Leading Public Health Experts

With 8+ years of clinical experience, I am focused on preventive and community medicine, public health and epidemiology research, public health education, and health equity. I am committed to closing the gap between diagnosis and understanding through health literacy, epidemiology, and evidence-based public health education. I have helped organize community health education initiatives addressing postpartum health, nutritional deficiencies, sexual health awareness, and preventive care for marginalized populations. My long-term focus is to advance evidence-based public health initiatives that reduce preventable disease, improve health literacy, and strengthen outcomes for vulnerable communities.

Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani is a Professor of Public Health at New Mexico State University (NMSU), known for his extensive research and expertise in global health and social epidemiology

Dr. Saravanan Thangarajan is a global climate, health, and equity governance advisor focused on how heat, air pollution, and resource insecurity shape health outcomes in climate vulnerable settings. His work connects policy, financing, and frontline service delivery, with a strong emphasis on maternal health, mental health, and community resilience. Trained in dentistry, health administration, and global health delivery, he brings operational and systems experience across public health programs and digital health infrastructure. He provides clear, quote ready insights on climate adaptation for health systems, equity centered governance, and implementation pathways that move evidence into action.

Dr. Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at North Dakota State University, internationally recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of digital epidemiology, pharmacovigilance, and artificial intelligence. His research harnesses advanced statistical modeling and AI to track and predict health behaviors, medication safety, and disease patterns in real time—bridging traditional epidemiology with next-generation digital health analytics. Dr. Bhagavathula has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Annals of Epidemiology, JAMA Network Open, and Lancet Digital Health. His work has been widely cited and featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, where he discussed the real-world safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro). Recognized among the Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% of Scientists (2019–2024) and elected as a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, Dr. Bhagavathula is known for translating complex data into actionable insights that shape public health policy and clinical practice. His ongoing projects include NIH- and NSF-aligned initiatives on AI-powered overdose forecasting, digital twins for public health, and real-world drug safety surveillance using explainable machine learning. With a decade of experience spanning more than two dozen countries and collaborations with organizations such as WHO, USAID, and UNICEF, Dr. Bhagavathula brings a global, data-driven, and human-centered approach to solving modern health crises.

I am a full-spectrum Family Medicine physician (cares for adults, children, newborns, does women’s health) with expertise in addiction medicine, population health, medical education, and refugee health. I often correspond with local news on relevant topics (such as COVID vaccination, staying healthy at the start of the school year, illness outbreaks like norovirus) and enjoy providing accurate and easy-to-understand medical information so everyone can make informed choices about their health.

Brian is the Chief AI Officer at Health-Vision.AI, LLC, where he leads responsible AI implementation and develops ethical AI, security, and governance frameworks for healthcare and life sciences organizations in the US and EU. He is also the founder of Envision-Health.AI and creator of HealthRoundsAI, a platform that helps future clinicians use AI ethically and communicate more effectively with patients. With decades of public- and private-sector experience in health tech, AI strategy, data governance, and digital innovation, Brian is a recognized thought leader on AI ethics, AI governance, and the societal impacts of AI in healthcare. He also serves as an adjunct instructor in social sciences and AI ethics and has published in JMIR, Public Health Reports, and the Journal of Community Health.

As a performance-driven healthcare technology executive, I bring 15+ years of experience defining product vision, leading end-to-end development, and driving innovation that improves outcomes and fuels growth. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on building user-centered products that not only meet business goals but also serve a deeper purpose—enhancing trust, clarity, and impact in how we interact with technology. Whether in healthcare or beyond, I believe great products should empower people to make informed decisions and avoid becoming unintentional ambassadors of misinformation.

