The Institute of Health Law Studies (IHLS), founded at California Western in 2004, is a health law center that focuses on "Improving health care today for all our tomorrows." IHLS performs research, participates in advocacy activities, engages in community service, and provides education to advance its mission.

Attend an upcoming Health Law Information Session:

Find out more about the California Western-UC San Diego Health Law Master's Degree program at an upcoming informational session on February 1.

California Western and UCSD Launch New Master's in Health Law Degree Program
Combining the academic strengths of UC San Diego and California Western School of Law, the two schools are launching a joint master's degree in Health Law. The only program of its kind the western U.S., the program equips graduates with a more complete understanding of the best scientific, ethical, regulatory, and management practices in both professions, with a goal of establishing compatible solutions in policy and practice. Visit the Master's in Health Law Web page for more information.

IHLS Executive Director

Bryan A. Liang

• Executive Director, Institute of Health Law Studies
• Professor of Law, California Western School of Law
• Adjunct Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine
• Co-Director, San Diego Center for Patient Safety, University of California San Diego School of Medicine
• Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University

Professor Liang has an interdisciplinary interest in health law and policy reflected by his study of health care from a broad array of perspectives. He graduated from MIT with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, studying organic synthesis of complex natural products, and then received a Ph.D. in health policy from the University of Chicago, studying access and quality issues in Medicaid managed care programs in the United States. He also studied medicine and medical care at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, assessing physician services financing systems and inner city hospital reimbursement structures, and received an M.D. degree from that institution.

During this time, he was also invited to the Republic of China, where he was a consultant to the National Health Insurance Special Task Force and developed a global research strategy for the integration of existing beneficiary populations into the NHI Program. Professor Liang also performed empirical economic analyses of the medical malpractice system, assessing critical assumptions of rule knowledge by and deterrence effects on physicians in several different specialties while at Harvard Law School, where he was the Sheldon Seevak Law & Economics Research Fellow and received his law degree. Before coming to San Diego, Professor Liang held two distinguished professorships and served as a Research Council Faculty Fellow in Europe, assisting policymakers in the European Union address issues associated with managed care and complementary social insurance.

His current interests focus upon the interface between law, medicine, economic incentive structures, and their impact upon the quality of care, particularly patient safety, as well as patient access issues. In addition, his work attempts to determine the validity of assumptions regarding legal rules, their impact upon the social systems they purport to regulate, and alternative means by which social goals may be accomplished.

IHLS Staff and Members

Bryan A. Liang, M.D., Ph.D., J.D., California Western School of Law, University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Thomas Barton, J.D., California Western School of Law, National Center for Preventive Law, Center for Creative Problem Solving

Shannon M. Biggs, J.D., M.A., M.Ed.

Robert A. Bohrer, J.D., California Western School of Law

Susan Channick, J.D., California Western School of Law

James Class, PhD, Executive Director of The Partnership of Safe Medicines

Linda L. D'Antonio, Ph.D.,  Loma Linda School of Medicine

Len J. Deftos, M.D., University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Arlene Luu, RN, BSN, JD Member, Institute of Health Law Studies

Charles Mittman, M.D., University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Linda Morton, J.D., California Western School of Law

William L. Rutherford, M.D., College of Aviation, Western Michigan University

Steven Smith, Dean, California Western School of Law

Pam Tait, California Western School of Law

Jim Thomson, CEO, UK Centre for Mental Health and Member, Institute of Health Law Studies

For more information, visit www.ihls.org.