Liberal Arts and Social Sciences 23%
Sciences 27%
Engineering 22%

Business and Economics 26%
Pre-Professional 2%

Graduate Degrees Held

MD: 1
PhD: 0
Masters: 13

Joint MD/MBA Program: 11

HCM CLASS OF 2012 PROFILES

(74 students)

Expand All | Collapse All

• Sebastian Aguilar

  • I graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2008 with an Industrial Engineer Bachelor’s Degree. While in school I studied abroad at UC Berkeley and worked for General Motors purchasing department in Mexico. In my final year at school I decided I wanted a career in healthcare and started interning at Pfizer. There I helped launch a loyalty program for patients. After being hired as an Analyst I conducted size and structure analysis and deployments during a year and a half. Then moved to a more commercial role as a Key Account Coordinator where I have provided guidance and analysis to the unit manager of our institutional business. In this last position I have designed strategic plans for clients with marketing, sales and our business partners.

• Nick Anderson

  • I graduated from Macalester College in 2004 with a BA in Economics and Spanish (Spanish because I enjoyed the classes and Economics because I wanted a job after graduation…).  After Macalester I joined Jeffrey Slocum & Associates, an institutional investment consulting firm.  At Slocum I was responsible for equity manager due diligence and researching/developing equity portfolio strategies.  I also started down the CFA path, which I would later see through despite an apparent divergence from my career interests.  In 2005 I joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBSM), where I’ve worked in the Business Development department for nearly five years.  In this position I’ve been involved with corporate M&A transactions, major vender negotiations, and supporting other BCBSM initiatives with nifty Excel workbooks.  An especially meaningful part of my job has been working with BCBSM subsidiary start-ups to elaborate and execute new healthcare service business models (e.g., HSA administration, “Healthcare 2.0” consumer tool development, online care delivery). 

• Anne Marie Aponte

  • I completed my undergraduate degree in 2006 at Cornell University, where I majored in Industrial & Labor Relations.  After deciding last minute to forego law school, I found my way to Bristol-Myers Squibb as a member of the Human Resources function.  I spent my first two years with the company in a rotational HR Development Program, during which I completed a variety of generalist and specialist roles across the organization. I subsequently took on an assignment leading the reorganization of our Access & Managed Markets function.  This opportunity afforded me my first exposure to the complexities of the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and payors, such as the government and managed care organizations.  To round out my experience and enhance my understanding of the health care system as a whole, I spent the next 18 months in the sales force, interacting with primary care physicians and learning about the daily challenges of delivering quality health care.

• Anthony (Tony) Joseph Balda

  • I graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University in 2004 with a BS in Applied Economics and Management, Marketing concentration.  During undergrad I also spent 4 years as a volunteer interior structural firefighter/EMT with the Ithaca Fire Department.  After graduation I joined Medicomp, Inc., a national cardiac telemedicine provider (division of United Therapeutics), as Director of Marketing.  In this role I focused primarily on product positioning, market segmentation, PR, and building the brand.  In 2008 I was promoted to VP of Marketing and Strategic Development, where I maintained management responsibilities for the marketing department, but focused on new product development, new market opportunities, strategic partnerships, and national contracts.  While with Medicomp we were able to increase revenue 30% annually, triple market share, and return to profitability for the first time in a decade.

• Jamil M. Beg

  • I am a Philly native who graduated from Penn’s Engineering school in 2004 with a major in Bioengineering.  I stayed at Penn for another year to complete a Master of Biotechnology degree with a major in Biomedical Technologies and focused on healthcare entrepreneurship and venture capital.  After graduating, I joined Cambridge Pharma, a New York City boutique management consulting firm focused on the life sciences.  At Cambridge, I worked on strategies for late stage development and marketed biopharma, medtech, and diagnostic products.  It was a great experience learning about the stakeholders across the healthcare industry, the issues influencing their decisions, and the downstream impact on business strategy.  I then joined Quaker BioVentures, a life science venture firm, in January 2007.  At Quaker, I helped conduct due diligence on new investment opportunities, manage the existing portfolio, contribute to fund raising and management, and source new deals.  I deferred from Wharton last year to split my time between two of Quaker's portfolio companies to get startup experience.  At NuPathe, a late stage specialty pharma developing a transdermal patch to treat migraine, I contributed to business development activities, commercial planning, market research, pipeline planning, financial strategy, and fund raising.  At TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals, an early stage biotech focused on cell death pathways, I worked on the company's program on promoting cell survival after various ischemic / traumatic events.  I helped to create the preclinical and clinical R&D plan through proof of concept and the supporting business case.

• Deep Charan

  • I graduated from Penn in 2007 with a B.A. in Biology.  I then matriculated into medical school at Penn, where I am currently a third year student.  I represent my class in the Medical Student Government.  I am also committed to serving my community through a free pediatric clinic that is run out of three homeless women’s shelters in West Philadelphia, as well as a tutoring program for children of single mothers who were formerly homeless.  My experiences in the community are what motivated me to enroll in Wharton.  I plan to use the knowledge and skills that I gain from my time at Wharton to address disparities in access to and quality of healthcare.  Aside from my academic interests, I enjoy traveling. 

• Jigar Rajan Choksey

  • I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern University in 2007 with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering and Economics.  Upon graduation, I joined Booz & Company’s global healthcare practice in Chicago.  At Booz & Company, I primarily worked in the healthcare services and biopharmaceutical industries.  Moreover, my studies focused on corporate strategic planning, business development, product innovation, operations, and capability building engagements.  Additionally, I helped write an article analyzing the implications of the recent health reform bill to the key stakeholders of the healthcare industry.  This summer, I interned as an Associate at 3 Oceans Group, a private equity firm focused on investment opportunities at the intersection of the consumer and healthcare sectors.  At 3 Oceans, I successfully completed two deals by supporting the due diligence, valuation and deal structuring aspects of the deal process. 

• R. Carter Clement

  • I grew up in New Orleans, and went to college at Princeton University where I studied architecture.  I graduated with a BSE degree in Engineering in 2004. By the end, I had learned that architecture wasn’t for me but hadn’t figured out much beyond that. I spent the next year working on an ambulance in Los Angeles and convinced myself that medical school was a good idea. In that vein, I spent the next year taking biology and organic chemistry in NYC and, in the meantime, got interested in global health. The following year, while applying to medical school, I worked for BroadReach Healthcare in Cape Town, where most of my work involved consulting for the South African government in their effort to roll out HIV treatment across the country. To say the least, this experience got me interested in the business side of medicine, so I came to Penn for the MD/MBA program.

• Daniel Cuevas Rimoch

  • In 2008, I graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City with a degree in Industrial Engineering.  Upon graduation, I was promoted to Project Manager of the Mexican family-owned pharmaceutical business Laboratorios Liomont, were I had already been working for over a year. Responsible for the renovation of the production plant, I learned the insights to managing the operations department of the company. Eager to grasp financial experience outside the family business, in 2009 I joined the Real Estate division of IBK firm Evercore Partners. As senior analyst, I evaluated alternative investment proposals for ambitious developers looking to invest in distressed real estate assets throughout Latin America.

