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24 n e w h a v e n B I Z | J u n e 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m P O W E R 2 5 : H e a l t h c a r e 2 0 2 2 by ABC News, USA Today and the Washington Post. In media coverage, he has stressed the need for vaccinations and accurately warned of likely future infection waves, and he has regularly commented on vaccine effectiveness. Ko is a professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) and of medicine (infectious diseases). During the pandemic, he served with Nooyi as co-chair of Gov. Ned Lamont's Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, and he continues to advise both Lamont and state officials in relation to the pandemic and how to help prevent COVID-19 infections. Ko is also a collaborating researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian Ministry of Health. Ko has coordinated a research program in Brazil, which has investigated the role of social marginalization, urbanization, and climate in the emergence of infectious diseases. He has leveraged his knowledge to help communities fight not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but various epidemics, from meningitis and dengue to Zika. He serves on the Washington, D.C.- based nonprofit Global Virus Network's Zika Task Force, which works to fight Zika, a virus transmitted by mosquito bites. Ko is program director of the Fogarty/ NIH Global Health Equity Scholars Program. It provides research training opportunities for post- and pre-doctoral fellows at sites around the world. Alice Forrester, CEO, Clifford Beers Community Care Center As Alice Forrester wrote in a recent opinion article, children and their families nationwide are in crisis, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic causing grief and fear. Add to that the prevalence of school violence, and it can be a lot for young people to handle. Forrester is CEO at the New Haven- based Clifford Beers Community Care Center. With an annual operating budget around $19 million, it is one of the largest providers of mental health services to young people in the Greater New Haven region. She leads a team of professionals who serve more than 5,000 children and family members each year. e agency helps people dealing with issues such as trauma due to abuse, neglect or the loss of a loved one. It also helps people suffering from depression, behavioral disorders and family conflict. Forrester is widely regarded as an expert in her field. She has gone before the state legislature to provide testimony about the impact of negative childhood experiences on mental health. She is regularly sought out by government leaders for her insight. Following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, then-Gov. Dannel Malloy appointed her to the Sandy Hook Commission so she could help prevent future tragedies. Forrester has served on many other boards, including the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Steering Committee, state of Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council, Tow Youth Justice Institute Advisory Council, and city of New Haven Substance Abuse Council. As a public speaker, she has addressed audiences around the country on topics such as trauma and resiliency. Barbara Ehrlich, Professor, Yale School of Medicine; Chief Scientific Advisor, Osmol Therapeutics Yale School of Medicine professor Barbara Ehrlich's research and discoveries may be key to helping people suffering from diseases such as cancer and Wolfram syndrome. Ehrlich is a professor of pharmacology and cellular and molecular physiology. She is serving as chief scientific advisor for the privately-held, New Haven-based Osmol erapeutics. In April, the company announced it had closed the first $5.2 million tranche of a $7.5 million Series A-1 financing round toward development of its treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Osmol's lead drug candidate, OSM- 0205, is based on Ehrlich's research in neuronal calcium sensor-1. e technology was licensed from Yale. e drug is designed to prevent the off- target calcium surge caused by taxanes, a common chemotherapy drug, and other cancer treatments associated with peripheral nerve damage. e funding will allow Osmol to complete remaining Investigational New Drug studies, and file an application in 2022 with a Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical study to start in 2023, according to the company. ere are currently no Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies to prevent or treat CIPN, which affects hundreds of thousands of cancer patients annually and can negatively impact optimal chemotherapy dosing, according to the company. Osmol also plans to explore use of its drug for chemotherapy- induced cognitive impairment. Ehrlich is a 2020 Blavatnik Foundation Innovator for finding a new target for the rare Wolfram syndrome. It is an inherited condition, and many people who have it can develop diabetes and hearing loss, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, or NORD. Nick Tamborrino, Founder, Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut Longtime pharmacist Nick Tamborrino was among the first in the state to build a successful medical marijuana business. In 2014, he