Alden Lai
Alden Lai
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Assistant Professor of Public Health Policy and Management
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Professional overview
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Alden Lai studies the quality of jobs and work environments (i.e., “work design”) of workers to achieve better employee outcomes and organizational performance in health care. He uses qualitative and mixed methods to examine workplace behaviors that have important implications for employees, patients, and organizations, such as proactive behavior among frontline workers. With an aim of enhancing worker wellbeing, his research has been published in both management and health care journals, including Academy of Management Discoveries, Health Care Management Review, Medical Care Research and Review, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and The Milbank Quarterly. He is an editorial board member for Health Care Management Review and Medical Care Research and Review, and has served as a national and international expert for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on workforce issues. He is an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Management and Organizations at NYU Stern.
Dr. Lai has received international recognition for his research, teaching, and contributions to his field. They include an Early Career Achievement Award, Outstanding Early Career Educator Award, and Outstanding Paper based on a Dissertation Award from the Academy of Management’s Health Care Management Division, and a Teaching Excellence Award from GPH.
At GPH, he teaches courses on management, leadership, and strategy in public health.
Dr. Lai has advised federal and state governments, health systems, international and non-profit organizations, corporations, and philanthropies internationally. His professional experiences include being a management consultant and social enterprise strategist. He is currently a board member for the Wellbeing for Planet Earth Foundation, whose mission is to foster a more globally inclusive understanding of wellbeing for research, practice, and policy.
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Education
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BA, Psychology, National University of Singapore, SingaporeMPH, Social & Behavioral Sciences, The University of Tokyo, JapanPhD, Health Policy & Management (Organizational Behavior), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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Honors and awards
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Outstanding Early Career Educator Award, Health Care Management Division, Academy of Management (2025)Early Career Teaching Excellence Award, NYU GPH (2025)Early Career Achievement Award, Health Care Management Division, Academy of Management (2024)“40 Under 40 in Public Health” Award, Boston Congress of Public Health (2023)Denny Gioia Award for Best Qualitative Paper, Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division, Academy of Management (2023)“Best Paper” (top 10%), Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division, Academy of Management (2023)Goddard Faculty Award, NYU GPH (2023)NYU GPH Leadership Development Award (2021)19 Washington Square North Faculty Fellowship (2021)Outstanding Paper based on a Dissertation Award, Division of Health Care Management, Academy of Management (2021)Show Chwan Scholar in Health Care Management (2018)Sir Arthur Newsholme Scholar (2015)The University of Tokyo President Award (2013)University of Copenhagen-International Alliance of Research Universities Scholar (2012)Government of Japan Monbukagakusho Scholar (2011)Sato-Yo International Foundation Scholar (2009)
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Areas of research and study
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Health Care ManagementHealth Care WorkforceKnowledge WorkersPrimary CareProactivity at WorkQualitative ResearchWell-Being at WorkWork Design
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Consulting and Community Engagement
1199 Benefit and Pension Funds
Ajinomoto
Ando Foundation
Ashoka
Asian Venture Philanthropy Network
Australian Sports Commission
Carnegie UK Trust
Clinical Directors Network Inc.
Columbia University Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs
Diplomatic Courier
Earth Company
G1 Institute Japan
Gallup Inc.