• Cody Dashiell-Earp

  • I graduated from Yale University in 2006 with a BA in Anthropology.  After graduation, I worked with Siempre Unidos, a small nonprofit that provides treatment and support to people living with HIV/AIDS in Honduras.  I was responsible for facilitating communication between Honduran and US leadership to develop sustainable revenue sources for the organization.  I also had the incredible opportunity to accompany community health workers on house calls in our three catchment areas.  My work reaffirmed my desire to become a physician with a strong foundation in health care management skills, which lead me to pursue a joint MD/MBA at Penn. 

• Peter Derman

  • I attended Stanford University and graduated with honors in 2007 with a BS in Biology. I began medical school at the University of Pennsylvania the following academic year and am slated to graduate with a dual MD/MBA in 2012. While in medical school, I have conducted scholarly research in the field of orthopaedic surgery, provided health education services at a free community medical clinic, and served as VP of the medical student orthopaedic surgery group. I also spent a summer working in the life sciences department of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a local venture capital firm, where I conducted internal due diligence on prospective investments and participated in the oversight of portfolio companies.

• Kyle Dow

  • I graduated summa cum laude from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2007 with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. At Rensselaer I participated in undergraduate research through the Biomedical Engineering department working in conjunction with the Albany Medical School. My research was focused on sports related injuries and the biomechanical properties of bone plates and lead to various publications in journals such as the “Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma”. While at Rensselaer I also played for the baseball team and took a stab at entrepreneurship starting two small companies during my final two years. Since graduating I have worked as a Systems Engineer in the R&D department at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics developing blood gas and urinalysis systems for point of care and central lab settings. In my role I specialized in prototype motion control, managed instrument systems integration, and assisted with the instrument data analysis and algorithm development.

• Brandon Einstein

  • I graduated from Yale University with a BA in Neurobiology and entered directly into the combined MD/MBA program at Penn. By the time I begin at Wharton, I will have completed 3 years of medical school.  Throughout high school and college, I’ve spent time building an organization, Students for Organ Donation, which educates and registers new organ donors. Today there are over 100 chapters nationwide, and we register more than 20,000 new organ donors each year.  In terms of work experience, I worked in the new drug development department at IVAX, a generic pharmaceutical company recently acquired by TEVA pharmaceuticals. I then worked within the operations division of a healthcare management firm, Sheridan Healthcare.  At Sheridan, I worked on acquiring physician practices, structuring their buyout, and coordinating placement into Sheridan Healthcare hospital and radiology facilities.

• Brenton B. Fargnoli

  • I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Biological Basis of Behavior and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, where I was also a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and a University Scholar. As an undergraduate, my lab research on the molecular underpinnings of cancer metastasis ―funded by student research awards from the NIH and Penn—was published in Cancer Research, and I presented my findings at national conferences. Throughout college, I was also active with various governing and advisory boards at Penn. Since graduating in 2007, I have completed three years of medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as part of the MD/MBA dual degree program. During medical school, I served as a consultant to a think tank for its Medical Device Registry project. I additionally served as a consultant to a biotech start-up, for which I was the Project Manager responsible for developing the company’s business plan and presentation for VC funding. As a Summer Intern for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, I worked in the Health Management and Integration Division. There I led the division’s efforts in creating the Medical Home Pilot, which has now been expanded to over 150 of the state’s primary care physicians. At Blue Cross, I also created a predictive model for diabetes disease management, which I presented at the National Predictive Modeling Summit. Throughout medical school, I have also remained involved with health services research, examining the costs and health implications of universal healthcare.

• Sarah S. Fennell

  • I graduated cum laude from Duke University with a BA in Psychology in 2007. After graduation, I took a position at the Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC.  In 2008, I was promoted to Associate Director, marketing best practice research for three major hospital service lines: cardiovascular, radiology, and oncology.  I traveled across the country meeting with administrators and helping to identify alignment between our research and their priorities. After a year and a half working with hospital service line programs, I joined the Advisory Board’s Health Care Industry Council team. On this team, I expanded our portfolio of law firm and architecture firms that serve hospitals.  I was also given the responsibility of identifying entrepreneurial opportunities in healthcare sectors with which we had not previously worked.  I identified Post Acute Care Organizations as a viable sector and brought on the three largest companies as new members.

• Aaron Flink

  • I graduated from Williams College in 2003 with a BA in Economics and Psychology. After graduation I played professional golf for eighteen months, splitting time between Tours in Central Florida and New England. Following my professional golf stint, I joined the Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC, a firm focused on elevating the performance of US and International hospitals and health systems. I spent my first four years in marketing for our research and consulting divisions, developing relationships with organizations such as Partners Healthcare, University of Chicago Medical Center, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial Hospital among others. I then moved over to our technology division to help launch a revenue cycle initiative, ramping up the partnership list to fifty health systems within the first twelve months.

• David Flynn

  • I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with honors in molecular biology in 2005. Following graduation, I moved to Paris, France, where I was a Fulbright Scholar. I spent the year conducting systems biology research in the Virology Department of the Pasteur Institute. After returning, I worked at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where I conducted research in evidence based medicine.           Since 2007, I have been a medical student at Penn. I have been active in several groups in the medical school and at Wharton. I was the development coordinator for United Community Clinics, a free clinic in West Philadelphia, where I obtained grant funding and helped recruit and train volunteers. I worked as an analyst for a healthcare startup, MedVolution Systems Pro. With the Biotechnology Interest Group I completed a consulting project for a VC firm. Earlier this year, I founded Prepera, a test prep and advising firm, which I recently expanded by hiring several tutors.

• Adrian Gale

  • I graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University in 2004 with a BE in Mechanical Engineering and BS in Mathematics. After that I attended Stanford University for my MS in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on biodesign and biomechanics. Following graduation from Stanford in 2006, I joined Medtronic’s Endovascular division in Santa Rosa, CA as an R&D Engineer. As an engineer I led several teams to develop new medical devices and submit them to regulatory bodies. Three of the stent-graft devices that I worked on have received FDA approval. In 2008 I then moved into a role in the Endovascular Marketing group as an analyst. My group, Market Development, was responsible for increasing awareness, detection, and treatment of aortic aneurysms with medical devices. In addition to determining market sizes and barriers to growth, I helped set global marketing strategies and developed field tools to help our sales force focus on area of high disease incidence.

• Evan Gibson

  • I graduated from Yale University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.  After college, I joined JMP Securities, a middle market-focused investment bank based in San Francisco, and worked for the health care group as an Analyst and, subsequently, an Associate.  Our group assisted public and private, development-stage biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies.  The bulk of my time was focused on the origination and execution of public and private financings, as well as mergers and acquisitions.  I also spent time researching a variety of therapeutic markets and products, and identifying potential clients.

