Contributors

Spencer Brooks and his team of mission-driven technology experts have provided Close Concerns with online technology consulting through his company, Brooks Digital, since 2011. After studying Computer Science at Boise State University, Spencer worked with the State of Idaho as a web development specialist and interim webmaster before venturing out to start his own digital agency for mission-driven organizations. In his free time, he moonlights as a professional drummer, recording on albums in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, as well as filling in on tour for the occasional band.

Michael Dougan is Gastroenterology Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and a postdoctoral associate in Hidde Ploegh's lab at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He received his MD and PhD from Harvard Medical School in 2011. Michael has had a longstanding interest in the interaction between the immune system and cancer. He conducted his dissertation research in Dr. Glenn Dranoff's lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he studied novel approaches to enhancing anti-tumor immunity. In addition to his research, Michael has been a teaching fellow for several graduate and undergraduate courses; his teaching was recognized in 2008 by Harvard's Levenson Award. Michael received his BA from Amherst College in 2002, where he majored in Chemistry and English, graduating summa cum laude (both majors) and Phi Beta Kappa. Michael has worked with Close Concerns part-time since 2006, primarily on Closer Look publications and also serving as an advisor to countless Close Concerns full-time associates.

Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Joslin Diabetes Center. He is also the former Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). At the ADA, Dr. Gabbay led many transformational initiatives, including guiding the ADA to a deeper focus on primary care through the establishment of the Primary Care Council, comprised of leading primary care organizations in the US, and the ADA Primary Care Alliance of over 2000 primary care practices committed to transform diabetes care. Throughout his vibrant career, he has had many accomplishments as a basic science researcher, developer of patient communication tools, creator of the first broad-scale diabetes registry, designer of care management training programs, digital health innovations, and leader of one of the largest primary care transformation efforts in the US around the Patient Centered Medical Home. Along with an extensive peer-reviewed publication record, he has appeared in and is frequently quoted by the popular press, including the New York Times, CNN, the Washington Post, and NPR.

James S. Hirsch, a former reporter for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, is a best-selling author whose most recent book is "WILLIE MAYS: The Life, the Legend", the first biography of Mays written with his cooperation. Hirsch has also written "CHEATING DESTINY: Living With Diabetes", "HURRICANE: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter", "RIOT AND REMEMBRANCE: America's Worst Race Riot and Its Legacy," and "TWO SOULS INDIVISIBLE: The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam." Jim has an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a graduate degree from the LBJ School of Public Policy at the University of Texas. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, Sheryl, and their children, Amanda and Garrett. Jim has worked as an editor and contributor to Close Concerns since 2004

Elaine Young joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in Fall 2020 and returned as a full-time Associate after graduating from Dartmouth College in June 2022 with degrees in Neuroscience and Hispanic Studies. She was promoted to Director of Strategy in June 2024. At Dartmouth, Elaine conducted obesity research investigating the effects of exercise on diet choice. She also spent a summer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles volunteering and learning about clinical trials in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes. Outside of school, Elaine played cello in the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra and taught cello and piano as president of Musical Empowerment, a national nonprofit club that provides students in school districts in New Hampshire and Vermont with free instruments and one-on-one music lessons. In her free time, Elaine enjoys snowboarding, skating on frozen ponds, and listening to film scores and songs from Broadway musicals.

Kira Maker joined Close Concerns in 2012 after graduating with distinction from Stanford University in 2011 with a degree in Human Biology. As an Associate at Close Concerns, Kira specialized in diabetes devices and mobile health. Kira has been teaching high school Biology in Oakland since earning her Master's in Education from Stanford University in 2015.