Government of Australia, Treasury
Harvard University Human Flourishing Program
John Templeton Foundation
Katsuiku Foundation
Learned Society of Wales
National Healthcare Group
Nestle
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Equitable Health Systems
New York City Health + Hospitals
New York City Office of Labor Relations
New York City Department of Education, Office of School Health
Nikkei
OECD Center for Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity
Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Oxford University Wellbeing Research Centre
Permanent Delegation of Japan to the OECD
PERSOL Holdings
Physician Affiliate Group of New York
Prime Minister’s Office, Iceland
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Human Flourishing Projects
Templeton World Charity Foundation
The Consumer Goods Forum
The Hastings Center
The HOW Institute for Society
The Leadership and Happiness Laboratory, Harvard Kennedy School
KRC Research and United Minds, The Weber Shandwick Collective
UNICEF Office of Global Insight and Policy
United Nations Human Development Report Office
United Nations Statistics Division
Unson Foundation
WHO Commission on Social Connection
Woodlands Health Campus
World Happiness Council-
Publications
Publications
Implementation Strategies to Enhance Safety-Net Hospitals' Adoption of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
AbstractLai, A., Lindenfeld, Z., Franz, B., Fenstemaker, C., Lai, A., Pagan, J. A., Cronin, C. E., & Chang, J. E. E. (n.d.).Publication year
2026Journal title
Journal of General Internal MedicineVolume
41Issue
1Page(s)
26-34AbstractTo support adoption of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for opioid use disorder (OUD), hospitals are likely to benefit from implementation strategies that are responsive to their unique environments. Yet there remains a gap in knowledge regarding which implementation strategies are needed to support SBIRT implementation and sustainment for OUD within safety-net hospitals.The complex relationship between inner and outer peace: New global insights from the Gallup World Poll
AbstractLomas, T., Niemiec, R., Diego-Rosell, P., Lai, A., Lee, M. T., & VanderWeele, T. J. (n.d.).Publication year
2026Journal title
Journal of Happiness StudiesVolume
27Page(s)
21Abstract~A call to integrate mental health support into Sickle Cell Disease care: The value of task-sharing in low- and middle-income countries
AbstractLai, A., Patena, J., Lai, A., Sweetland, A. C., Gyamfi, J., & Peprah, E. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
PLOS Mental HealthVolume
2Issue
7Page(s)
e0000360Abstract~A multidimensional assessment of global flourishing : Differential rankings of 145 Countries on 38 wellbeing indicators in the Gallup World Poll, with an accompanying principal components analyses of the structure of flourishing
AbstractLomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Lai, A., Pawelski, J. O., & VanderWeele, T. J. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Journal of Positive PsychologyVolume
20Issue
3Page(s)
397-421AbstractFor over ten years the World Happiness Report has influentially ranked nations on self-reported life evaluation as measured by the Gallup World Poll. Inspired by this endeavour, this paper aims to broaden our understanding of global flourishing by assessing an expansive battery of 38 items relating to wellbeing in the World Poll, encompassing 386,654 people in 145 countries over three years (2020–2022). The variation in the respective placing of countries across different items reveals a complex picture of flourishing, with many nations ranking highly on certain metrics but faring poorly on others. Additionally, principal components analyses of the items produced a conceptualization of flourishing featuring numerous dimensions (with both a three- and six-factor solution being viable). Together, these findings paint a nuanced picture of both the multifaceted nature of flourishing and its complex manifestations around the world.Barriers and facilitators to implementing a task-sharing mental health intervention for Sickle Cell Disease populations in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative analysis using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)
AbstractLai, A., Patena, J., Elster, L., Hameed, T., Kulkarni, S., Lai, A., Sweetland, A. C., Gyamfi, J., Ojo, T., Odoms-Young, A., Royal, C., & Peprah, E. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Frontiers in Public HealthVolume
13Page(s)
1607771AbstractPeople living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) experience higher rates of common mental disorders (CMD). There is an alarming treatment gap in the provision of adequate mental health services for CMDs in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). One solution is the implementation of task-sharing interventions such as the Friendship Bench which utilizes concepts of problem-solving therapy (PST). This investigation uses a qualitative study design to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a PST-based task-sharing mental health intervention for SCD populations in LMICs using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).Bridging barriers, integrating insights: The Gotham approach to CTSA collaborative evaluation
AbstractLai, A., Kane, C. T., Lipschitz, E. E., Abedin, Z., Muhammad, K., Nickerson, B. J., Rhim, G., Lechuga, C., Tobin, J. N., Neville-Williams, M. N., Lyu, C., & Lai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Journal of clinical and translational scienceVolume
9Issue
1Page(s)
