Harvard Health Experts and Contributors

Dr. Pieter Cohen, a graduate of Yale School of Medicine, is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an internist at Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, MA. Caring for his patients harmed by illicit weight loss pills led him to investigate the safety of dietary supplements. Science has described him as “something of a mix of Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes in the supplement world. With chemist colleagues in the United States, Brazil, and Europe, he hunts for drugs illegally buried in supplements.” His advocacy has led to the FDA banning multiple drugs and issuing dozens of warnings. He is currently working to reform the regulatory framework for dietary supplements in the US.

Dr. Stephanie Collier is the director of education in the division of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital; consulting psychiatrist for the population health management team at Newton-Wellesley Hospital; and instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her professional interests include the interface of medicine and psychiatry, the treatment of mental illnesses in the primary care setting, and the optimization of training and supervision of nonspecialist clinicians to deliver mental health interventions in resource-limited settings.

Rita Colorito is a health care journalist based in greater Chicago. Her work has been published by Chicago Tribune, Chicago Health, WebMD, Health Central, SilverSneakers.com, WeightWatchers.com, and many other outlets. She's also a frequent contributor to WSMA Reports, the magazine of the Washington State Medical Association. Rita earned her master's in international affairs from Columbia University and her bachelor's in English from Trinity College, Washington, DC.

Francesca Coltrera is editor of the Harvard Health Blog, and associate editor of multimedia content for Harvard Health Publishing. She is an award-winning medical writer and co-author of Living Through Breast Cancer and The Breast Cancer Survivor’s Fitness Plan. Her work has appeared in Newsweek, O Magazine, Good Housekeeping, SELF, and the Boston Herald, among other venues. She is interested in many health topics, including coronavirus and COVID-19, emotional and physical wellness, parenting and children’s health, women’s health, exercise, longevity, cancer, caregiving, and end-of-life issues.

Amy S. Colwell, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. She is nationally recognized for her work with direct-to-implant breast reconstruction, and reconstruction after nipple-sparing mastectomy. Dr. Colwell also has specific interests in restoration of the face and body after aging, weight changes, and pregnancy. Dr. Colwell is the co-editor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She is chair for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons spring meeting, and has been co-chair for the Reconstruction Symposium of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons for the past three years. Dr. Colwell has co-authored over 100 publications and 18 book chapters. She was awarded the prestigious Leonard R. Rubin award for the best paper presented at the American Association of Plastic Surgeons Meeting in 2011 and again in 2023.

Dr. Amy Comander is a breast oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. Dr. Comander is director of breast oncology and cancer survivorship at the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham, MA and at Newton Wellesley Hospital, and medical director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham. She is director of lifestyle medicine at the Mass General Cancer Center, which is the first cancer center to have a dedicated lifestyle medicine program. Given her strong interest in cancer survivorship and lifestyle medicine, Dr. Comander is dedicated to improving the quality of life, well-being, and outcome of individuals with cancer through important lifestyle interventions, including exercise, diet, and mind/body interventions. She promotes healthy lifestyles for both her active treatment patients as well as those in the survivorship phase of care. In collaboration with Dr Beth Frates, she has launched “PAVING the Path to Wellness,” a 12-week lifestyle medicine-based survivorship program for women with breast cancer. Along with Dr. Frates and Dr. Michelle Tollefson, she has published the “PAVING the Path to Wellness” workbook.

Hilary Connery, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and serves as the clinical director for McLean Hospital’s division of alcohol, drugs, and addiction. Dr. Connery’s expertise includes treatment of opioid use disorders and integrated treatments for co-occurring substance use disorders and other mental illnesses. Her current research efforts are directed toward public health prevention strategies for addressing self-injury mortality, and patient-focused investigation regarding suicidal motivations contributing to drug overdose. Dr. Connery is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and has served within the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry as New England area director, co-chair of the policy committee, and as a national mentor within the national mentoring program through Providers Clinical Support System. In these roles, she actively advocates for more effective responses to the drug overdose and suicide epidemics, and also nationally mentors clinicians in evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders.