• Kyle Gilbride

  • I graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2005 with an AB in History.  I then spent three years as an analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners as a member of the healthcare investment banking team.  While at TWP, I helped public and private companies raise capital and supported strategic advisory assignments.  In 2008, I joined Ferrer Freeman and Company, a private equity firm focused on growth investments in the healthcare industry.  At FFC, I reviewed new investment opportunities as well as helped implement portfolio companies’ operational, business development and M&A initiatives.

• Scott Glass, Jr.

  • I graduated from Wake Forest University in 2005 with a BS degree in Analytical Finance.  Following graduation, I joined the investment banking division of Wachovia Securities. As an analyst in the Equity Private Placements Group, I analyzed and assisted in the execution of venture capital financings for companies in the healthcare, information technology and business services sectors. In the summer of 2007, I joined American Capital, a private equity firm focused on leverage buyouts in the healthcare and business services sectors. Following a year at American Capital, I joined Tailwind Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in New York, focused on growth equity investments in the healthcare, business services and media & communications sectors.  While at Tailwind, I analyzed numerous transactions in both the healthcare and business services sectors and was responsible for monitoring the firm’s investments in the animal pharmaceutical and the healthcare IT sectors. In addition to my work responsibilities, I recently founded MalariaNetworks (www.malarianetworks.org), a non-profit focused on bringing insecticide treated mosquito nets to the people of northern Ghana in an effort to stop the spread of malaria. 

• Gautam Gupta

  • I graduated from the University of Chicago in 2005 with a BS with Honors in Mathematics (with a specialization in Economics).  After college, I joined Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein’s Power and Energy investment banking team in New York.  Refocusing on the technology sector, I moved to Palo Alto to work with Merrill Lynch’s M&A team, where I advised clients on transactions in industries including software, semiconductors, communications equipment and internet.   In 2008, I joined Vista Equity Partners, an operationally-focused private equity firm investing in mid-market enterprise software companies, and worked in both the San Francisco and Chicago offices.  While at Vista, I evaluated and/or executed acquisitions of dozens of software companies around the world, primarily in the healthcare vertical.  I also worked closely with the management teams at two healthcare IT investments in our portfolio, Sunquest Information Systems and Surgical Information Systems, on various initiatives including implementing best practices across the companies’ sales and marketing, services and support, product management and financial and administrative functions.

• Daniel Haimovic

  • I graduated from Harvard University in 2005 with an AB in Biology and a citation in Spanish. After graduation, I worked at the Hospital for Special Surgery in the Laboratory for Biomechanics and Biomaterials analyzing the reason for knee and hip implant removals from patients.  Following ten months in the lab I decided to move over to the HSS’s Venture Capital team.  After a short three month stint with the group, the two Managing Directors asked me if I was interested in spinning out the group.  In the Fall of 2006, we completed the spin-out and formed DiscoveryOrtho Partners.  At DiscoveryOrtho, I was in a do everything role, in which I helped form three companies, one of which raised $20M in venture financing, and worked with multiple physicians to create new spine and knee implant designs. Following a year and a half at DiscoveryOrtho, I joined Alexandria Real Estate Equities.  Alexandria is a publically traded REIT focused on providing research and development space to commercial life science companies and academic institutions.  At Alexandria, I was Senior Director of Life Sciences and New Markets.  In that position, I led Alexandria’s East Coast and European venture capital efforts, explored new markets for possible expansion, developed collaborations with leading pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology firms, performed tenant due diligence, and helped develop Alexandria’s network in New York City where we were developing a new cluster.

• David Hecht

  • I graduated from Princeton University in 2004 with an AB degree in Politics.  Following graduation, I joined Oliver Wyman as a consultant in its financial services practice.  Among other projects at Oliver Wyman, I spent eight months in Qatar setting up a Shariah-compliant bank.  In mid-2007, I left Oliver Wyman to travel for six months through Asia and South America.  Upon my return, I joined JER Partners, a private equity firm based outside Washington, DC.  While at JER, I specialized in the acquisition, asset management, and disposition of real estate and of healthcare services investments, which included skilled nursing, rehab therapy, hospice, and mobile diagnostics businesses.

• Maggie Hill

  • I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Oklahoma State University in 2005 with a BS in Journalism (Option in Advertising) and a minor in Marketing. After graduation, I completed a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in Granada, Spain. Upon my return, I joined Chesapeake Energy’s Corporate Development Department, where I helped plan internal/external events and implement a new advertising campaign. My interest in health care led me to a primary care sales position at Merck in fall 2006, where I worked with a team of four to increase market share of two leading cholesterol medications. During my time at Merck, I was named Certified Representative Trainer and was ranked #1 in the nation for market share change of new prescriptions. In 2008, I took on a specialty sales role with Alcon Laboratories, where I independently managed over 150 optometric accounts, educating doctors, staff members and patients on Alcon’s products. I was selected to serve on Alcon’s Advisory Board, which is the liaison between marketing and sales, and received the President’s Club Award for overall sales in 2009.

• Elizabeth Jetton

  • I earned a BS in Commerce with honors from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.  Upon graduation, I joined the Boston Consulting Group in Atlanta, where my work focused primarily on Healthcare (except the odd-ball case requiring 2-months entrenched in rock quarries with a hard hat and steel toe boots). Notable work included developing a pricing strategy for OEM agreement projected to account for 80% revenue for healthcare IT firm, and managing 16 teams through execution and implementation of $150M earnings improvement project for a top-five medical device firm. The valuable work experience came with its war stories (I was threatened to be arrested by a client for keeping a visitor badge overnight!). After 14 months, I was recruited to AG Mednet as the eighth employee. My role as Vice President of Market Development included business development responsibilities for the healthcare technology start-up to establish two markets for electronic transport of diagnostic images in radiology and in clinical trials. I lead our product launch achieving 4 quarters of consecutive 100% growth. I managed major client relationships and spearheaded marketing, including education of a sales channel accounting for ~40% of leads. My role also included oversight of our Client Services Team of 3 Project Managers.

• Ian Joseph

  • I graduated from Tufts University in 2005 with a BS in psychology and a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership.  Following graduation, I worked as an analyst at The Bruckner Group (BGI), a small biotech consulting firm outside of Boston.  At BGI, I analyzed proposed indications, pricing curves and reimbursement strategies for early stage biotech products.  After two years at BGI, I joined United BioSource Corporation (UBC), a pharmaceutical services company, as a Research Associate.  As a member of UBC’s Center for Health Economic Policy, I collaborated with pharmaceutical companies to develop and synthesize health economic evidence in support of coverage for their products.  Our cost effectiveness assessments determined whether payers would incorporate the drugs into their formularies.  During my tenure at UBC, I developed an expertise designing risk-sharing agreements between pharmaceutical companies and national payers for drugs that failed to meet the minimum threshold of cost-effectiveness.  I spent the last six months of my tenure at UBC facilitating agreements between pharmaceutical companies and the National Institution of Clinical Excellence in London, UK.

