Dan Gaylin

Dan Gaylin is a leading authority on how data affects all facets of our lives. He has over three decades of experience as a senior researcher and business leader in organizations that provide data and analysis to government, the private sector, and the public. Fact Forward: The Perils of Bad Information and the Promise of a Data-Savvy Society is his first book. Dan is president and CEO of NORC at the University of Chicago, a highly respected global research institute that uses data and analysis to study all aspects of the human experience. At NORC, Dan has guided multiple data innovations, including AmeriSpeak, a nationally representative data system of the American people that has set the standard for transparency and accuracy; the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, a survey-journalism partnership with the Associated Press; and VizStudio, a data visualization solution that turns complex data into clear and compelling visual stories. Dan is also an astute observer of how data are gathered, analyzed, and reported -- sometimes sloppily or deceptively -- and how those dynamics affect personal and organizational decision-making. As a frequent speaker both nationally and internationally, Dan addresses the democratization of data, data transparency, and data literacy. He is a leading advocate for the idea that the U.S. and other nations must invest in a comprehensive, public data infrastructure to create data savvy citizens and a fact-forward society. His presentations and publications emphasize data quality, transparency, and accessibility, and ways to address the needs of people, communities, and civil society in data collection and analysis within the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Dan’s expertise is grounded in his extensive previous work as a health care researcher. He has led many long-term, multimillion-dollar projects that integrate primary data collection, secondary data analysis, and qualitative research methods. Notably, he spearheaded the development of the congressionally mandated evaluation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and directed major patient care demonstration evaluations for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Dan’s work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs, contributing valuable insights to the field of data science and access to health care, and quality of care. Prior to NORC, Dan served as Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he was director of research and strategic planning for the Office of Health Policy. In this role, he managed a portfolio of cross-department research projects to inform high-level policy initiatives and chaired HHS-wide research workgroups reporting to the Secretary and the White House on critical topics such as data and research policy, prescription drug policy, and children’s health insurance. He has also held senior positions at The Lewin Group, a private healthcare consultancy, and the Urban Institute, a public policy think tank.