Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Shenkman, Ph.D., has earned the highest honor for a faculty member at the University of Florida: Distinguished Professor. This rare designation denotes the perseverance necessary to reach extraordinary academic achievement and influence.
“I am honored. I have had the privilege of working with wonderful colleagues throughout my career to improve health care delivery and health outcomes, particularly for children with chronic conditions,” Shenkman said.
Shenkman serves as chair of the UF Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics and as director of the Institute for Child Health Policy. She also holds leadership roles in the UF Health Cancer Institute and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Shenkman has changed the research landscape at the university and opened doors for the College of Medicine to apply AI and other cutting-edge methods to improve health care.
“Few faculty members have transformed the research infrastructure of the University of Florida as profoundly as Dr. Betsy Shenkman,” said Michael S. Okun, M.D., the executive director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases and Distinguished Professor since 2024.
“Her vision helped create the framework that allows investigators across disciplines to ask bigger questions, study larger populations, and ultimately improve the lives of patients throughout Florida and beyond.”
The visionary gator
Shenkman’s journey at the University of Florida has spanned decades as a student, researcher, professor, and leader. A triple gator, Shenkman holds degrees in psychiatric nursing and a 1987 doctorate focused on measurement and evaluation.
Shenkman faced discouragement as a young professor and researcher who wanted to apply new lessons from the vast amounts of data collected from patients. Some mentors could not foresee the value of real-world data.
“However, I was achieving scientific success using these data and wanted to continue this path, which turned out to be a wise decision,” Shenkman said.
Encouragement came from faculty sponsors, who are different than mentors in the sense of offering guidance for navigating political and academic systems. Shenkman networked with sponsors outside and inside UF and from various scientific fields.
“I encourage young professors to identify sponsors so they can make connections to further their research and ultimately attain distinction in their fields,” Shenkman said.
Legacy for children
Shenkman’s early research informed the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that enables states to support vulnerable children. Today she co-directs a large contract that evaluates CHIP and Medicaid in Texas, which was renewed in 2025.
Shenkman’s pursuit of solutions through large electronic data sets led to another major role as a leader of the nationwide OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network. This network provides access to protected data from more than 30 million patients.
As a co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, Shenkman has covered an impressive breath of research pursuits, ranging from an individual’s mental health to the advancement of entire health systems.
A consistent theme has been the healthcare needs of children.
“Better health in childhood translates to better health throughout adulthood. This is great motivation for me to continue the work that I am doing knowing that my work can contribute to lifelong improved health for vulnerable children,” Shenkman said.
Colleagues note that Shenkman is a level-headed, soft-spoken leader who has the vision to change the status quo of medical research.
“What distinguishes Betsy is not only the excellence of her scholarship, but the lasting legacy of the systems she has built,” Okun said. “Her work has reshaped how we conduct population health research, address health disparities, and translate discoveries into better care. The benefits of her leadership will be felt for generations.”