founded Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut, a dispensary that now has locations in Branford and Westport. e business sells an array of medical marijuana products, from pre-rolled cannabis to flowers, edibles such as honey and tea, tinctures, extracts, topicals and vapes. It provides medication consults and educational seminars. Tamborrino's background includes two decades of pharmacy experience, including as a hospital pharmacist at St. Vincent's Medical Center and Bridgeport Hospital, and as a retail pharmacist at Walgreens. According to Tamborrino, he aims to enhance patients' quality of life and be a leader in the dispensing of medical cannabis by focusing on patients' experience, education and outcomes. e business provides medication counseling to advise patients of proper techniques, side effects and potential drug interactions, and follow-up with patients to make sure they meet their goals. Tamborrino's business also is collaborating with the Connecticut Pharmacists Association (CPA), a professional organization representing pharmacists statewide, for a research monitoring program related to the medicinal use of cannabis. According to Bluepoint's website, CPA intends to partner with the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC) for the program, with a goal of collecting long-term data on the safety and efficacy of herbal cannabis for medicinal purposes. e results will be shared with policymakers, regulatory agencies and clinicians, to help guide future decision- making. It will also provide pharmacists with information to share with patients during consultations. Dr. Lisa Sanders, Physician & Professor, Yale School of Medicine Dr. Lisa Sanders not only works as a physician and professor at the Yale School of Medi- cine, she writes a column that served as the inspiration for the popular Fox television show "House MD." Sanders is a clinician educator in the primary care internal medicine residency program. She pens the popular "Diagnosis" column for the New York Times Maga- zine. House MD ran from 2004 to 2012, and Sanders served as a consultant to the show. In recent editions of her column, Sand- ers has written about a woman's mysteri- ous rash, a 77-year-old who lost weight due to chronic diarrhea, the appearance of strange grooves on a man's scalp, and a runner who could suddenly barely stand. Sanders also collaborated with the Times for an eight-hour documentary series on the process of diagnosis for Netflix. Sanders has written books too. In 2010, she published "Every Patient Tells a Sto- ry: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Di- agnosis." She also published a collection of her columns called "Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries." Sanders has authored books on weight loss and food choice. During the coronavirus pandemic, Sanders has helped keep the public in- formed, including participating in a Yale School of Medicine public forum with colleagues to teach people about the virus and preventive measures. Sanders worked as a journalist early in her career, including stints with ABC at "Good Morning America" and with CBS News. She won an Emmy Award for her coverage of Hurricane Hugo. Opting for a change, she decided to become a physician, and she has been helping cure patients and solve medical mysteries ever since. Dr. Eric Winer, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital Dr. Eric Winer has spent decades working to prevent cancer and cure pa- tients battling the disease. In February, Winer became the new director of the Yale Can- cer Center and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, and he aims to make Yale an international destination for cancer treatment. According to Winer, he will build upon existing clinical and research programs, and focus on increasing collaborations be- tween laboratory and clinical investigators. Winer also aims to boost cancer screenings and drive down mortality by ensuring cancer care is available to everyone. He aims to build a program that offers multidisciplinary care and clinical trials to all patients, eliminating disparities in access, care and outcomes, according to the health system. Winer leads the more than 300 cancer researchers on faculty at the Yale Cancer Center. Smilow treats nearly half of the 20,000 patients diagnosed with cancer annually in Connecticut. Winer is known internationally for his knowledge of breast cancer, and he has led several clinical trials. He is a member of the Breast Cancer Research Founda- tion's scientific advisory board. For years he has co-led the National Cancer Insti- tute Breast Cancer Steering Committee. He previously served as the ompson Chair in Breast Cancer Research, chief clinical development officer, and senior vice president for medical affairs at Da- na-Farber Cancer Institute and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Winer is an alumnus of both Yale College and Yale School of Medicine. He got his medical degree in 1983, and later served as chief resident at Yale New Haven Hospital. He has had several leadership roles, and is president-elect of the Ameri- can Society of Clinical Oncology. n Healthcare 2022 Continued from previous page

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