QUERI Program Leadership

The Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) program is located in the Health Services Research & Development service in the VA Office of Research & Development. QUERI funds VA investigators across the U.S. to work with key stakeholders, including providers, managers, policymakers, and researchers, to transform care delivered to Veterans. To learn more about our program or partner with us, contact us at [email protected].

Amy Kilbourne, PhD, MPH, QUERI Director

As Director of QUERI, Dr. Kilbourne leads over 40 centers devoted to implementing evidence-based research into clinical practice that improves the health and healthcare of Veterans. She is a national expert in implementation science, partnered-oriented research, and evidence-based policy. Dr. Kilbourne has been widely recognized for her research in multisite implementation intervention trials, integrated physical and mental health care strategies, and evidence-based policy. Moreover, Dr. Kilbourne brings to QUERI an extensive working knowledge of VA operations and policy, through her previous national roles as Associate Director of the Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC), and as Director of the VA Homelessness Health Services Research Initiative, in partnership with the National Center on Veteran Homelessness.

In addition, Dr. Kilbourne has initiated several VA studies in priority areas that include mental health, care coordination, health disparities, and women's health. Her research has led to a number of VA national initiatives, including a VA directive on re-engaging Veterans with serious mental illness into care, a health disparities research roadmap, and a mental health patient-aligned care team (PACT) model. She is a prolific author, with more than 220 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Dr. Kilbourne also is the recipient of several awards including the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) and the Gerald L. Klerman Research Award from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).

Dr. Kilbourne received her bachelors of arts at the University of California at Berkeley (double major in molecular biology and rhetoric), and her masters in epidemiology and PhD in health services from the University of California Los Angeles. In addition, Dr. Kilbourne is Professor and Associate Chair for Research, Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan (UM) Medical School. She is also a member of the NIMH National Mental Health Advisory Council and a Senior Fellow with the Partnership for Public Service.

Melissa Braganza, MPH, QUERI Program Manager

As Scientific Program Manager, Melissa serves as the lead for QUERI funding announcements and application review, strategic planning, program communications, and financial planning. Prior to joining the VA in 2016, Melissa led health services research at the Health Management Academy, working with leading U.S. health systems to create a knowledge network and peer learning forum to support best practices in healthcare. Melissa received her Master of Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis and completed a two-year Cancer Research Training fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. Melissa has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. In her free time, Melissa enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and writing.