• Brandon Katz

  • I graduated in 2006 from the University of California: San Diego with a B.S. in Biotechnology and a B.S. in Management Science. I then spent an additional year completing an M.S. in Bioengineering and backpacking around Western Europe before joining Abbott Vascular as a research scientist in biomaterials and cell therapies. Seeking a career change from science and engineering to marketing, in 2008 I transitioned to A&D Engineering, a Japanese technology manufacturer. In this role I managed the A&D Medical brand and portfolio, with product lines serving cardiology practices, disease management systems, and consumer retail programs.

• Elizabeth Kiernan

  • I graduated from Cornell University in 2005 with a double major in Economics and History. After graduation, I began working as a Consultant in the New York office of Mercer Oliver Wyman, a consulting firm for Financial Services clients. At MOW I worked for investment banks and retail banks, but quickly began to focus on health insurance companies. By 2008, Mercer Oliver Wyman had rebranded and reorganized, and I was able to become one of the founding members of the Health and Life Sciences practice at what was now Oliver Wyman. As part of the HLS practice, I worked closely with executives in pharmaceutical companies, health insurance companies, and health IT firms on projects including risk sharing strategy, strategic cost alignment, and strategy/business development.

• Michael Kijewski

  • I graduated with a B.S.Ed in Physics from West Chester University in 2004. After graduation I began teaching A.P. Physics at Downingtown East High School in Exton, PA. I helped modernize the use of technology within the science department by developing an online grading, calendar, and document distribution system. While I found teaching both challenging and rewarding, I felt the desire to combine my quantitative and creative skills through entrepreneurship. I began working as a medical physicist for Atomic International, a small radiation oncology equipment developer. In 2008, I enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Medical Physics program, while simultaneously helping former Atomic International executives start a new radiation oncology equipment provider called Veritas Medical Solutions. Veritas reached profitability within nine months of its inception. In 2009 I started a software company called Gamma Basics. Our first product, GrayCAD, aims to help radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, and diagnostic imaging facilities ensure that their facilities comply with radiation safety regulations. GrayCAD is due in beta form in October 2010.

• Jin Kim

  • I graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006 with a BS in Economics and a BS in Materials Science and Engineering.  After graduation, I worked as analyst in the Investment Banking Division (Healthcare) at Goldman Sachs in New York, where I also interned during the summers in college. I am a now a joint degree MD / MBA student at the University of Pennsylvania.  I have been very active in basic sciences research and clinical research during medical school.  I worked on a cardiology project for which I was awarded funding by the American Heart Association.  Currently, I am working a on a project looking at the workforce issues for specialties particularly Otorhinolaryngology / Head Neck Surgery.  In addition, I have done some work examining health policy issues related to the developing world in New Delhi, India.  At Penn, I am also a fellow at the Center for Technology Transfer, where I examine potential technologies for commercialization coming out of the basic science labs.  This past summer, I was also part of the Fellowship for Professional Ethics, which took place in Germany and Poland.  Examining ethics though eyes of the Holocaust and Nazi doctors, was a profoundly difficult, yet enriching experience.

• Stephen Kim

  • I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Economics.  I spent four years working in management consulting (LEK) and two years working in corporate finance for an integrated health plan (Kaiser).  As a consultant, I worked on strategic projects that focused on the payer-side business (expansion strategies, member retention analysis, Medicare / Medicaid reimbursement strategies, etc).  My experience at Kaiser was focused more on operational issues.  My team and I developed a hospital benchmark study and devised cost-savings initiatives for Southern California Kaiser Hospitals.  I was also responsible for restructuring my department and streamlining the group’s day-to-day activities.  I am passionate about anything that involves a fight against poverty / challenges caused by poverty.  As such, I spent the summer with an NGO in East Africa.  The project (funded by Gates Foundation and Coca-Cola) focused on doubling the income of 54K smallholder farmers across Kenya and Uganda.  My role was focused on input strategies – finding potential input providers, negotiating initial price points, and assessing fit.  Prior to my work with the NGO, I actively worked with a youth group that focused on at-risk / low-income teens.

• Yi-An Ko

  • I graduated from Harvard College in 2007 with an AB in Biology and a Certificate in Health Policy. After graduation, I joined the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC), a think tank based in DC, as a health policy fellow. At CSPC, I developed a detailed analysis and side-by-side comparison of the 2008 Presidential candidates' health care proposals and also worked on a Commission on U.S. Federal leadership to frame recommendations for the Presidential debates and the new Administration. In 2008, I left CSPC to develop, launch, and manage a global health program at Meridian International Center, a public diplomacy nonprofit dedicated to strengthening international understanding through leadership exchanges, international collaboration, and cultural diplomacy. I later joined amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research where I managed an internship and fellowship program, conducted policy research and analysis, co-authored opinion-editorial articles for newspaper and online distribution, and organized large-scale conferences and events. For the past two years, I have served as Special Assistant to former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. Susan Blumenthal, managing several projects related to national health policy, health care reform, global health issues, pandemic flu, women's health, and health information technology. I will be pursuing a joint MBA/MPP degree at Wharton and the Harvard Kennedy School.

• Marcus Lanznar

  • I graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2005 with a BS in Neuroscience.  Following graduation, I spent one year working for City Year New York, an Americorps program focused on improving our under performing education systems.  I worked with 2nd and 6th graders in P.S. 133 in Harlem, building math and literacy skills and well as providing other capacity building opportunities for students through lunch clubs and an after school program.  Following my year at P.S. 133, I joined IMS Health Consulting in New York, NY, a strategy consulting firm focused on the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.   During my time at IMS I operated in a number of different roles: analyst, consultant and senior consultant.  I lead projects across a range of disease states in over twenty-five markets for both pharmaceutical and biotech clients.  I have done a significant amount of work in oncology and in the emerging / developing markets.  In addition, I spent six months on secondament in London focusing on the European market.  I also started my New York office’s community service program.

• Jennifer M. Lee

  • I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005 with a BA in Economics and a BS in Business Administration.  Post graduation, I joined the Strategy & Operations practice at Deloitte Consulting in New York.  After brief stints in Financial Services and Life Sciences, I settled into the Healthcare Provider practice.  My projects at Deloitte focused on helping large healthcare systems improve productivity, increase patient throughput, and develop revenue cycle strategy.  Most recently I worked at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as a Manager of Patient Access Services, where I led a number of initiatives including a registration process redesign and the implementation of an enterprise scheduling system. 
    Long term:  Senior management position at a large, academic medical center

• Michelle Lee

  • I graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 2001 with a BA in Sociology. Like most of my incoming class, I was a naive pre-med student and even went so far as to taking the MCAT (and just about every other standardized test) before deciding to explore other career tracks. After graduation, I worked as a Consultant for the Monitor Group in Boston—focusing predominantly on nonprofit strategy and the pharma industry. I also served on the Executive Board of Inspire!--a nonprofit that offers consulting services to educational institutions. In 2003, I took a more unorthodox route and spent 18 months traveling solo, studying, and working around the world. Upon my return to the US, I joined Cambridge Pharma Consultancy (now called IMS Consulting), a consulting firm that focuses on healthcare funding and market access strategies. As an Engagement Manager, I identified and converted business opportunities and oversaw the execution of global projects. I also sat on the Core Team for the IMS Global Health Initiative, through which I helped to initiate and lead a number of projects with the Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation, and Global Alliance for TB Drug Development.

