Sean B.
Health Services Researcher at MUSC | Former HHS/AHRQ Senior Advisor | Medical Anthropology in Clinical Systems
- Role
- Board Member Elect at Society For Applied Anthropology
- Location
- Charleston, SC, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Sean B.
Sean Bruna, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and health services researcher focused on improving patient safety, system performance, and workforce capacity through applied qualitative and mixed-methods research. He is a Staff Scientist in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and a fellow in the AIM-AHEAD Bridge2AI for Clinical Care Training Program, focused on AI/ML training in clinical research.Dr. Bruna’s research examines how care is organized, experienced, and adapted in real-world clinical settings, with particular emphasis on perioperative safety in complex sociotechnical systems. His work integrates ethnography, human factors, and health services research to generate actionable evidence for clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers.From 2023 to 2025, he served as a Presidential Appointee and Senior Advisor to the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), where he led national initiatives on emergency department boarding, patient safety, and disability data, working closely with the White House OSTP and external partners. He advises health systems and professional organizations on translating social science insights into operational and policy decisions.In 2025, Dr. Bruna was selected for the National Academies of Medicine Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine (Emerging Leaders Forum), an annual assembly of outstanding early- and mid-career professionals with exceptional professional promise, achievement, and leadership in biomedical science, health, health care, and related fields.
Experience
Board Member Elect
Society For Applied Anthropology
Jan 2026 — Present · DC, US
Education
University of Chicago
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Anthropology, Latin American Studies
The University of New Mexico
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Ethnology/Linguistics (Medical Anthropology)
The University of New Mexico
Master of Arts (M.A.), Cultural Anthropology
University of Chicago
Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Arts Program in the Social Science
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