e262AbstractCollaboration across the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium is essential for advancing translational science, yet institutional silos often hinder data-sharing and benchmarking efforts. This study examines the viability of a voluntary, multi-hub analysis of the CTSA education common metric on trainee and scholar engagement across five New York City-based sites or "hubs." Using a structured framework for collaboration and field-tested operational guidelines, a team of evaluators dubbed "The Gotham Group" pooled de-identified common education data to assess post-training research engagement and demographic representation. Their primary objective was to establish a sustainable model for independent data-sharing without national mandates or technical support. A secondary goal was to reassess the metric's usefulness as an impact benchmark. Results showed that NYC education engagement percentages remained stable despite institutional differences, suggesting the metric's viability for regional comparison. More importantly, the collaboration itself proved as valuable as its outcomes, fostering professional relationships, facilitating knowledge exchange, and strengthening evaluation capacity within and across the hubs. This study highlights the potential of voluntary data-sharing partnerships to overcome data silos and to create valuable networks driving continuous improvement in translational science.Forging hospital and community partnerships to enable care coordination for opioid use disorder
AbstractLindenfeld, Z., Franz, B., Lai, A., Pagán, J. A., Fenstemaker, C., Cronin, C. E., & Chang, J. E. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Addiction Science and Clinical PracticeVolume
20Issue
1AbstractBackground: Programs that aim to increase access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in hospital-based settings have proliferated in recent years. These efforts include transitional opioid programs (TOPs), which navigate patients to community-based SUD treatment programs post-discharge. Successful navigation from TOPs to outpatient treatment hinges on effective coordination between hospitals and post-discharge endpoints, yet it is unclear how hospitals can best develop effective partnerships with outpatient treatment organizations. The objective of this study is to synthesize the common themes underpinning the development of partnerships to facilitate care transitions between TOPs and ongoing SUD treatment. Methods: Qualitative study with staff and providers from hospitals affiliated with four safety-net health systems (n = 21) and leaders from community-based organizations (CBOs) and treatment facilities that had established referral partnerships with one of the four health systems in our study (n = 4). Results: Analysis of interview transcripts revealed seven common themes that underpinned the development of care transitions partnerships: (1) Active, intentional outreach; (2) Responding to a community need; (3) External Enabling Factors; (4) Leveraging reputations and community connections; (5) Focusing on operations; (6) Reciprocal relationships; and (7) Building Infrastructure and Processes to Ensure Collaboration. The seven identified themes were categorized into three groups corresponding to different partnership development stages. The first group revolves around the initial stage of meeting and developing a relationship (themes #1–4). The second set focuses on navigating and resolving challenges that arise in the partnership (themes #5–6). Lastly, the third group pertains to sustaining a partnership long-term (theme #7). Conclusions: This study identifies seven core themes underlying the development of care transition partnerships for SUD patients within four safety net health systems and their CBO partners. These themes demonstrate how partner organizations can establish the trust, reciprocity, and commitment necessary to support patients through the critical transition period.Job burnout: Consequences for individuals, organizations, and equity
AbstractLai, A., Wee, K. Z., Sullivan, E., Stephenson, A. S., & Linzer, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Lai, A. Y. (2025, Oct 8). Creating purpose and meaning. Beyond tradition: Reinventing the Japanese workplace Report Launch, Gallup Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Lai, A. Y., Cheung, F., Lee, Y. A., Paul, R., Uchida, Y., Wang, S., & Wu, F. Y. (2025, Mar 21). World Happiness Report 2025 Asian Launch [chair]. Virtual.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Lai, A. Y., Daly, J., De Neve, J.-E, Ishii, M. (2025, Oct 6). Japan's Paradox: Health and Wellbeing [moderator]. Osaka-Kansai World Expo 2025, Osaka, Japan.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Lai, A. Y., De Neve, J.-E., Dugan, A., Morishima, C., & Prati, A. (2024, November 6). Cooking and eating together: exploring the connection between well-being and food [moderator]. 7th OECD World Forum on well-being, Rome, Italy.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Lai, A. Y., Fairley, H., Gifford, D., & Platt, J. (2025, Apr 30). What do we know about how to build clinician trust in organizations. Summit on Clinician Trust in Healthcare Organizations, the George Washington University Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, American Board of Internal Medicine, and Hastings Center, Washington DC, USA.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Lai, A. Y., Morishima C., & De Neve, J.-E. (2025, March 20). Sharing meals and happiness [moderator]. World Happiness Report 2025 Launch, Gallup, Washington DC, USA.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Positive Reframing: How Physicians Adapt Functionally During Stressful Work Situations
