An internationally experienced researcher in the field of health economics, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman has contributed greatly to the world’s pool of knowledge, most recently about family health issues in African and Asian countries. Aaron Blaakman’s pursuit of knowledge has led him all over Africa and Asia, to such countries as Botswana, Bulgaria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman currently serves as a Health Economics and Financing Research Consultant. He is based in Cary, North Carolina. Previously, he has served as a Research Scientist at Family Health International in Durham, NC (2005-2008) and as a Research Associate at Brandeis University (1998-2005) in Waltham, MA. Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as principal investigator for a study on “Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Cost Analysis Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment,” which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse through a $154,000 grant.  



A number of Africa-centric research projects that Aaron Blaakman participated in during his research career cover such varied topics as:



•    Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Peer Education in Zambia

•    Cost Analysis of Health Care Service Packages in Rwandan Health Centers and Hospitals (with Intrahealth/RTI)

•    Cost Analysis of PMTCT Best Practices in South Africa

•    Cost Analysis of Family Planning and VCT Integration in Kenya

•    Cost Analysis of IUD Scaling Up in Uganda (with Engenderhealth)

•    Economic Evaluation of Systematic Screening in Senegal (Frontiers/Population Council)

•    Development of a Community Based Health Insurance Program in rural Guinea (Frontiers/Population Council)

•    Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Community Based Distribution Practices in Mali (with Save the Children)

•    Economic Evaluation of the “Young Men As Equal Partners Project” in Uganda and Kenya



From 1998 to 2005, Aaron Blaakman worked for Brandeis University’s Schneider Institute for Health Policy, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. There, Aaron Blaakman served as a research associate focusing on Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and on Substance Abuse and International Health.



During his time with Brandeis, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman worked on a variety of research initiatives. Among them:



•    A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Cost Analysis Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment, supported by NIDA

•    Treatment Costs and Organizational Monitoring: Texas Christian University,

supported by NIDA

•    Treatment Needs: Research and Evaluation Specialists, supported by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services    

•    Extended Telephone Monitoring for Alcoholics with University of Pennsylvania,

supported by NIAAA

•    Cost-effectiveness of dietary interventions to reduce AIDS wasting, supported by NIDDK



In addition to his Brandeis research, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman was involved in a variety of external research on cost and financial analysis as well. Some of the recent projects he has been involved with include:

•    Cost Methods Consultant, Texas Christian University, Center for Behavioral Health, Forth Worth, Texas

•    Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Consultant, Family First Project, National Development and Research Institutes, New York

•    Economic Analysis Advisor, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, North Carolina Disaster Management Project



From 1997 to 1998, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as program evaluation director for Charles River Health Management, in Boston.



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman has also taught at a number of prestigious universities. From 1998 to 2000, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman’s professorial duties included Adjunct Professor Health Policy, Tufts University, Experimental College, Medford, Mass.; Adjunct Lecturer in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Centre D’Etudes Supérieurs en Gestion, Dakar, Sénégal; Instructor, Brandeis University, Sustainable International Development Program; and Adjunct Lecturer, Emmanuel College, Healthcare Administration Program, Boston.



In the early 1990s, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman gained experience in social work by serving as  Sociotherapist/Recreation Therapist, for the Hillside Children’s   

Center in Rochester, N.Y. Aaron Beaston-Blaakman also served as a Social Worker, for the Hillside Children’s Center, Juvenile Justice Services, Hillside Children’s Center, Rochester; and as Program Assistant for Dads and Children Together, Hillside Children’s Center, Rochester.       



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman holds a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. Prior to that he earned an MA in Social Policy, also from the Heller School at Brandeis. Earlier, he earned an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University; and an MSW from the School of Social Work, Syracuse University. Fluent in French, he has done graduate course work in the French language, at New York University in Paris.                        

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman resides in Cary, N.C.    



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