Payal Marathe joined Close Concerns in 2016 after graduating magna cum laude from Yale University, where she studied Neuroscience and Psychology. As an undergraduate, she dedicated much of her time to writing and journalism, and wanted to apply these skills to improve science communication, especially in the healthcare space. She was editor-in-chief of the Yale Scientific Magazine, a science journalism publication. Payal also enjoyed creative writing and screenwriting, working on student mental health initiatives, and performing with her dance team while in college. In her free time, she reads fiction, chats with her three sisters, plays cards, and watches sports. She was excited to move from the East Coast to San Francisco — not only to join Close Concerns, but also to be closer to her favorite professional sports teams. She is currently an MPH Candidate at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Hannah Martin joined Close Concerns in the spring of 2013 after graduating from Swarthmore College with a major in Psychobiology and a minor in Cognitive Science. Her focus at Close Concerns was on medical technology advisory and operational and strategic objectives. She was the editor of Close Concerns quarterly newsletter Diabetes Close Up. Throughout her undergraduate career, Hannah performed research on a variety of topics including the evaluation of the prenatal risk of Down syndrome, the pathways of blood pressure regulation, and the cellular abnormalities in developmental bone mutations. Although her major interests lie in biological sciences, she enjoyed completing her senior thesis and expanding her knowledge psycholinguistics by understanding the brain processes behind sentence construction. Hannah also tutored elementary school children in nearby neighborhoods and at a school for children and adults with mental disabilities. In 2015 she became an assistance clinical research coordinator at UCSF and is currently a Medical Student at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Brendan Milliner joined Close Concerns in 2008 after graduating from Amherst College with a degree in neuroscience. After a year with the team, he headed to the east coast for med school, and completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City in 2013. He has a strong interest in global health and the use of portable ultrasound in areas without access to other advanced imaging. When not at work he can be found rock climbing, biking, and perfecting his dumpling recipe. Currently, he is a Wilderness Medicine Fellow at University of Utah.

Martha Nelson served as a medical writer and researcher at Close Concerns from 2003 to 2005 and continues to engage with the company. After graduating with a Biology degree, magna cum laude, from Amherst College in 2004, she served as a full-time writer for Diabetes Close Up and worked on special reports and projects related to new scientific studies, drugs, and technology. Martha was a Howard Hughes summer research fellow at the Indian Health Service in Albuquerque, N.M., where she investigated how infectious diseases such as HCV contribute to diabetes progression among Native Americans. She continued to study infectious disease dynamics during her doctoral study, completing her PhD at the Pennsylvania State University in 2008 with a thesis titled 'The genomic evolution of influenza A virus.' Martha is now a Staff Scientist at the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. Martha's father, paternal grandfather, great-grandmother, and granduncle all have had type 2 diabetes, and Martha retains a keen interest in diabetes therapeutics, prevention, and basic research.

Margaret Nguyen joined diaTribe in 2013 after graduating from and working as a research assistant at Pomona College. She completed an experimental senior thesis investigating the role of the HSPG Syndecan in nervous system development and earned a degree in Neuroscience. While she was an undergraduate student, she worked with her community by tutoring high school students in the Upward Bound program and by volunteering in hospitals with the Clinical Care Extender (CCE) program. After graduating, she continued to study HSPGs and their interactors in the regulation of synapse development. Outside of the laboratory, she volunteered with the CCE program – in the hospital and on their leadership team – and in elementary school classrooms where she introduced students to neuroscience through games and experiments. She currently attends New York Medical College.

Nina Ran joined Close Concerns in 2012 after graduating with honors from Princeton University with a degree in Molecular Biology and a minor in Neuroscience. She wrote her senior thesis on the etiopathogeneses of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease and their interface. In previous summers, she conducted research on intracellular trafficking at Dr. Frederick Hughson's lab at Princeton and helped developed a new mouse model of Schizophrenia at Dr. Joseph Neale's neurobiology lab at Georgetown University. Nina received her MD from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was inducted into the AOA Medical Honor Society. At Penn, she was awarded a CTSA TL1 training grant to also obtain a Masters in Translational Research. Following her dermatology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, she is now a Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Emily Regier joined Close Concerns in 2014 after graduating magna cum laude from Brown University with a BS in biology. During her undergraduate career, she volunteered as an EMT at Brown for three years and devoted much of her time to developmental biology and toxicology research, completing a senior honors thesis about the effects of digoxin on embryonic development in zebrafish. Aside from her academic and medical interests, Emily participated in the Brown Madrigal Singers and the Brown University Chorus, served as president of the Brown chapter of Alpha Delta Phi, a coed literary society, and volunteered for several political campaigns. In her free time, she enjoys running and reading, and spending time with family and friends. Emily graduated from Boston University School of Medicine.

