My research aims to advance scientific understanding of the forces that influence physician and patient behavior, with a focus on evaluating and modifying physician and patient practices to improve health outcomes through prevention. The process by which new medical practices and knowledge are disseminated often fails to serve the best interests of patients. Frequently, new practices are readily adopted without adequate assessment. Paradoxically, other practices with strong evidence-based support are adopted only slowly and then inconsistently. By understanding the determinants of health behaviors, specific factors that facilitate or impede the adoption of appropriate new practices can be identified. These issues are critical to the future of medicine. Rising health care costs and the changing organization of health care have increased societal demands for high quality, yet cost-effective, clinical care. A preventive model that focuses on reducing the risk of future adverse outcomes, rather than symptom management, has become a dominant goal of health care delivery. By evaluating current practices and designing interventions to improve health care, my work responds to these demands. In addition, this nation’s investment in biomedical science is jeopardized if we fail to recognize that the adoption of new medical practices and health behaviors is a complex, yet potentially modifiable, process. My objective is to further develop the science of health care innovation as a mean for understanding current patterns of health care and as a vehicle for designing interventions to facilitate the adoption of evidence-based practices by patients, their care providers, and health care systems. This research agenda is reinforced and stimulated by an array of clinical and teaching activities.Specialties: Physician practice patterns and quality of carePharmaceutical regulation and health policyHypertension managementHealth care disparitiesHealth economics