AbstractLai, A., Lai, A., Weinstein, E., & Linzer, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Journal of General Internal MedicineAbstractStress reduction programs for physicians often feature coping as a necessary skill. These programs typically do not highlight emotion-focused coping (i.e., taking steps to manage emotions surrounding a stressful situation) as a useful form of coping, such as positive reframing. Positive reframing is well-suited for work situations where the source of stress cannot be directly or immediately resolved. However, its role on stress reduction among healthcare workers is not widely known.Proactivity, relationships, and inclusivity : Emerging topics in work design for health care management research
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Health Care Management ReviewVolume
50Issue
3Page(s)
163-164Abstract~Proactivity, relationships, and inclusivity: Emerging topics in work design for health care management research
AbstractLai, A., & Lai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Health Care Management ReviewVolume
50Issue
3Page(s)
163-164Abstract~Religious/Spiritual Connection and Subjective Well-Being Across Religious and Nonreligious Individuals in 121 Countries
AbstractLai, A., Job Chen, Z., Davoodi, T., Diego-Rosell, P., Lomas, T., Lai, A. Y., & Cowden, R. G. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Personality & social psychology bulletinPage(s)
1461672251382007AbstractPrior research suggests a positive association between some religious/spiritual variables and well-being. However, many measures of religious/spiritual constructs are often within explicitly religious contexts, limiting the conceptualization of links between spiritual connection and well-being among nonreligious individuals. The present study employs a novel, versatile measure assessing how frequently individuals feel connected to a religion or form of spirituality. Using nationally representative 2021 Gallup World Poll data from 121 countries ( = 125,843), we describe the distribution of religious/spiritual connection and examine its associations with subjective well-being among religious and nonreligious individuals. A majority of individuals worldwide-including many who are nonreligious-reported "often/always" feeling religious/spiritual connection. Adjusting for relevant covariates, religious/spiritual connection associated positively with subjective well-being in the global sample of religious individuals and, in some countries, nonreligious individuals (effect sizes were mostly small). Cross-national variation points to the complex role of religious/spiritual connection in shaping subjective well-being globally.Religious/Spiritual Connection and Subjective Wellbeing Around the World: A Cross-Sectional Analysis with Nationally Representative Samples from 121 Countries
AbstractLai, A., Cowden, R. G., Davoodi, T., Diego-Rosell, P., Lomas, T., & Lai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Journal of Religion and HealthVolume
64Issue
5Page(s)
3291-3312AbstractIn response to concerns that have been raised about the Western-centricity of scholarship on wellbeing, the Global Wellbeing Initiative was established to strengthen the inclusiveness of large-scale wellbeing-related research by constructing survey items that are more sensitive to non-Western ideas, norms, and values. Drawing on a measure of religious/spiritual connection that was developed by the Global Wellbeing Initiative and fielded in the 2021 Gallup World Poll, we used nationally representative cross-sectional data from 121 countries (N = 125,843) to describe the distribution of people's experienced religious/spiritual connection and examine its associations with subjective wellbeing globally, regionally, and by country. While a majority of individuals globally reported "often/always" feeling connected to a religion or form of spirituality, the distribution varied to some extent based on geographic location (both regionally and by country). Adjusting for a range of relevant covariates, there was a small positive association between religious/spiritual connection and subjective wellbeing globally. This finding replicated in many (but not all) regions and countries. Our findings help to enrich the existing body of global research on the role of religion/spirituality in subjective wellbeing, and provide a foundation for future large-scale research (e.g., Global Flourishing Study) that will be able to leverage this newly developed measure of religious/spiritual connection longitudinally.Social Connection Roundtable, 80th United Nations General Assembly Side Event. WHO Foundation, Concordia Annual Summit, New York, NY [workshop participant]
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~Strategies to Support Care Transitions for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: Pathways and Partnerships for Success
AbstractLindenfeld, Z., Franz, B., Lai, A., Pagan, J. A., Fenstemaker, C., Cronin, C. E., & Chang, J. E. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Journal of Primary Care and Community HealthAbstract~What makes proactive behaviors at work effective? Perspectives of health care executives
AbstractLai, A., Lai, A., & Frimpong, J. A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Journal title
Health Care Management ReviewVolume
50Issue
1Page(s)
13-22AbstractProactive behaviors at work refer to behaviors that are self-starting, future focused, and change oriented. Proactive behaviors are generally thought of as positive and desired and can benefit both the employee (e.g., job promotion) and organization (e.g., innovation). These behaviors can, however, backfire (e.g., due to unintended consequences), reflecting the "initiative paradox."Lai, A. Y. (2025, Apr 2). Job burnout, employee wellbeing, and work design [keynote]. Latin American Initiative for Health Management and Innovation Annual Summit 2025, INCAE Business School, La Garita, Costa Rica.
