Yale Dean Named To Biden Coronavirus Task Force

NEW HAVEN, CT — Two people who advised Connecticut officials on the coronavirus pandemic will now help shape President-elect Joe Biden's strategy

Yale School of Medicine Associate Dean Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith was named to President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania will be a member of the board.

Nunez-Smith will serve as a co-chair of the board along with former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. David Kessler and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Kessler is a former dean of the Yale School of Medicine and Murthy is a graduate of the Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Management.

Nunez- Smith is an associate professor of internal medicine, public health and management at Yale University and an associate dean for Health Equity Research at the Yale School of Medicine. Her research focuses on healthcare equity for marginalized populations.

“Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts,” Biden said in a statement. “The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations.”

The transition advisory board will consult with state and local officials to determine what health and economic steps to take going forward with the pandemic.

Nunez-Smith was a principal investigator on a number of National Institutes of Health and foundation-funded research projects, according to her Yale biography.