Dr. Aparna Kumar is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) who works to ensure that mental health care is accessible, evidence based, and integrated across health care settings. Her research aims to improve outcomes for women, children and families by showing how and why mental health influences many aspects of our lives. She is Read more…
Sandy Laping is a physical therapist who, after 20+ years in the profession, decided to change her career path toward public health. She is currently a student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, UK undertaking a Masters in Epidemiology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sandy worked as a Team Lead on Read more…
Lindsey Leininger is a clinical professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She specializes in data-driven health policy, with a focus on the health care safety net and community health. She has a longstanding interest in publicly funded health insurance programs, with related research spanning quality measurement, risk segmentation, and program evaluation. Read more…
Karina López is an Economist born in Mexico and a Fulbright Scholar. Karina received her MSc in Economics from the University of Texas in 2007, prior to becoming a capital markets practitioner. Her expertise areas cover statistics, and she feels passionate about making connections between data and material conditions impacting public affairs, such as health Read more…
Dr. Megan Madsen is a primary care physician practicing in Philadelphia, PA. She received her medical training from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency in Family Medicine and fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Abington-Jefferson Hospital. Her education as a D.O. allowed her to obtain excellent medical training that focused on treating the Read more…
Dr. Elisabeth Adkins Marnik has a PhD in genetics and immunology from Tufts University where she studied the role of CD4 T cells in the immune system and autoimmune disease. She then joined the MDI Biological Laboratory where she received an NIH postdoctoral fellowship to study how stem cells maintain the ability to become any Read more…
Gayle Mendoza (she/her) is a public health practitioner and registered nurse based in Philadelphia, PA. She is focused on advancing strategic development and operational improvement to promote equitable health outcomes. Her background includes health and science communications and program management for domestic and global health organizations, with a focus on infectious disease and maternal and Read more…
Hannah Mestel is a public health and communications leader who thrives on making complex scientific concepts clear, actionable, and accessible. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to empowering individuals and communities with the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions. Whether tackling misinformation or advocating for equitable healthcare access, Hannah’s focus is Read more…
Brianna is a Geriatric and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of nursing experience caring for older adults living with serious illnesses including dementia, cancer, and severe brain injury. Dr. Morgan has a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Basis of Behavior (2008), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2012), a Masters in Adult Read more…
Emily Nethsingha is a Sociology MSc student at the University of Oxford. During her undergraduate degree, she enjoyed focusing on Demographic Systems, Social Policy, and Feminist Theory. She aspires to work as a researcher for an organization with a positive social impact and is thrilled to be part of the Dear Pandemic team
Dr. Panthagani is a physician-scientist and science communicator. She ventured into the world of science communication as a senior PhD student in March 2020, just as the pandemic was hitting the US in full force. Watching family and friends struggle to make sense of the quickly changing landscape of the pandemic, she founded You Can Read more…
Dr. Rachael Piltch-Loeb is an expert in public health emergency preparedness and response and risk communication, currently focused on issues related to COVID-19. She holds an appointment at both the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health as a Preparedness Fellow and the NYU School of Global Public Health as an associate research scientist. Along Read more…
Rebecca Raskin-Wish is a former nonfiction editor and current medical student. As an editor, she worked with scientists, physicians, and academics to bring cutting-edge research to a general audience. She is now a medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. Her research focuses on how healthcare providers communicate accurate science within the patient visit Read more…
Megan is a current dual degree graduate student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She is finishing up her Masters in Public Health and will start medical school in August 2024 to earn her MD. She is excited to explore writing with TNG and learn how she can apply the Read more…
Ashley Z. Ritter, APRN, PhD is a geriatric nurse practitioner and the Chief Executive Officer of Dear Pandemic. She is also an Embedded Nurse Scientist and the Director of Clinical Care Research at NewCourtland, a provider of housing, health, and care management services in Philadelphia, PA. She recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the National Read more…
Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy, MD is a triple board certified Adult, Child and Adolescent and Forensic Psychiatrist, keynote speaker, educator, community organizer and public health expert based in Texas. Barbara’s expertise advances child, family and community mental health equity and justice. Her work has appeared on NPR, CNN, Psychology Today, Telemundo, San Antonio Express News, among others, Read more…
Misha Rodriguez is the Director of Communications at WOMEN’S WAY, a nonprofit organization located in Philadelphia. In this role, Misha works to connect and mobilize the region to advance gender and racial equity. In addition to her work as a communications professional, Misha has extensive experience in community development and engagement. Her previous work includes Read more…
“Heidi Schutz is a native Spanish speaker and an organismal biologist specializing in the evolutionary anatomy of vertebrates. All anatomy and physiology fascinates her, but bones are her jam. Heidi’s experience as a college professor and a researcher allows her to combine her interests in data analysis, visualization, and scientific communication to promote access, equity Read more…
Roopa Seshadri, PhD, AM is a quantitative health and social scientist whose work focuses on the impact of human services programs and policies on health and wellbeing outcomes in at-risk and underserved populations. She currently consults on social impact planning, evidence-informed strategy and helping organizations towards a learning culture. She has a PhD in Applied Read more…
Ashley Sever is a health communicator with more than 13 years of experience creating, implementing, and supporting integrated health communications programs for government, nonprofit, and private sector clients, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Currently, she leads the Health & Science Education Division at Fors Marsh, Read more…