AbstractLai, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2025Abstract~A multidimensional assessment of global flourishing : Differential rankings of 145 Countries on 38 wellbeing indicators in the Gallup World Poll, with an accompanying principal components analyses of the structure of flourishing
AbstractLomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Lai, A., Pawelski, J. O., & VanderWeele, T. J. (n.d.).Publication year
2024Journal title
Journal of Positive PsychologyAbstractFor over ten years the World Happiness Report has influentially ranked nations on self-reported life evaluation as measured by the Gallup World Poll. Inspired by this endeavour, this paper aims to broaden our understanding of global flourishing by assessing an expansive battery of 38 items relating to wellbeing in the World Poll, encompassing 386,654 people in 145 countries over three years (2020–2022). The variation in the respective placing of countries across different items reveals a complex picture of flourishing, with many nations ranking highly on certain metrics but faring poorly on others. Additionally, principal components analyses of the items produced a conceptualization of flourishing featuring numerous dimensions (with both a three- and six-factor solution being viable). Together, these findings paint a nuanced picture of both the multifaceted nature of flourishing and its complex manifestations around the world.Barriers and Facilitators to Establishing Partnerships for Substance Use Disorder Care Transitions Between Safety-Net Hospitals and Community-Based Organizations
AbstractLindenfeld, Z., Franz, B., Lai, A., Pagan, J., Fenstemaker, C., Cronin, C. E., & Chang, J. E. (n.d.).Publication year
2024Journal title
Journal of general internal medicineVolume
39Issue
12Page(s)
2150-2159AbstractBackground: The effectiveness of hospital-based transitional opioid programs (TOPs), which aim to connect patients with substance use disorders (SUD) to ongoing treatment in the community following initiation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment in the hospital, hinges on successful patient transitions. These transitions are enabled by strong partnerships between hospitals and community-based organizations (CBOs). However, no prior study has specifically examined barriers and facilitators to establishing SUD care transition partnerships between hospitals and CBOs. Objective: To identify barriers and facilitators to developing partnerships between hospitals and CBOs to facilitate care transitions for patients with SUDs. Design: Qualitative study using semi structured interviews conducted between November 2022-August 2023. Participants: Staff and providers from hospitals affiliated with four safety-net health systems (n=21), and leaders and staff from the CBOs with which they had established partnerships (n=5). Approach: Interview questions focused on barriers and facilitators to implementing TOPs, developing partnerships with CBOs, and successfully transitioning SUD patients from hospital settings to CBOs. Key Results: We identified four key barriers to establishing transition partnerships: policy and philosophical differences between organizations, ineffective communication, limited trust, and a lack of connectivity between data systems. We also identified three facilitators to partnership development: strategies focused on building partnership quality, strategic staffing, and organizing partnership processes. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that while multiple barriers to developing hospital-CBO partnerships exist, stakeholders can adopt implementation strategies that mitigate these challenges such as using mediators, cross-hiring, and focusing on mutually beneficial services, even within resource-limited safety-net settings. Policymakers and health system leaders who wish to optimize TOPs in their facilities should focus on adopting implementation strategies to support transition partnerships such as inadequate data collection and sharing systems.