Dr. Vennela Thumula

Vennela Thumula, Ph.D., is a policy analyst at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute, WCRI, a nonprofit Workers’ Comp research organization that seeks to aid individuals and organizations with efforts to improve the Workers’ Compensation system by providing objective data and analysis. Thumula conducts research examining costs, prices, and use of pharmaceuticals in state Workers’ Compensation systems, focusing on prescribing patterns of opioids and physician dispensing them. She is also involved in a research project examining the self-reported outcomes of injured workers, including recovery of health and functioning, speed and sustainability of return to work, and access to care. Thumula earned her bachelor’s degree at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, and her master’s degree and her doctoral degree at the University of Mississippi.