Meet the Moderators and Panelists

Dr. Joelle Abramowitz is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and Co-Director of the Michigan Federal Statistical Research Data Center. Her research topics include work, health insurance, medical expenditures, time use, marriage, fertility, and general health topics. Her research examines the effects of policies on individuals’ major life decisions and wellbeing. She completed her Ph.D. in Economics in 2013 at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.

Linda Goler Blount, MPH, is the President and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the only national organization focused on Black women’s emotional, physical and financial health. Since joining the organization in 2014, Ms. Blount has overseen more than $20 million invested in Black women and research to prevent chronic disease and HIV, ensure reproductive justice and healthy maternal outcomes, and advocate for health promoting policies. Ms. Blount, an epidemiologist, edited IndexUS, the first research on Black women’s health based on healthy Black women. Her career includes successful tenures at CDC, the Coca-Cola Company and consulting with health ministries in countries in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

Dr. Michal Elovitz is a physician-scientist, mentor and advocate. She is the inaugural Dean of Women’s Health Research at the Icahn School of Medicine. She is also the founding Director of the Women’s Biomedical Research Institute which is focused on revealing the biology that drives female specific conditions as well as understanding sex-specific biology that contributes to significant gender health inequities for so many health outcomes. Dr. Elovitz is committed to advancing women’s health research from the bench to the bedside to make meaningful advances for women across their lifespan.

Michelle L. Oyen is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis and founding Director of the Center for Women's Health Engineering. She has a background in materials science, mechanical engineering, and medical physics. She has researched and advocated for engineering methodologies within maternal health and women’s health for over twenty-five years. She is especially interested in using these approaches to improve maternal-fetal outcomes, including prevention, diagnosis, and interventions relevant to preterm birth. Current research projects focus on multi-scale characterization of placenta function, biomimetic material models of the uterus, and digital twin representations of pregnancy.

Rachel Braun Scherl is a marketing strategist, business builder, author, speaker, and podcast co-host, focused on building businesses in women's sexual and reproductive health. She brings deep knowledge of menstruation, fertility, sexual disease prevention, birth control, pregnancy, menopause, and incontinence to help brands and businesses grow. As President and co-founder of Semprae Laboratories, Rachel and her team built a company that developed and marketed sexual health and wellness products for women - creating a new category. Semprae attracted significant media attention and industry interest and was sold to Innovus Pharmaceuticals in 2013. Rachel is the best-selling author of Orgasmic Leadership: Profiting from the Coming Surge in Women’s Sexual Health and Wellness. As the co-host of a podcast, Business of the V, Rachel drives the conversation about the intersection of unmet needs and unanswered in women’s health with the businesses created to respond to them. Rachel is a frequent public speaker at universities, colleges, and industry conferences, including Duke, Stanford, CES, SXSW, Johnson & Johnson, Abbvie, and The Minnesota Vikings, among others. She has completed hundreds of strategic growth projects for leading companies including J&J, Pfizer, Merck, Bayer, Church & Dwight, Reckitt and Allergan.

Kathryn Schubert has served as President & CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) since April 2020. She is a trusted leaders and consensus builder among women’s health stakeholders, and previously served as chief advocacy officer at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). Schubert began her career on Capitol Hill and subsequently advised organizations on policy strategy in the healthcare space. She is a board member of the National Health Council, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and ASPN Foundation. She is a previous president of Women in Government Relations, and in 2020 was named Advocate of the Year by Professional Women in Advocacy for her work on inclusion of pregnant and lactating populations in research, and in 2024 named as one of the most influential people shaping policy in healthcare by the Washingtonian magazine. Schubert holds a bachelor’s degree from Mary Washington College and a master’s degree from the George Washington University. When not advocating for women’s health, she’s spending time with her husband, three kids, and dog George.

Dr. Crystal Pirtle Tyler serves as the CEO of the Illinois Public Health Institute, whose mission is to advance health justice through policy and systems change. Crystal brings over 20 years of experience leading research, evaluation, and programming that advances health equity for underserved communities and communities of color. She serves on the Board of Directors for Orchid Capital Collective, the Society of Family Planning, the Black Women’s Health Imperative, and on numerous advisory boards, including the Coalition to Expand Contraceptive Access. She has also published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Journal of Adolescent Health, Contraception, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, among others. Crystal completed both her Ph.D. and MPH in Epidemiology at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, respectively, and her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies at Spelman College.

