After the Midterms: Health, Governance, and Policy Priorities in a Polarized Era

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections will shape far more than the political landscape, they will influence the future of public health, health care, and the policies that affect communities across the country. Join leading scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and civic leaders for a timely conversation examining what the election results reveal about governance, public trust, and the opportunities and challenges ahead for improving population health.

Hosted by WashU Bursky School of Public Health’s Office of Innovation, this convening will move beyond election analysis to explore what comes next. Through keynote presentations and expert discussion, participants will consider how political realities shape health policy, where meaningful progress remains possible, and how evidence can inform decision-making in an increasingly polarized environment.

This symposium is designed for anyone interested in the intersection of health, policy, and democratic governance. Whether you work in public health, health care, government, academia, or the nonprofit sector, the convening offers an opportunity to engage with national thought leaders, exchange ideas across disciplines, and help identify practical, forward-looking priorities for improving population health in the years ahead.

Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD

Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, is the President of the National Academy of Medicine and Vice Chair of the National Research Council. She previously served as the 17th Director of the National Institutes of Health and the 16th Director of the National Cancer Institute. A surgical oncologist and physician-scientist, Bertagnolli’s research has advanced understanding of the role of genetics and inflammation in gastrointestinal cancers and soft-tissue sarcomas. She served as Chief of Surgical Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery Emerita at Harvard Medical School.

A past president and chair of the board of directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, she has also served on the boards of the American Cancer Society and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Throughout her career, Bertagnolli has championed collaborative efforts to build a learning health system by transforming the data infrastructure for clinical research, including by spearheading the mCODE initiative, which enabled standardized oncology data exchange, and DataCOUNTS, an NIH program managing data to drive a learning health system.

Bertagnolli was elected as a member of the NAM in 2021 and is the first woman to serve as its president.

Elaine C. Kamarck, PhD

Elaine C. Kamarck, PhD, is a senior fellow in Governance Studies and the director of the Center for Effective Public Management at The Brookings Institution. She is an expert on American electoral politics and government innovation and reform in the United States, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development nations, and developing countries. She is also lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Her research focuses on 21st century government, the role of the internet in political campaigns, homeland defense, intelligence reorganization, and governmental reform and innovation.

Kamarck has authored several books, including “Primary Politics; Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates,” and co-authored “Lies That Kill: A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation” among others. She has worked on four presidential campaigns and remains a member of the Democratic National Committee.