• Roman Leifer

  • I graduated with high distinction from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science in 2007. During my time at school, I took a year-long internship with ZS Associates where I worked on various sales and marketing engagements with major pharmaceutical companies. Following graduation, I joined Oliver Wyman, where for the last three years I have worked on strategy and operations as well as due diligence for financial transactions in a variety of industries including healthcare, energy, transportation and technology. My healthcare related experience has been focused on licensing. I have evaluated in-licensing opportunities and acquisition targets for major pharmaceutical companies and created high level licensing strategies to complement internal R&D. I have also contributed to the development of a financial risk-sharing platform for early stage drug development. In late 2008, I took three months off to be an Endeavor fellow with Innovamedica, a biomedical device entrepreneur based in Mexico City. I worked with the CEO to create a strategy, financial forecast and marketing materials to help the company enter the U.S. market as an outsourced R&D provider and incubator.

• Oscar Lin

  • I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BSc in Biochemistry (2005) and University of Toronto with a Master of Biotechnology (2007).  After graduation, I joined Nycomed and worked in business development, searching for biotechs and drugs to acquire.  My responsibilities included conducting valuation, managing due diligence, deal structuring and negotiation, and coordinating in-licensed assets across functions until commercial launch.  For the last twelve months, I sidelined as the product manager for an allergy vaccine, developing and executing a marketing campaign.  Since undergrad, I have enjoyed volunteering across the healthcare spectrum for patient advocacy groups, international aid projects, and industry associations.  Also, I love to explore startup concepts and have worked with entrepreneurs in medical devices, hospital efficiency projects, medicine distribution, and clean tech.

• Gillian L. Marcott

  • I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2005 with a B.S. in Commerce and a minor in Psychology. After graduation, I spent over 3 years working in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at Jefferies & Company, first as an Analyst and then as an Associate. Within the healthcare sector, I focused on the healthcare services and pharmaceutical services sectors, with a particular focus on home healthcare companies and contract research organizations. After leaving Jefferies, I joined Intellectual Ventures, a non-traditional venture capital firm based in Seattle that invests in intellectual property and develops new inventions. At Intellectual Ventures, I was responsible for researching target industries for investment and building patent portfolio acquisition models to assess potential deals. I also led our group’s business planning efforts and helped develop client strategy.

• Nadine Mc Carthy

  • I graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2005 with a degree in Natural Sciences. While at Cambridge, I majored in Zoology, with a more specific interest in animal behaviour and conservation. Upon graduation, I joined the Monitor Group, a strategy consulting firm, in the London office. Over the course of the last five years, I progressed through the ranks from Analyst to Engagement Manager, working on a series of projects for medium-sized to large multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, focusing predominantly on business development and marketing strategy issues. Examples of my project work includes an opportunity assessment of stem cell technology, developing the drug launch strategy for a new product in Rheumatoid Arthritis and a strategic review of the overall female contraceptive portfolio for a leading pharmaceutical company. This allowed me to work across most of Europe including Poland, Sweden, Germany and Spain. While at Monitor, I was heavily involved in recruiting and also founded the Women’s Network across Germany and Switzerland. I am passionate about entrepreneurship and enjoy working with smaller companies.

• Kirk McConnell

  • I graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Human Biology. After graduation I joined The Zitter Group (TZG), a San Francisco based health care consulting company that helps biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies understand managed care organizations. With TZG I spent 3 ½ years learning the nuances of the insurance industry and eventually became the lead author of a series of reports analyzing the US health care system. My time with TZG made me very interested in health policy and I’ve been able to publish numerous articles and speak at several health care policy conferences. I will eagerly jump into any conversation about the business of health and the economic challenges of keeping a population healthy.

• Michael C. Meng

  • I graduated with High Distinction and received a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in 2006.  After graduation, I joined Lazard Freres Investment Banking in the Healthcare Mergers & Acquisitions Group.  As an Analyst, I focused on the origination and execution of mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance mandates for healthcare companies worldwide.  While at Lazard, I advised a large-cap global pharmaceutical company on the potential $6.3 billion groundbreaking acquisition of one of the largest Indian generic pharmaceutical companies.  I also closed the $6.1 billion transformational cross-border acquisition of Schwarz Pharma by UCB, a leading specialty pharma company based in Belgium.  In 2008, I joined Apax Partners, a global private equity firm with $35 billion under management and c.$16 billion in their latest fund.  As an Associate at Apax, I worked to identify, evaluate, and execute private equity investments focusing on the healthcare and retail & consumer sectors.  During my time at Apax, I helped manage Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, a U.S. based, low cost generic pharmaceuticals manufacturer by actively contributing to board meetings through discussions of strategic direction and closely examining operations.  In addition, I spent several months evaluating the potential $550 million acquisition of a controlling stake in the number one clinical diagnostics company in Brazil and in particular, worked with local McKinsey consultants to analyze the industry and model the unit economics for new Patient Service Centers.

• Ella Merjanova

  • I graduated from Duke University with a BS in Biology, BA in Economics, and minor in Chemistry. Following graduation in 2006, I joined Goldman Sachs to work in Structured Finance Investment Banking in New York. My responsibilities involved preparing marketing materials, building financial models, performing financial analysis, and doing credit work to help consumer finance companies manage their risk through securitizations and sales of asset portfolios. After completing the analyst program, I joined Leerink Swann’s Healthcare Investment Banking group where I helped cover innovative emerging growth companies in the biopharmaceutical, healthcare IT, and medical device space, and assist with growing our New York office. Seeking to make a social impact, gain operating experience, and work in an international environment (and with women!), I joined Pro Mujer, a microfinance organization that provides healthcare, education, and financing to poor women in Latin America. Working under the CFO and with regional CFOs, I was responsible for financial management and strategy of the organization, including improving the sustainability of our healthcare offerings.

• Philip Mishkin

  • I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.  Following graduation, I joined Deloitte Consulting in the Strategy and Operations practice, working primarily within the Health Care and Life Sciences group.  The majority of my client engagements have been strategic in nature, helping health care and life sciences clients (including payers, providers, and biotech/pharma companies) develop and implement long-term strategic initiatives.  During my four years at Deloitte, I increasingly focused on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, executing projects across the life sciences value chain from R&D transformational strategies to Sales & Marketing optimization.  In addition to client engagements, I also assisted with account planning efforts and developed eminence materials for external publications. 

• Marc Montserrat

  • I graduated from the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Spain) in 2004 with an MSc degree in Industrial Engineering. I completed 4th grade at the Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and wrote my final thesis at the Fachhochschule Jena (Germany) during my 5th grade. After graduation I worked for Altran as a Consultant in charge of process reengineering projects in the food and automotive industries. In 2006 I hired for SiemensVDO as Project Manager in the Business Development department were I took responsibility for project quote preparation, business acquisition and project implementation. I closely worked with the FIAT group in Italy, the R&D team in Germany and the Industrial team in Spain to acquire new projects and launched over 30 new products. As a Six Sigma Black Belt I also led continuous improvement projects. In 2008 I joined the pharmaceutical industry with Almirall were I continued as a Project Manager, supporting the development and implementation of Almirall’s overall strategy, the execution of major strategic initiatives, and the conduct of ongoing corporate development efforts across all company departments. In close collaboration with top management my main projects were the integration of a recently acquired division and the deployment of the new industrial strategy.

