Dr. Chris Murray is the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, in Seattle. He is principal author of an April 2010 study showing a decline in women dying in childbirth around the world. A physician and health economist, his work has led to the development of a range of new methods and empirical studies to strengthen the basis for population health measurements. The study published in April 2010 by the medical journal, the Lancet, assessed levels and trends in maternal mortality for 181 countries, including the U.S.