Raj Ratwani PhD
Vice President of Scientific Affairs/ Director/ Professor
MedStar Health Research Institute/MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare/Georgetown University School of Medicine
Raj Ratwani, PhD is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the MedStar Health Research Institute, Director of the MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare, and a Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He is a nationally recognized leader in improving patient safety and healthcare delivery through better design, technology, and understanding of how people think and work in real clinical environments.
Dr. Ratwani’s work focuses on making healthcare safer and more effective by aligning systems, digital tools, and artificial intelligence with the realities of clinical practice. His expertise spans patient safety, human cognition, usability, digital health technologies, and data science, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that new technologies support—rather than hinder—clinicians and patients.
An active applied researcher, Dr. Ratwani leads multiple large-scale research initiatives supported by federal agencies, foundations, and industry partners. His work has been funded by organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. These efforts have directly informed healthcare policy, regulatory discussions, and improvements in frontline clinical care.
Dr. Ratwani has published extensively in leading medical and health policy journals, including The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and Health Affairs. His research and insights are frequently featured in national media outlets such as Politico, Fortune, Kaiser Health News, and National Public Radio (NPR). He has also served on federal advisory committees and has testified before the U.S. Senate on issues related to patient safety and healthcare technology.
He holds a doctorate in human factors and applied cognition and completed a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Outside of work, Dr. Ratwani enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, distance running, and playing tennis.
Dr. Ratwani’s work focuses on making healthcare safer and more effective by aligning systems, digital tools, and artificial intelligence with the realities of clinical practice. His expertise spans patient safety, human cognition, usability, digital health technologies, and data science, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that new technologies support—rather than hinder—clinicians and patients.
An active applied researcher, Dr. Ratwani leads multiple large-scale research initiatives supported by federal agencies, foundations, and industry partners. His work has been funded by organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. These efforts have directly informed healthcare policy, regulatory discussions, and improvements in frontline clinical care.
Dr. Ratwani has published extensively in leading medical and health policy journals, including The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and Health Affairs. His research and insights are frequently featured in national media outlets such as Politico, Fortune, Kaiser Health News, and National Public Radio (NPR). He has also served on federal advisory committees and has testified before the U.S. Senate on issues related to patient safety and healthcare technology.
He holds a doctorate in human factors and applied cognition and completed a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Outside of work, Dr. Ratwani enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, distance running, and playing tennis.