• Haley Moss

  • In 2007 I graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Science in Society with a concentration in Chemistry and Anthropology. As an undergraduate student, I assumed leadership positions in a host of settings which focused on prison reform and health services to the HIV/AIDS population. Since graduation, I have completed three years of medical school at the University of Pennsylvania as a student in the MD/MBA dual degree program. During my first year as a medical student, I was a student leader of the American Medical Student Association and focused my attention on healthcare policy.  In addition, I became an active member in the Philadelphia community spending much of my time at an Adolescent Homeless Shelter and providing care at a student-run health clinic for Philadelphia’s uninsured community. 

• Colleen Murphey

  • I graduated from The University of Chicago in 2007 with a B.A. in Comparative Human Development – a rather oblique name for a program focused on the intersection between psychology, sociology, and neuroscience. Throughout my four years at Chicago I worked as a part-time T.A. in the Chicago Public School system, and wrote my honors thesis on an early childhood education initiative run by Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Head Start program. From 2006 to 2007, I served as the head research assistant for a Chicago think tank focused on education policy. My focus shifted from education to healthcare in 2007, when (like quite a few Whartonites before me) I began working at The Advisory Board Company (ABC). ABC is a healthcare research, consulting, and business intelligence company located in Washington, D.C. Throughout my three years there, I worked for the I.T. Insight program, conducting best-practice research for hospital Chief Information Officers.

• Kalyan Pamarthy

  • I graduated from Osmania University (India) in 2005 with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science Engineering and from the University of Minnesota in 2007 with a Masters in Computer Science. During my Masters program, I researched applications of machine learning and pattern recognition algorithms on social science data. During this time, I also worked at the Minnesota Population Center, a University-wide interdisciplinary cooperative for demographic research, where I implemented pattern learning and social computing techniques for linking historical US census data to answer social science questions. After graduation, I joined Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN at their Cardiac Rhythm and Disease Management (CRDM) division, as a software engineer where I developed features on the Medtronic Paceart Cardiac Patient Management system, which will manage over 1.5M cardiac patients in 1000 cardiology clinics worldwide.  I also led initiatives and prototyping studies with major cardiac hospitals to use advanced pattern recognition techniques to improve cardiac patient management. More recently, I worked in Medtronic CRDM Marketing, focusing on patient management product planning, new product introduction, process innovation and international product launches.  

• Jonathan Pearlstein

  • I attended Stanford University and graduated in 2006 with a BA in Science, Technology, and Society with departmental honors. I wrote my senior thesis on social conflicts surrounding the implementation of electronic medical records. Following graduation, I joined the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) in Washington, DC as a research assistant. In that capacity, I led program evaluations for government clients in the Department of Health and Human Services, such as AHRQ and HRSA. After one year at NORC, I accepted a position at the Advisory Board Company as a Strategic analyst. At the Advisory Board, I conducted best practices research for hospital executives on diverse topics such as Nursing IT, New-Hire Onboarding, Hospital Data Strategy, Health Reform, and Compensation Strategy.

• Laura Peterson

  • I graduated from Duke University in 2007 with an AB in public policy, a multidisciplinary certificate in health policy, and a minor in chemistry.  Although I completed the pre-med curriculum, the more I learned about healthcare policy, the less appealing practicing medicine became to me (no offense to all the doctors and MD candidates out there!) and upon graduation I joined The Lewin Group, a healthcare consulting and policy analysis firm in the DC area.  My work focuses primarily on evidence-based medicine, comparative effectiveness research, and domestic and international health technology assessment.  Over the past three years I have worked with a broad range of clients from pharmaceutical companies and trade associations to health-related agencies within the Federal government to conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses on a variety of topics such as heterogeneity of treatment effect; ethical, legal and social issues surrounding genomic research; best practices in health technology assessment; and industry strategy to address policy changes related to comparative effectiveness research legislation.  I also helped conduct an analysis of the economic impact of the development of a regulatory pathway for the approval of follow-on biologics for the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation which was ultimately adopted by the White House Office of Healthcare Reform.

• John Picasso

  • I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a BA in Biology and a BS in Finance from Wharton. After graduation, I worked in Management Consulting at Accenture in their Health Care Strategy group. I worked on nine health care projects. I led the delivery of five of those projects and managed the small project teams (teams contained one to three Analysts each). The projects included a wide range of focus areas across various mid-size health care providers and large pharmaceutical companies. Focus areas included: marketing investment optimization, multi-channel go-to-market strategy, hospital merger, acquisition, and separation due diligence, KPI enhancement and strategy, and reporting and analytics strategy.

• Ravi Raghavan

  • I graduated from MIT in 2004 with a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a BS in Management Science. From 2004 – 2005, I was an M&A investment banking analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort in New York. From 2005 – 2008, I worked at SAP (an enterprise software company) in Palo Alto and Gurgaon (India). At SAP I developed business cases for selling our software to customers, helped set up our Indian offshore office for business case development, and launched a marketing program that captured customer success stories in Southeast Asia. In 2007 I assumed part-time leadership positions in two healthcare non-profit organizations: HealthCare Volunteer (global public health) and HealthCare Tourism International (medical tourism). In 2008 I enrolled in the Masters of Biotechnology program at Penn to develop a technical foundation in the life sciences. I recently spent 9 months consulting for Yaupon Therapeutics, a start-up pharmaceutical company, where I developed a commercialization plan for Yaupon’s lead drug. Currently, I work for Penn’s Center for Technology Transfer (CTT) where I analyze the market potential of healthcare inventions developed by Penn researchers.

• Lindsay Rand

  • I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a BA with honors in Psychology and a minor in Economics. After graduation, I moved to Boston and joined Accenture’s Health and Public Service practice. As a consultant, I traveled to hospitals and large health systems around the country, helping to design and implement electronic medical records systems (EMRs) and restructure back-end billing operations. When I wasn’t traveling for work, I moonlighted as a researcher and was involved in the publication and presentation of health behavior studies that I started as an undergraduate. I recently contributed a chapter to a book about obesity prevention, which will be published later this year.

• James Rhodes

  • I graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 2006 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Health Policy.  Following graduation, I joined Deloitte Consulting’s Strategy & Operations practice in Los Angeles (I’m from SoCal – go Lakers!).  While I worked in a variety of industries during those four years, my health care projects focused on hospital operations improvement and clinical systems implementations.  Among them, I led client teams at three Midwest health systems identifying cost reduction opportunities across shared services departments (finance, lab, supply chain, food services, etc.).  I also worked on clinical system implementations at two health systems in California and Massachusetts, supporting project-planning efforts and leading dozens of process and system design sessions with clinicians. 