Elizabeth Garner is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with a career-long focus on addressing unmet needs in women’s health. Born and raised in Nigeria, she brings a global view to her work. Most recently, Dr. Garner was Chief Scientific Officer, Ferring Pharmaceuticals US. Her prior roles include Chief Medical Officer of the women’s health companies ObsEva and Agile Therapeutics, and leadership roles at Myriad Genetics, Abbott Laboratories, and Merck Research Labs. Dr. Garner is on the Boards of Directors of Kezar Life Sciences and Sermonix Pharmaceuticals and is Board Chair of NUA Surgical. Garner is also the Immediate Past President of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) a professional organization for women physicians. Beth received joint M.D. and M.P.H. degrees from Harvard Medical and Public Health Schools, trained in obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women’s (BWH)/Massachusetts General Hospitals, and completed a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at BWH/Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Prior to transitioning into industry in 2007, she was Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. Elizabeth has extensive experience as a media spokesperson and is a frequent panelist and speaker on a range of topics including innovation and investment in women’s health, women’s leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and diversity in clinical trials. She is a 2019 and 2023 awardee of the PharmaVoice 100 Most Inspiring Individuals in the life sciences industry. She is also the 2022 recipient of the AMWA Woman in Science Award and the 2024 Mount Holyoke College Award for Contributions to Women’s Health.

Claire Gill launched the National Menopause Foundation in September 2019. Its mission is to be a trusted and relatable resource to raise awareness and understanding of menopause through education, activism, and community building. Previously, Ms. Gill spent 20+ years in public relations and marketing for national nonprofits and public relations firms with Fortune 500 clients. A respected leader in women’s health, she serves on a variety of coalitions and working groups promoting the needs of women at midlife. She also hosts The Positive Pause podcast featuring interviews with experts on a variety of topics impacting women’s health and well-being. In addition, Ms. Gill is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving American’s bone health and preventing osteoporotic fractures.

Clare Dougherty serves as CEO of Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer. She has worked at the intersection of public policy, communications, and mission-driven leadership for the last 25 years, focusing on the health and well-being of women and children. In her role as CEO, Clare oversees all facets of the Brem Foundation, working to advance early detection of breast cancer through strategic education, access programs and advocacy - fighting for every woman to receive the services she deserves, regardless of her ability to pay. Prior to joining the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer, Clare spent over 15 years at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), leading their global communication and advocacy efforts. Clare has served as director of International Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and as deputy chief of staff on Capitol Hill. She holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Planning from Hunter College and a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Boston University.

Since 2019, Celina Gorre has been the CEO of WomenHeart, based in Washington, D.C. For the previous eight years, she was the Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, in London, UK, overseeing over $250M research funding across 66 countries. From 2009 to 2011, Celina was the Managing Director of the Foundation for the UN Global Compact, initiating the 501c(3) for companies to support the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative. From 2007-2009, she was in the field with UNFPA and UNICEF in Angola as a senior HIV/AIDS advisor. She has had extensive experience at the intersection of corporate responsibility and global health, developing health and social programs for multinational companies, as the Technical Manager for the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2005-2007, and has held in-house corporate responsibility positions, leading global training for Gap Inc.’s social responsibility department and conducting factory audits for Mattel Inc. Gorre earned an MPH from UCLA, and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Mitzi Krockover, M.D., is the Founder and CEO of Woman Centered, LLC and the host and producer of the Beyond the Paper Gown podcast, which inspires and informs women to achieve their optimal health. Additionally, she is a Managing Director at Golden Seeds, an angel investment organization that focuses on funding early-stage companies led by women; she co-leads the Health Sector Committee. As fractional Chief Medical Officer of Femmar, she lends her expertise to a virtual natural menopause program. Dr. Krockover previously served as the founding Medical Director of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center and as Vice President of Women’s Health at Humana Inc. Dr. Krockover also serves on the boards of the Institute for Mental Health Research, the Black Women’s Health Imperative and Springboard’s Women’s Health Innovation Council. A Board-Certified internist, she received her undergraduate degree at Washington University, her MD at the University of Texas at San Antonio and completed her internal medicine residency at Northwestern McGaw Medical Center.

