more than 2,000 times. It shows the broad reach of his work evaluating how health insurance, payment, and care-delivery policies affect access to care, health care utilization, and health outcomes.
In their announcement of the honor, the University of Iowa pointed out that Lyu’s research early in COVID-19 received national attention, stating that “His study found early state-level mask mandates were associated with slower growth in cases. The article drew widespread interest among public health officials and policymakers, was cited by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and informed government orders and public health guidance. It ranked #1 among Health Affairs’ most-read articles of 2020 and received extensive media coverage.”
Lyu also serves as an associate scientist in UAB’s Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education and Center for the Study of Community Health. He was recently named the deputy director for Policy in the UAB Lister Hill Center for Health Policy. And he teaches courses in health care economics, health policy, public health and quantitative research methods.