• Arun Roy

  • I was born in India, grew up in Hong Kong, and came to the US ten years ago for my undergraduate studies.  I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 with a BSc in Economics (Wharton) and a BA in Chemistry (College of Arts & Sciences). After graduation I wanted to learn more about the business side of life sciences and so I joined the Philadelphia offices of Deloitte Consulting.  During my time with Deloitte I have served primarily life sciences clients ranging in size from big pharma companies to startups. I have worked on projects across commercial, R&D and corporate, including commercial launch plan development, future state operating model development, post-merger integration, business case development, commercial analytics, supply chain management, corporate real estate and program management.  

• Frances Schendle

  • I graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 2006 with an AB in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. As an undergraduate, I focused on public health initiatives in the developing world, including public-private partnerships to increase access to treatments for tropical diseases.  After graduation, I joined Bain & Company in Boston, where I eventually advanced into the Consultant role. While at Bain, I worked on a variety of strategic and operational projects with a range of healthcare clients, including pharmaceutical, medical devices, hospital, and insurance. In 2009, I conducted a 10-month externship at The Bridgespan Group, a non-profit consulting firm, where I supported foundations and non-profit organizations to manage through the economic downturn. I have also held board positions with two Boston non-profits: one that provides social services to at-risk youth and another that provides residential services to the mentally ill.

• Ankit Shah

  • I graduated from Marquette University in 2005 with a BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering.  Following the completion of my graduate classwork, I joined the Food and Drug Administration as the Medical Device Research Fellow to conduct my graduate thesis research.  At the end of my fellowship in January 2006, my passion for medical device innovation led me to Medtronic, where I worked in the Science and Technology group for their CardioVascular business.  During my years as a Scientist, I worked on various bioabsorbable technologies to treat occlusive vascular disease.  In July 2008, I joined the Pipeline Marketing group as the Advanced Technologies Manager focusing on the upstream marketing activities for the Endovascular Innovations business.

• Monika Shah

  • I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 2005 with a degree in Applied Math and Economics with High Honors.  Upon graduation I worked at Bain and Company for three years in their San Francisco and New Delhi offices, consulting for clients in the Technology, Private Equity, and Health Care sectors.  I've had a long-term passion for development and emerging markets, so after Bain I worked for the Acumen Fund, a venture capital fund with a double bottom line for social impact and financial returns.  I was with Acumen Fund's India office for two years, and while there I led our work evaluating new investments in the sector and managed three investments in our Health Care portfolio.

• Ravi Shah

  • I graduated with honors from Princeton University in 2006. There, I focused in health policy at the Woodrow Wilson School and received a certificate in Spanish. After graduation, I researched macroeconomic market views and asset management topics such as alpha versus beta investing, optimal beta asset allocation, and asset-liability management at Bridgewater Associates, a global-macro investment management firm. I decided to leave finance for a career in health care, so I enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where I am pursuing the MD/MBA dual degree. During the summer after my first year in medical school, I developed a rudimentary insurance system with patient, drug, and CPT code formularies to reconcile bills from approved patients at the World Trade Center Monitoring and Treatment Program at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.

• Jonathan (Jon) Shannon

  • I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007 with a BA in International Relations and Germanic Studies. Directly after graduation, I interned with PA Consulting in Princeton, NJ, where I worked on engagements with large pharmaceutical companies. In the fall of 2007, I joined Booz & Company in New York where I provided strategy consulting services for to a variety of companies, focusing mostly on the health care industry. Examples of my projects during my tenure as a strategy consultant include: benchmarking studies, long-term strategy planning and creating shared business services. Additionally, during this time I assisted in driving the pharmaceutical and health IT work streams for Booz’s thought leadership piece on the impact of the Obama health care reform to the major health care players.

• Andrew Steinberg

  • I graduated from Duke University in 2004 with a BSE double major in Biomedical Engineering and Economics. While at MPR Associates, a boutique engineering consulting firm in Washington, DC, I developed medical device prototypes for clients in the Healthcare sector, including components for high throughput DNA sequencing devices.  In 2006, I joined Booz Allen Hamilton developing business, economic, and IT analyses in both the public and private sector including Health IT consulting for private nationwide health insurance companies.  While at Booz Allen, I earned a MS from Georgetown University in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy.  In 2008, I took a position with Google where I gained invaluable corporate finance, strategy, and operational experience while working with two elite global teams in Mountain View, CA.  With Google, I managed company P&Ls, drove technical productivity analytics, provided infrastructure to financial reporting, and developed strategic analyses for the President of Sales and VP of Operations. 

• Kathryn Sullivan

  • I graduated from Duke University in 2006 with distinction in Biomedical Engineering.  Though always a Blue Devil, my mascot soon became the Capital One Visigoth where I designed rewards programs as a business analyst.  After a year filling your mailbox with oh-so-compelling credit card offers, I decided to try my hand in health care.  I joined Omnicell, Inc. in Mountain View, CA, a company that develops, manufactures and markets software and hardware systems to manage medications in hospitals.  In Market Intelligence I contributed to the acquisition strategy.  From there I joined Product Marketing, the link between customers, Sales, and R&D.  The operating room was my first focus: I collected product feedback from anesthesiologists across the country, and after identifying the most important enhancements - taking into account patient safety, clinician efficiency and inventory control - I translated their requests into engineering requirements. Meanwhile I provided ongoing Sales training; managed beta tests and product launches; organized tradeshows; and published marketing collateral.  Last year my responsibilities expanded to include leading the ground-up development of our controlled substance product, which yielded my enviable nickname: Narcotics Lady. 

• Vic Tandon

  • I graduated in 2004 from Rutgers University with majors in Public Health and Political Science, attaining Highest Honors in Public Health. In 2006, I completed my Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy & Management from Columbia University. After completing my MPH I joined the Health Informatics consulting practice at CSC, a Fortune 200 provider of information technology services, as a business analyst. I supported the development of business solutions and strategic business relationships to help grow the practice. On a variety of client projects, I advised health providers and life sciences companies on the management and use of digital health information to support health delivery and clinical R&D.

• Shin Ujiie

  • I graduated from the University of Tokyo in 2003 with a bachelor degree in Agricultural Science, and continued my researches at the same university until 2005. After receiving a master degree in 2005, I joined Eisai Co., Ltd., a Japanese pharmaceutical company, as a clinical researcher. After spending a short period at the clinical research center of Eisai, I moved to a group handling licensing deals and merger and acquisition deals. In 2007, I was in charge of acquiring a small sized (approx. $350M) biotech company located in Pennsylvania (Morphotek, Inc.). In 2008, I was involved in a larger deal (approx. $4B) and contributed to the acquisition of MGI Pharma, an oncology focused pharmaceutical company located at Minneapolis. In addition to scientific evaluation of licensing-in products, corporate valuation of target acquisition companies was my major task.

