Welcome to Maja Kuharic, MPharm, Msc, PhD, Assistant Professor

By: Julie A. Bednark

December 18, 2024

We are thrilled to welcome Maja Kuharic, MPharm, Msc, PhD who joins the faculty of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Outcomes and Measurement Science.

An accomplished scholar, Kuharic holds a PhD in Pharmacy (Health Economics and Outcomes Research) from University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy; an MSc in Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics from Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona School of Management; an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy from University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry; and an MPharm from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry.

Prior to starting her position as an Assistant Professor, Kuharic worked as a Research Associate alongside Devin Peipert, PhD and David Cella, PhD. Before joining Northwestern, she worked as Senior Manager of Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) Strategy at AbbVie Pharmaceuticals. In that role, Kuharic led health economics and outcomes research projects in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and guided strategic research initiatives in early drug development. Additionally, she was a Research Fellow at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, completing her PhD under Simon Pickard, PhD, with focus on patient-reported outcomes development and psychometric research.

Kuharic’s research interests lie at the intersection of health outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and health economics. Her primary research focus is developing and validating patient-reported outcome measures, both preference and non-preference based, to enhance their utility in three key areas: clinical trials, routine clinical care, and health policy decision-making. Drawing from her experience in neurodegenerative diseases, she has developed research interest in understanding how health conditions and treatments affect not only patients but also their families and broader social networks. In this area, her research includes developing measures for economic evaluations that can be applied across health and social care settings. These measures inform cost-effectiveness analyses and support value-based care models while capturing the broader impact of health interventions on patients and their families.

Beyond measure development, she has research interest in advancing preference-based methods to support personalized healthcare decisions. This work aims to help patients and clinicians align treatment choices with individual priorities and values, enhancing the quality of clinical decision-making while ensuring healthcare interventions reflect what matters most to patients and their families. A few of her noteworthy accomplishments include:

• Receiving the Best New Investigator Podium Research Presentation Award from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR);
• Being awarded the Dean's Fund for Excellence Scholarship at the University of Illinois Chicago, considered the department's "Lifetime Achievement Award," for sustained contributions to research projects during her doctoral studies; and,
• Currently serving as Scientific Chair of the Early Career Researchers Meeting for the EuroQol Research Foundation, fostering international collaboration and methodological innovation among emerging researchers in health outcomes measurement.

Encouraged by her PhD advisor to pursue an academic career, Kuharic reflects she found  MSS's collaborative, forward-thinking environment to be the perfect fit for furthering patient-centered outcomes research. “The department's unique integration of PRO development for clinical trials and practical implementation in healthcare settings aligns perfectly with my research goals,” said Kuharic. “Moreover, MSS's international presence supports my ongoing global collaborations. I look forward to contributing to impactful, patient-focused initiatives alongside a team of exceptional colleagues.”

In her new role, she is excited about the opportunity to help shape the future of patient-centered care. Building on her experience in developing and implementing new outcome measures, Kuharic will advance innovative approaches to health measurement that can better capture what matters most to patients and their families. We look forward to the contributions Kuharic will make in advancing equity, innovation, and impact in health, both through her research and as a valued member of our community. Welcome Maja Kuharic!