Edward Lin, MD, MPH, is an emergency medicine physician based in Walnut Creek, California. His professional career has focused on emergency medicine, a specialty dedicated to evaluating and treating patients with acute illnesses, injuries, and other time-sensitive medical concerns. Public records identify him as a physician whose work combines clinical expertise with a broader understanding of healthcare through his MD and MPH credentials. His role involves helping patients receive prompt care during urgent medical situations while supporting informed clinical decision-making. Edward has established a strong connection to the East Bay healthcare community, particularly in Walnut Creek and the surrounding Contra Costa County area. Public physician directories indicate that he has more than two decades of experience in acute care settings. Throughout his career, he has worked in environments where physicians are expected to assess patients efficiently and determine appropriate courses of treatment. He practices in a specialty where patients often arrive with immediate concerns, changing symptoms, or limited information. In these situations, physicians must evaluate risk, identify priorities, and coordinate care based on the patient's condition. The work requires careful judgment, effective communication, and a commitment to helping patients understand their healthcare options. Lin is most consistently associated with the practice location at 1450 Treat Boulevard, Suite 160, in Walnut Creek. Public listings connect this address with John Muir Health Walnut Creek Urgent Care. Additional physician directories associate him with John Muir Physician Network, John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus, and Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center. These healthcare settings serve a diverse East Bay population and support a broad range of urgent and hospital-connected services. Edward Lin's professional identity is closely tied to emergency medicine. Unlike specialties that often involve long-term patient relationships, emergency medicine focuses on immediate assessment and treatment. Patients may seek care for pain, injury, fever, weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, or other symptoms that require timely medical attention. Determining what requires urgent intervention and what can be managed through follow-up care is a central responsibility within the specialty.

Dr. Bussells is a recognized expert in public health, focusing on risk behavior prevention, alleviating health disparities, and preventing child maltreatment. With over 13 years of experience in government, non-profit, and industry settings, Dr. Aditi Bussells is a powerhouse in management consulting. She excels in revamping organizational structures and boosting team effectiveness, leveraging her expertise in strategic communications, branding, public health, research, and coaching to drive transformative change. Her work has included managing Salesforce technology systems, technical assistance portfolios for health innovation models at CMS and state human service systems. In 2021, she made history as the first South Asian American woman elected to the Columbia City Council, taking on issues related to quality of life, talent retention, customer service, and economic development. Dr. Bussells launched Rapid Shelter Columbia, addressing urgent community needs around homelessness. To date, Rapid Shelter has housed over 109 clients into permanent housing, being open for only 3 years. Appointed as vice chair of the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board, she oversees the allocation of $360 million to combat the opioid crisis. She has been a staunch advocate for talent retention, transparency in government, community well-being, and quality of life improvements for Columbia. Her tenure on the council, beginning January 4, 2022, is marked by a commitment to addressing economic development, opportunity, public safety, and accountability. Bussells spearheaded initiatives like Rapid Shelter Columbia, Lock it Up Columbia Campaign, and Food Truck Fridays. She led the passage of the stolen firearm ordinance, later adopted at the state level. Bussells has focused on improving customer experience, city re-branding, walkability, beautification, raising wages for first responders, and enhancing emergency infrastructure. Her term ended December 31, 2025.

I am an MD-PhD physician-scientist with a passion for translating complex clinical and scientific data into clear, accurate content. My training and experience span clinical practice and translational research, with expertise across oncology, immunology, gastroenterology, inflammation & metabolism, and rare diseases. With over 10 years of experience, I have supported key deliverables including more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, manuscripts, slide decks, literature reviews, and scientific narratives. I enjoy working in collaborative, deadline-driven environments and am particularly interested in medical writing, medical information, and publication development, where scientific accuracy and effective storytelling intersect.

Patrick Pinkowski, MPH, BBA, is a sustainability consultant, public health professional, and founder of Sustainable Living Services LLC, a science-based consulting and education business based in Michigan. His work helps adults, households, libraries, and community organizations translate sustainability research into practical daily actions that support healthier homes, lower waste, smarter resource use, and long-term quality of life. Patrick holds a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. His background connects public health, environmental science, sustainability, finance, project management, and scientific research. He is available to comment on practical sustainability, environmental health, public health, healthier home systems, safer product choices, waste reduction, resource efficiency, and science-based sustainable living.