Peter Rentzepis joined Close Concerns in 2018 after graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College with a major in Chemistry and minor in Computer Science. He is now at Harvard Medical School. Over the course of three years, he constructed and optimized a novel TIR-Raman spectroscopy system for the detection of low concentration volatile organic compounds in breath to diagnose respiratory diseases. He was awarded the Stanley D. Wilson Prize for creativity in his research and presented his work at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting. Outside of the lab, Peter has worked as a phlebotomist and was the captain of the Pomona-Pitzer soccer team. He spends his free time reading, hiking, and biking.

Lisa Rotenstein graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College in 2011 and earned her MD and MBA at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School. Lisa served as Editor in Chief of Diabetes Close Up, Close Concerns’s quarterly roundup of diabetes news. While a Senior Associate at Close Concerns, she focused on novel therapies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Fueled by this interest, she initiated and was the lead author for the patient-centered book “Targeting a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes: How Long Will We Have to Wait?” Lisa additionally spearheaded Close Concerns’ Information Technology efforts from 2011-2012 and was the lead author on Clinical Diabetes articles on the ideal diabetes therapy and biosimilar insulins. Lisa has continued to pursue her interest in improving chronic disease care while at HMS. As an Innovation Fellow at the Jen Center for Primary Care, she led a multidisciplinary effort to develop an electronic care plan tool for complex primary care patients. Her clinical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital demonstrated that the blood pressure drug spironolactone improves hippocampal memory in obese subjects. Lisa also leads innovation efforts for the Center for Primary Care’s Student Leadership Committee, served as Co-President of Harvard’s American Women’s Medical Association Chapter, and directed Clinic Operations for the Crimson Care Collaborative student-faculty clinic at MGH Chelsea. She was listed as one of MedTech Boston's 40 Under 40 Healthcare Innovators in 2017. She is currently a Resident Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is the Co-Founder of the Care Advancement Network, formerly CareZooming.

Joseph Shivers joined Close Concerns in 2010 after graduating cum laude from Harvard University with an BA in Chemical and Physical Biology. As a full-time associate at Close Concerns he specialized in diabetes devices, emerging technologies, and mobile health. Joseph is the former Editor in Chief of Diabetes Close Up, a quarterly round-up of news in diabetes and obesity products and research, and has drawn dozens of cartoons for the patient newsletter diaTribe. He completed medical school at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2017 and the following year was an intern at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine Internal Medicine Intern. He completed his residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and a value-based Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is now a specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Jessica (Swienckowski) Fried joined Close Concerns in 2009 after graduating in 2008 from Vassar College Phi Beta Kappa with general honors and departmental honors in Neuroscience and a correlate in Molecular Biology. Jess graduated from the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in 2015 and moved on to Lankenau Medicine Center for an internship in Internal Medicine prior to starting her research-track residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and an Abdominal Imaging Fellowship at the University of Michigan. Since 2021 she has been serving as a Clinical Assistant Professor for Abdominal Radiology at the University of Michigan.

Maeve Serino joined Close Concerns in 2017 after graduating magna cum laude from Williams College as an inductee of the Phi Beta Kappa Society with an honors degree in Biology. Following earning her MD at Northwestern Medical School, she is now pursuing a residency at Temple in OB/GYN. During her senior year, she wrote a thesis investigating the role of heat shock proteins in cardiac left-right asymmetry using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in zebrafish. In addition to her pursuits in the laboratory, Maeve also gained clinical research experience as an intern in the division of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where she initiated several projects concerning topics ranging from neonatal outcomes and food deserts to idiopathic toe-walking. In previous summers, Maeve has spent her time volunteering for Unite for Sight in Chennai, India and working as a sailing instructor. During her undergraduate career, Maeve was an active member and captain of the Williams College Sailing team and enjoys hiking, skiing, and playing guitar in her free time.

Melissa Tjota joined Close Concerns in 2008 as a full-time associate after graduating from Harvard College summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Biochemical Sciences and a secondary field in Spanish. During college she spent much of her time conducting research at Harvard's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in Cambridge, MA, the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology in Bonn, Germany, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Her undergraduate thesis work was carried out in the laboratory of Dr. Shannon Turley in which her project examined peripheral tissue antigen and cytokine expression in murine lymph node stromal cells and human mesenchymal stem cells. Following her time at Close Concerns, Melissa received a MD and PhD from the University of Chicago.

