Robert Otto Burciaga Valdez is an American academic and public health official who served as the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality from 2022 to 2025.

Valdez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts in history and biochemistry from Harvard University, followed by a Master's in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan and a PhD in policy analysis from the Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School.

[1] Valdez began his career working as a researcher for the RAND Health Insurance Experiment.

He later served as a senior advisor to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics during the Clinton administration.

[2] In 2021, Valdez was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as assistant secretary of health and human services for planning and evaluation.