Michael Guirguis is a Harvard-trained emergency medicine physician and the world's leading expert in protective medicine for the executive protection industry. With 22 years in emergency medicine, a law enforcement background, and a current license as an executive protection agent, he's the rare practitioner operating at the security-medicine crossover with real field credentials. He founded Raven Medical Support Group to solve a specific problem: most protective medicine programs fail because the medical side is either underskilled, undertrained, or completely inaccessible. His benchmark is the Chipotle Vegas conference — a 5,000-person event where he built the medical program from scratch, staffed it with contracted paramedics, protected C-suite executives, and treated four guests for acute medical issues, all without theater. Michael serves as Medical Director for Chipotle Global Protective Services and UHNW family offices. His deliverables include SOPs, Scope of Practice documents, principal-specific medical kit specifications, training programs, and event medical staffing. Every program he builds is legally defensible, scope-appropriate, and tailored to the people being protected. He's never just a name on paper — he's accessible, he's hands-on, and he's the one making the calls when something goes wrong. He's spent two decades calling out the gaps in his industry: the conflation of EMTs and Paramedics (they're not interchangeable), the misuse of tactical trauma courses as a substitute for real medical training (most emergencies are medical, not trauma), and the proliferation of "paper medical directors" who exist only for compliance. His conviction is simple: good protective medicine requires genuine competence, real accessibility, and gear tailored to the principals being protected. Michael is a regular contributor on LinkedIn, where he shares field insights on protective medicine governance, team training, and the realities of high-net-worth security operations. He's registered with Medfluencers for brand partnership opportunities and speaks to CSOs, EP managers, and security teams on the integration of medical expertise into protective programs.

Nicholas Mukhtar's professional path shifted after he studied the Affordable Care Act while completing a medical program. According to Parks & Recreation Magazine, he decided to "create systems change at the community level and focus on prevention" rather than pursue clinical medicine. This decision led him to found Healthy Detroit in 2013, a nonprofit that transformed Detroit parks into community wellness centers. The organization provided free health screenings, fitness programming, and nutritional education, ultimately earning recognition as the American Public Health Association's National Public Health Organization of the Year in 2017. Mukhtar's academic credentials include a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University (2013) and dual master's degrees in Public Policy and Public Health from Johns Hopkins University (2017), where he was selected as a Bloomberg Fellow. He later founded Healthy Communities, LLC in Washington, D.C., a consulting firm through which he advised policymakers including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and contributed to the White House Office of American Innovation. Mukhtar currently operates Tera Strategies from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, providing management consulting services to CEOs, investors, and business owners. He speaks English, Arabic, and Spanish.

I serve as Group Vice President of HealthStaffingGroup, a healthcare workforce division focused on helping hospitals and healthcare organizations navigate complex staffing and leadership challenges. My work centers on workforce strategy, leadership hiring, retention, and long-term staffing stability in high-demand healthcare environments. With experience supporting healthcare systems across the country, I regularly work with executives, administrators, and clinical leaders to address issues such as nursing shortages, physician recruitment, workforce burnout, and succession planning. I’m particularly interested in how leadership decisions, operational design, and workforce planning directly influence patient outcomes and organizational resilience. Over the years, I’ve seen that staffing challenges are rarely isolated hiring problems; they are strategic issues tied to leadership development, workload design, and long-term workforce sustainability. I often speak on healthcare leadership trends, retention strategies, and the evolving talent landscape within hospitals, clinics, and specialty care environments. My perspective combines frontline workforce realities with executive-level strategy, offering insight into how healthcare organizations can build stable, high-performing teams in an increasingly complex care environment.