Manu Venkat joined Close Concerns as a full time associate after he graduated from Brown University in May 2013, Phi Beta Kappa, with a joint concentration in Neuroscience and Urban Studies. Manu’s primary focus at Close Concerns was on basic and clinical science; he led Close Concern’s writing on oral and injectable therapies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes during his two years with the organization. Manu holds a longstanding interest in the life sciences, and enjoys drawing connections between biology and other subject areas. His interest in diabetes and obesity grew through a summer research project with Dr. Suzanne de la Monte of the Brown University Liver Research Center, in which he investigated possible connections between insulin resistance and neurodegenerative diseases. Duringhis free time, Manu is an active member of Brown Model United Nations and a volunteer science teacher for Providence-area high school students. He is also a certified private pilot and general aviation enthusiast. He earned his MD at UCSF, completed his residency in internal medical at Columbia, and is currently an internist at NYU Langone.

Nick Wilkie worked with Close Concerns since 2009. He graduated from St. Olaf College with a BA in Chemistry and Psychology and then earned his master's degree in neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. For his master's research, he investigated the molecular biology of the neuroendocrine system and the effects of synthetic steroids on brain tumors. Following graduate study, he worked in a clinical DNA microarray laboratory analyzing small genetic aberrations in congenital developmental disorders. His primary interest in diabetes is the role of the nervous system and diabetes-related pathologies. He had a strong focus at Close Concerns on diabetes market research. Currently, Nick is pursuing an MD degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Mark Yarchoan joined Close Concerns in 2007 as a full-time associate, where he was an editor of Diabetes Close Up and a frequent contributor to Closer Look and diaTribe. Mark received a BA from Amherst College and an MD degree at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was a medical oncology fellow at The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. He completed his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and is now an Assistant Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins medicine.

Sharika Shithi joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in June 2025. She is a rising sophomore at Dartmouth College majoring in Biology with a strong interest in chronic illness, particularly diabetes and cancer. Sharika’s passion for healthcare stems from personal experiences growing up in a household where both parents have diabetes. At Dartmouth, she is involved in shadowing at Dartmouth Hitchcock, pre health programming, and campus life, and has previously volunteered in clinical and hospital settings in New York. In her free time, Sharika enjoys playing tennis and traveling. Through her fellowship with Close Concerns, she hopes to explore how the newest technologies and therapies can improve outcomes for people with diabetes around the world.

Andrew Serrano is a sophomore at Dartmouth College studying Cognitive Science with minors in Environmental/Health Policy and International Studies. He is on the pre-med track and is especially interested in the intersections of healthcare innovation, public policy, and chronic disease management. Originally from Kansas City, Andrew has lived with type 1 diabetes for 17 years and has been involved in advocacy and community engagement through Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF). At Dartmouth, he serves as the President of South House Executive Council and is active in student leadership and health equity initiatives on campus. Andrew was drawn to Close Concerns to to deepen his understanding of the diabetes landscape.

Jolynn joined Close Concerns as Dartmouth Fellow #69 in January 2025. She is a junior at Dartmouth College, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Native American and Indigenous Studies on the pre-health track. While at Dartmouth, Jolynn works with a psychology lab that mainly researches social interactions. She is also an active member of Sigma Delta Sorority, Women's Club Basketball, and Native Americans at Dartmouth (NAD), holding leadership roles in many of their sub-clubs, like American Indians in Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the Alaska Native Cultural Committee (ANCC). Other hobbies include baking and spending time outside, hiking, or snowboarding. Jolynn hopes that through her work in healthcare fields, she can gain valuable knowledge that she can use to assess and eliminate healthcare disparities in her Native community and other minority communities.

Nayeli Yanez joined Close Concerns as Dartmouth Fellow #68 in September 2024. Nayeli is studying chemical engineering on the pre-med track at Dartmouth College. She spends her time on campus helping conduct research about new treatments for women’s health conditions at the Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center. She also spends time at the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students learning about different facets of healthcare, and engaging with the Coalition For Immigration Reform and Equality at Dartmouth. She enjoys reading, baking, and studying Japanese in her free time.