• John Urquhart

  • I graduated from Brown University in 2004 with a BA in Business Economics and Public and Private Sector Organizations.  While at Brown, I was a four year member of the men’s lacrosse team as well as a teaching assistant in the engineering department.  After graduation, I joined the investment banking division of SG Cowen, a boutique investment bank focused on the healthcare and technology industries.  As an analyst in the technology group, I performed financial analysis to value companies or businesses in order to provide both underwriting and capital raising services as well as strategic advice.  After three years in investment banking, I joined Cowen Healthcare Royalty Partners, a private equity fund focused on investing in commercial-stage products and companies.  I joined Cowen Royalty at its inception and in my three years the firm has invested over $400 million and grown to manage over $1 billion.  As an associate I am primarily responsible for financial modeling, structuring investments and conducting due diligence.  For the past year, I have also worked closely with one of our portfolio companies in a business and corporate development role.
    

• Reed Van Gorden

  • I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where I skied, played ice hockey, and climbed six 14ers.  At Northwestern University, I played more ice hockey and double-majored in Economics (earned Honors) and Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry, graduating in 2006. I wrote my senior thesis on the lack of R&D productivity from large biotech and pharmaceutical companies.  After graduating, I worked at JPMorgan in Syndicated and Leveraged Finance, focusing on healthcare.  During my time there I funded the LBO of Manor Care and the recapitalization of Patheon.  For the last two years I have been working at Abingworth, a healthcare-focused Venture Capital and Private Equity firm.  I was the only associate at the firm, and the youngest investment professional by eight years. I recently closed a $40 million growth equity financing in Secure EDI, a leading player in the Healthcare IT space.   I have also completed my CFA and have recently become a charterholder.

• Kas Vardhanabhuti

  • I graduated with a First Class Honors degree from Oxford University in Biochemistry in 2005. After graduation, I worked as an Equity Analyst in Morgan Stanley in London, conducting financial and valuation analyses on European healthcare companies and advising global hedge funds and other institutional investors on healthcare investments. Outside of work, I founded a non-profit organization, the Barefoot Medical Program, in Thailand, to bring private sector healthcare resources to the rural villages of the country. Building on these experiences, in 2010, I joined the Office of Prime Minister of Thailand to work on reforming healthcare financing and delivery, in order to provide better-quality care despite limited government finances.
    

• Elizabeth (Liz) Violin

  • I graduated from Harvard University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  I also studied abroad at the University of New South Wales (near Sydney, Australia) for one semester. My major work experiences have been in the realm of healthcare consulting.  As an undergraduate, I interned at Decision Resources Consulting (Waltham, MA).  There, I supported an engagement aimed at developing a US oncology franchise strategy for an Asia-based pharmaceutical client.  I helped my team evaluate the oncologic competitive landscape and identify business development opportunities. Upon graduation from Harvard, I joined another healthcare consulting firm, IMS Consulting (New York City).  As a consultant, I managed a diverse mix of engagements primarily focused on global pricing and market access strategies for products in development by pharma clients.  I developed interest and expertise in the US managed care industry and also enjoyed applying my undergraduate psychology/ neuroscience background in projects focused on CNS therapeutic areas (e.g., schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease).

• Rmit (Rom) Wadehra

  • I graduated with distinction in 2004 from Emory University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, dual-majoring in Business and Economics.  I also hold a Masters of Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.  My academic experiences have both focused on strategy and operations. In 2005, I joined Accenture's consulting Health and Life Science group as an Analyst.  There I worked on management consulting and IT-implementation projects for AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Aetna, and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield.  In 2007, I joined Small Bone Innovations (SBi), a $35mm start-up medical device company focused on wrist, hand, elbow, and ankle implants.  As a manager, I developed a Business Analytics group to support decision making for SBi's emerging niche market.  I also assisted in product launches, sales force redesign, and capital raising efforts.  In 2009, I joined another startup, InfoMC, which focused on mental health payors.  There I contributed as an operations consultant and project manager to support Aetna's Disease Management and Mental Health business. I have also volunteered at the Kennedy Health hospital system in an IT-consulting role.
    

• Shruti Wadgaonkar

  • I graduated from Northwestern University in 2005 with a BA in Economics and Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences.  After graduation, I joined Guy Carpenter, a reinsurance brokerage firm, where I aided insurance companies in obtaining their own reinsurance.   I worked with several medical malpractice insurance organizations, negotiating reinsurance placements and contract terms and projecting costs of claims.  In 2007, I left Guy Carpenter and joined the human capital consulting group of Mercer.  In project manager role, I advised my clients on their executive and broad-based compensation practices. My specific clients ranged from healthcare systems, stand-alone hospitals, healthcare associations and other non-profit research organizations. I also participated heavily in the recruiting process at Mercer.
    

• Ofer Waks

  • After completing my mandatory 3 year army service, in which I served as a communications expert, I completed my B.Pharm degree in Pharmacy from BGU (Ben-Gurion University) and graduated in 2007. Throughout my studies I volunteered at the Soroka University Medical Center, working as an EKG technician in the ER, thus becoming exposed to innovative procedures and drugs in the field of emergency medicine. During my studies I helped plan and manage laboratory trials for the Dean of Medicine regarding antibiotic permeability in varied surroundings. Following my studies I completed my internship as a pharmacist and OTC product manager in Israel’s largest HMO, after which I entered the field of clinical studies at PPD. During the past 2.5 years I have been working at PPD conducting and managing clinical studies, specifically in the clinical areas of Oncology, Diabetes and Infectious Diseases.

    
    

• Dongyk Yoon

  • I graduated from Yonsei University in 2006 with a BA in Electrical & Electronics Engineering and minor in Business Administration. After graduation, I joined Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea. As a Product Specialist, my responsibilities included sales of medical devices to major hospitals, developing marketing activities and new business opportunities. I mainly focused on developing young surgeons to practice new surgical techniques-minimal invasive surgery-that not only helped increase the sales of devices but also helped patients suffer less from pain and recover faster after surgery. A year after, I became the first and youngest employee in J&J Korea history to receive the top performer award in Korea and Asia Pacific region at the same time.
    

• Marina Zeltser

  • Hello to all the healthcare enthusiasts out there! I graduated from Columbia University with a major in biological sciences in 2007. I attended college on a science research scholarship, which allowed me to pursue medical research activities throughout college in various research groups ranging from molecular genetics to critical care. I eventually transitioned, however, to public health research where I first became passionate about systems issues in healthcare. I was able to publish research on the organizational culture of hospitals and the health effects of NYC subways, as well as manage much of the research process. I also spent three years working as an HIV/Sexual Health Counselor, which was a powerful experience that led me to medical school. I have now completed three years at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, having done my clinical training at Cooper Health System. During these three years, I have taken on several national-level leadership positions with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), working on major policy campaigns, grassroots projects, conference planning, and new initiatives for the organization. I pride myself on being the founder of the AMSA Academy, a “school” offering over 20 annual programs where medical students from across the country can come together to learn about leadership and becoming a change-agent in medicine. I enjoy teaching, and have been a lecturer of patient safety and quality improvement as well as a course director on evidence-based medicine.