Olusegun "Ish" Ishmael, MD, MBA, FACHE, is a physician executive and health-tech founder with 20+ years of C-suite leadership across safety-net health systems and Medicaid managed care, with a track record of translating strategy into measurable operational and clinical results. Most recently, he served as System Chief Operating Officer & Hospital President at MetroHealth (Cleveland), leading day-to-day operations for a $1.9B system with 8,000+ employees across multiple hospitals and 32 outpatient sites, driving $400M+ revenue growth, improving ED throughput and capacity, strengthening care management, and elevating patient experience. Previously at Sinai Health System (Chicago), he reduced ED boarding by a third and cut surgery cancellations in half through flow redesign, capacity optimization, and execution discipline. He has also led within Medicaid health plans with P&L accountability, improving medical cost performance while advancing outcomes and access. He is the CEO/Founder of MIRA Health, building a digital prevention and medication-adherence companion (with patented technology) designed to improve health outcomes, especially for people disadvantaged by socioeconomic barriers. An immigrant (came to the States at 5) physician-leader, he brings a practical, lived understanding of how systems can widen, or close, opportunity gaps, and he focuses his work on scalable solutions that make care simpler, more consistent, and more equitable. Topics I can speak on (expertise): ED throughput & capacity management; care management; patient experience; safety-net strategy; Medicaid policy/managed care; value-based care; health equity/SDOH; clinical leadership; workforce engagement and culture; digital health adoption; startup building; business growth; minority health issues; immigrant life; and executive leadership.

Dan Pierce, MD, is a rehabilitation medicine physician and healthcare quality expert who helps reporters cover what happens after the initial injury - recovery, disability, and the long-term cost of care. An Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, he holds physician leadership roles across academic, community, and VA health systems, serves in the AMA House of Delegates, and advises Nebraska's Medicaid program. He can speak to brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke recovery, Veterans' health, quality and safety, Medicare/Medicaid policy, and health system sustainability.

Board certified emergency physician with experience in a very busy community emergency medicine department, prior military officer with leadership experience, both domestically and deployed.

A company is only as strong as its people. Yet, I see it every day—burnout, stress, and chronic fatigue are draining the energy of employees, impacting performance, engagement, loyalty, and innovation. I’ve spent my career uncovering the root causes of these issues and helping people reclaim their energy, focus, and long-term health. As a physician, bestselling author, and host of the nationally syndicated TV show Ask Dr. Nandi, I’ve helped millions take control of their well-being. My latest book, Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain, a New York Times bestseller, unpacks the critical link between gut health and cognitive wellbeing—a connection that has the power to transform not just individuals, but entire organizations. This is a core promise of The Vitality Advantage—the idea that when employees function at their best, companies thrive. I don’t just share science-backed strategies for better health—I help teams implement real changes that boost resilience, performance, and energy in a way that directly impacts business success. My message is simple: * Vitality is a Vital business advantage. * Healthy employees are more engaged, creative, and productive. * Burnout prevention starts with physical and mental well-being. * Corporate transformation happens from the ground up—one healthier, more energized employee at a time. If your company is ready to embrace The Vitality Advantage, let’s connect and discuss how I can bring this actionable, high-impact message to your organization.

Michael Prasad is a Certified Emergency Manager® and the Executive Director of the Center for Emergency Management Intelligence Research (www.cemir.org). He is also the volunteer president of the International Association of Emergency Managers-USA for Region 2, and a national-level expert on Mass Care, specifically for issues impacting children in disasters. He has an MA in emergency and disaster management from American Public University and advocates, researches, and writes professionally on emergency management policies and procedures. His published books include: "Emergency Management Threats and Hazards: Water", "Rusty the Emergency Management Cat", and "Leadership Lessons Learned and Applied in Emergency Management and Beyond." Links to articles, videos, podcasts, etc. can be found at www.michaelprasad.com.

With over 20 years of executive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, I am passionate about creating positive social impact and system change through collaboration, strategy, and innovation. As the CEO of HealthForce Partners California, I lead a cross-sector, multi-regional, non-profit partnership that connects healthcare, education, and workforce development to mitigate workforce shortages and build career opportunities in the regions we serve.