Mia Keeys is the Director of Global Health and Innovation at Hologic, Inc., a global medical innovations and women’s health company. Formerly, Mia was Chief of Staff and Health Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Robin Kelly, with whom she wrote the first comprehensive maternal health legislation in Congressional history, the MOMMAs Act, in 2017. Later, Mia became the inaugural Health Equity Policy and Advocacy Director of the American Medical Association’s Center for Health Equity. Mia has also been a public health researcher in South Africa and a U.S. Fulbright Fellow to Indonesia, where she worked with young people and their families for three years, while learning the national language. The National Minority Quality Forum recognizes Mia as a 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health. Mia holds a Master of Arts degree in Medical Sociology from Vanderbilt University, where she was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow through Meharry Medical College. She is now a doctoral candidate at George Washington University—her dissertation is on health equity, policy, and artificial intelligence (AI). Mia is also a published creative non-fiction writer, with training from the University of Oxford. Mia lives in Washington, D.C., where she serves as a Commissioner for Women, and has one son.

DeAnna Minus-Vincent is a leader in addressing critical issues like equity, poverty, housing, health, and education. As the Founder and Managing Partner of The Outcomes Architect, a strategic advisory firm, she collaborates across sectors to create systemic change, enhance leadership, and improve organizational results. DeAnna is known for her expertise in program design, policy development, and scaling organizations, having increased revenue, expanded service regions, and diversified products in her roles.

Previously, DeAnna was Executive Vice President and Chief Social Justice and Accountability Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, addressing social determinants of health. She has also served as Chief Engagement Officer at Benefits Data Trust and Assistant Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

DeAnna advises national and local entities and sits on the Board of Trustees for the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Recognized by the NJ Chamber of Commerce for innovative business practices, she holds a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University, with a DBA in progress. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, DeAnna resides in Lumberton with her husband, Daryl, and daughter, Darynn.

Candace Gibson (she/her) is the Director of State Policy at the Guttmacher Institute where she oversees the Institute’s work to advance evidence-based state-level policies to secure sexual and reproductive health and rights. Previously, Ms. Gibson served as the Director of Government Relations at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice and as a staff attorney at the National Health Law Program.

Monica Edwards is the Senior Manager of Public Policy where she brings her reproductive justice policy experience to Power to Decide's federal policy work. Monica served as an If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice Federal Reproductive Justice Fellow and Federal Policy Manager at URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity. There she focused on federal policy priorities such as working on the drafting and introduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Abortion Justice Act, and Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act, and also worked to translate federal policy asks and priorities to young people age 18-30 in the South and Midwest. Her experience also includes time at In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda where she worked on the 2023 Black Reproductive Justice Agenda. Monica also serves on the Boards of the Yellowhammer Fund and the West Alabama Women's Clinic. She graduated from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law.

Alayna Effron, Ed.D, MSc., C.H.E.S. serves as Senior Director of Development for HealthyWomen, a leading nonprofit, health information source for women. With nearly two decades of experience in women’s health, Dr. Effron is committed to advancing public health initiatives that foster education and heighten awareness about the myriad of health issues facing women today and the generations of tomorrow. Dr. Effron has leveraged her expertise in research, health education and program design to address gaps in health disparities among women nationally and internationally, at community and state levels, and across diverse health care systems. Through the engagement with stakeholders and cultivation of new partnerships, Dr. Effron strategically grows and diversifies HealthyWomen’s program portfolio to promote accessible health information and health equity for all individuals. Dr. Effron holds a Doctorate in Health Education from Columbia University, a M.Sc and B.S. in Public Health and Health Promotion from Indiana University, Bloomington and is a Certified Health Education Specialist with the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Dr. Harris currently serves as the Executive Director of The National Association to Advance Black Birth. She is a behavioral health scientist, with a special focus on health equity, maternal health and women’s health. She is a mother of 3, near miss survivor, doula, and birth justice advocate. She received her master’s degree in public health and international development from Morehouse School of Medicine and her PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Nadia Monique Johnson is a mental health advocate, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant, professor and speaker. She is the Founder and CEO of the Black Women's Mental Health Institute (BWMHI), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building awareness of and support for the mental and holistic wellbeing of Black women and girls. BWMHI encourages diverse conversations on mental health with signature programs such as the Mental Health Equity and Liberation Summit, Sister Speak Suicide Awareness Initiative and Voting Matters to Our Mental Health campaign. Through their pilot Community Counseling Internship Program, the BWMHI has provided over 3,000 hours of free counseling and mental health screening in the state of Alabama while supporting aspiring Black clinicians towards full licensure. Dr. Johnson has spoken at a number of national events including South by Southwest, State of Black Health Conference, Bronze Lens Film Festival and a Congressional briefing by invitation of Congresswoman Robin Kelly. She has been quoted, interviewed and featured by Essence, the American Medical Association, Teen Vogue and MSNBC.