Dana Bernson, MPH is an Epidemiologist and the Director of the Data Science, Research, and Epidemiology (DSRE) Division at the MA Department of Public Health (DPH), which leads the Department’s efforts to use big data, data linkages, advanced analytics, and data visualization techniques to guide public health planning and respond to public health concerns; runs two statewide health and risk behavior surveys; and oversees access to confidential data and human subjects research. Dana has extensive applied public health experience and for the past several years, has been involved in DPH's response to the opioid overdose epidemic. She has held key leadership and analytic roles on an interdisciplinary team tasked with compiling, linking, and analyzing data related to the epidemic. Dana’s team is now oversees the Public Health Data Warehouse (PHD), a national model for public health data sharing, linkage, and analysis. She is a recognized expert on linking administrative data and using data to guide action. She serves as a technical expert on various advisory panels and speaks extensively on these topics. Dana holds co-investigator and key personnel roles on several NIH funded grants. Prior to joining DPH, Dana worked in clinical research at Boston Children’s Hospital. She received her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degrees from Boston University.
Ms. Bernson has been a longtime volunteer for both the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). She is currently the ACT! Lead for the 4th Congressional District in Massachusetts.