Departmental Affiliations
Mariana Socal, MD, PhD '17, studies ways to make the US pharmaceutical market more competitive, delivering drugs of greater value for lower costs to the American people.
Contact Info
Research Interests
Medicare; self-insured employers; drug formularies; PBMs; biosimilars; insulin; orphan drugs; FDA.
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr. Socal’s research focuses on improving pharmaceutical access and affordability. Specific topics include understanding biosimilar adoption, improving FDA regulation for follow-on products, and reducing spending on drugs that cost significantly more but have comparable clinical profiles to their competitors. Dr. Socal has testified before the U.S. Congress on drug pricing and the provisions established in Build Back Better and H.R.3. Dr. Socal also testified at the Food and Drug Administration on issues related to biopharmaceutical regulation, including insulins. Dr. Socal has advised several state initiatives to reduce drug spending, such as the California Generic Drugs Initiative. At Hopkins, Dr. Socal teaches courses on U.S. Pharmaceutical Policy and the U.S. Healthcare System. Dr. Socal is a physician trained in adult Neurology. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton University and a PhD in Public Health/Health Systems from Johns Hopkins University.
Honors & Awards
2023 Member of World Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Pricing Policies for Medicines
2022 Excellence in Teaching (U.S. Pharmaceutical Policy) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2022 Excellence in U.S. Public Health Practice Faculty Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2022 Golden Apple Award (U.S. Pharmaceutical Policy and Intro to the U.S. Health Care System) JHSPH Student Assembly
2021 Excellence in Teaching (U.S. Pharmaceutical Policy) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2020 Excellence in Teaching (U.S. Pharmaceutical Policy) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2019 Excellence in Teaching (U.S. Pharmaceutical Policy) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2016 David and Elinor Bodian Scholarship Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2016 Henry K. and Lola Beye Scholarship in International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2015 Teaching-As-Research Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Center for Educational Resources
2015 Gordis Teaching Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
2013 Gordis Teaching Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
2009 Research Fellowship, Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil
2008 Research Fellowship, Princeton University Grand Challenges Initiative and the Ford Foundation
Select Publications
Selected Publications