Allison Nathan joined Close Concerns as Dartmouth Fellow #67 in June 2024. At Dartmouth, Allison is studying biology, international relations, and Spanish on a pre-health track. Outside of the classroom, she engages with vaccine research at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, races with the triathlon team, and helps to manage the Dartmouth Coalition for Global Health. She is passionate about working to increase access to safe and sustainable healthcare globally. In her free time, Allison enjoys volunteering at the local food shelf, cooking and hiking.

Erika Huston joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in March 2024. She is studying cell biology and art history on the pre-med track at Dartmouth College. Erika is Co-President of Dartmouth Tae Kwon Do as a second-degree black belt, as well as a member of the Dartmouth Women’s Club Soccer team, Dartmouth EMS, and the Greek organization Chi Delta. She also conducts research at the Geisel School of Medicine on substance abuse and fetal brain development. In her free time, Erika enjoys snowboarding, writing calligraphy, and cooking.

Chris Zhao joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in January 2024. She studied biomedical engineering on the pre-health track at Dartmouth College. Outside of the classroom, Chris was involved with the People of Color Outdoors Club and the Diversity and Equity Inclusion team of her sorority, Alpha Phi. She worked on the social media team of The Dartmouth, and she was also one of the faces at the front desk of Collis Student Center. Chris volunteers at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on the Design Subgroup of the Patient Education Advisory Council, and at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless’ Foot Clinic. In her spare time, Chris stayed busy by reworking secondhand clothing, scrapbooking, and hiking. After graduation, Chris intends to pursue a career in medicine with a focus on providing equitable and accessible healthcare, especially for women and people of color.

Isabelle Lin joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in September 2023. She studied psychology and minoring in biology at Dartmouth College. Outside of the classroom, she conducted research through the Presidential Scholars Program with a cardiologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She was a member of the Dartmouth Varsity Equestrian Team, a Biology Learning Fellow, and a Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Patient Support Corps Volunteer. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, listening to music, and exploring new cafes.

Faith Niyi-Awolesi joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in June 2023. She is studying Anthropology and minoring in Human-Centered Design. Passionate about the intersection of design thinking and medicine, she aims to promote health equity through her work. As a UI/UX designer at the DALI Lab within Dartmouth, she actively explores innovative ways to leverage design in the medical field. Beyond design, Faith is engaged in campus research activities. Serving as a Research Assistant at a social psychology lab, she focuses on investigating how mentorship can effectively close the achievement gap among minority groups. These experiences contribute to her aspiration of pursuing an MD/PhD after graduation, with a specific interest in specializing in Medical Anthropology for her PhD. During her free time, Faith enjoys crocheting, taking long walks, trying out new cafes and spending time with her friends and family.

Alan Hatch joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in January 2023. He studied Neuroscience and Italian on the pre-health track. He is passionate about improving health equity and the culture surrounding the treatment of obesity both in and out medicine. Outside of the classroom, Alan is a member of the Greek organization Alpha Chi Alpha, the club triathlon team, and the Dartmouth Aires, Dartmouth's premiere a cappella group. In his free time, Alan enjoys running, singing, photography, and cooking.

Ethan Litmans joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in September 2022. He studied Cellular and Molecular Biology, Economics, and French. He is passionate about ensuring a patient-centric approach to healthcare and improving health equity, and hopes to work in global health after graduating from Dartmouth. Outside of the classroom, Ethan works with nonprofits in the New Hampshire Upper Valley as a member of Consult Your Community, writes for the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, and is a member of the Dartmouth Club Ski Team. In his free time, Ethan enjoys skiing when possible, rock climbing, and hiking.

Ray Tiersky joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in June 2022. She was on the pre-health track double majoring in Biology and Studio Art. Outside of the classroom, Ray does research in plant biology, draws, and is a teaching assistant. After graduation, Ray intends to pursue an MD-PhD in Genetics in order to work with at-risk mothers and children. In her free time, she loves to scuba dive and do yoga.

Ayushya Ajmani joined Close Concerns as a Dartmouth Fellow in April 2022. He studied Biochemistry and International Policymaking on the pre-health track. Outside of the classroom, Ayushya organizes new member education programming for Dartmouth EMS, researches the impact of digital interventions for young adults with type 1 diabetes at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, and works on geopolitical advocacy as a member of Dartmouth's Parliamentary Debate Team. After graduation, Ayush intends to pursue a career in medicine and bring awareness to cultural and developmental barriers that plague the healthcare system.