Jennifer Cook is an award-winning media professional with a focus on healthy lifestyle. Her work has appeared in Prevention, Consumer Reports, Health Central, and Cancer Health, among other outlets. She began her career as a fact checker at New York magazine, and went on to hold editorial positions at Self, Health, Glamour, Prevention, and Good Housekeeping, among other magazines. Two articles she conceived of and edited were finalists for National Magazine Awards. Jenny has also ghostwritten and/or edited several consumer health books, including New York Times bestseller 7 Years Younger, a Good Housekeeping project, and two books by psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen, Memory Rescue and Feel Better Fast. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Dr. Kathryn Corelli is an internal medicine physician, menopause specialist, and associate medical director of strategy and new program development at Mass General Brigham Population Health, and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency in internal medicine and primary care at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by a two-year population health leadership fellowship at Mass General Brigham. Her work focuses on systems-level transformation, preventive care, and value-based health care delivery. Dr. Corelli has a clinical interest in menopause and female sexual dysfunction, and is a certified menopause society practitioner with The Menopause Society.

Julie Corliss has been the executive editor of the Harvard Heart Letter since 2013. She also writes for the Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Women’s Health Watch, and Harvard Men’s Health Watch, as well as for Harvard Health Publishing’s flagship website. Julie’s work has been published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, UptoDate, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Bulletin, and the Massachusetts Medical Society. Julie is co-author of Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep it Off. Julie earned a BA in biology from Oberlin College and a master’s certificate in science communication from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Michelle Cormier is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Spaulding Outpatient Center in Framingham, MA, with over 25 years of experience. Michelle graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1988 with a BS in occupational therapy and passed the Hand Therapy Certification Commission Examination in 2013. Michelle is involved in educating clinicians on topics related to hand injuries, mentoring students and clinicians, presenting in-services, publishing articles for the local newspaper, and serving as a term lecturer at the MGH Institute of Health Professions Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency Program.

Dr. Lindsey Crowley is a hospitalist at Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She completed her undergraduate training at the College of the Holy Cross, her medical degree from University of Massachusetts Medical School, and her residency training in internal medicine at BIDMC, where she also participated in the clinician educator track.

Jennifer Crystal is the Senior Writer and Patient Experience Representative for the Lyme Wellness Initiative. She holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MFA from Emerson College, and has completed a summer of study at the Bread Loaf School of English and a workshop in narrative medicine at Columbia University.

Dr. Sarah Cuddy is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Mass General Brigham Cardiac Amyloidosis Program. Her research interests include multi-modality imaging in cardiac amyloidosis, and exercise intolerance and training in people with cardiac amyloidosis. Dr. Cuddy earned her MD degree at University College Dublin, followed by an internship and residency at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. She also completed fellowships at the Royal College of Physicians Ireland in cardiology, and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in cardiovascular imaging and amyloidosis.

Dr. Gregory Curfman is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and former editor-in-chief of Harvard Health Publishing. He is also on the affiliated faculty of Harvard Law School. Before joining Harvard Health Publishing, Dr. Curfman was the Executive Editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, which has the highest impact factor of any medical journal. Dr. Curfman is board certified in internal medicine and cardiology. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and trained in internal medicine and cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He directed the Coronary Care Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Cardiovascular Health Center, a heart disease prevention program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Sharon Curhan is a physician and epidemiologist in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As a clinical researcher in life course epidemiology, healthy aging and longevity, and chronic disease prevention, she leads several large investigations aimed at identifying risk factors for developing shingles (herpes zoster), and the adverse health and quality of life effects that shingles can have, including cardiovascular disease and dementia. Her research is based in large ongoing cohort studies, including the Nurses’ Health Studies, Growing Up Today Study, and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. She is also the co-founder and director of the Conservation of Hearing Study (CHEARS), a large longitudinal investigation study of ear and hearing disorders, and has published extensively on risk factors for hearing loss and tinnitus. Dr. Curhan received her MD from Harvard Medical School and her master of science in epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Vijay Daryanani has worked for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital for over 25 years, with the last 12 years as a site supervisor overseeing two clinics in Marblehead, MA. He also has a personal training/life coaching company, V-Fit Productions. For over 20 years he also has worked with ESPN at both the winter and summer X games as a physical therapist, trainer, massage therapist, and educator.

Shinjita Das, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and Instructor in Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BS in Biology. Dr. Das returned to her home state of Texas for medical school at the University of Southwestern Medical Center, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. After internship in Dallas, she ventured back to Boston for residency at the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Training Program, where she served in leadership positions on the Quality Improvement and Program Education committees. She is currently pursuing her Master in Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.   In addition to practicing general dermatology, Dr. Das serves as the MGH Department of Dermatology’s inaugural Technology Director. In this capacity, she spear-headed the expansion of the department’s electronic consult (eConsult) service to provide timely outpatient dermatology consultations. She also developed the dermatology eVisit program to allow established patients to have formal check-ins with their dermatologist in-between office visits. As Technology Director, Dr. Das leads and implements operational projects and patient education initiatives using technology-based solutions. Her current research is focused on evaluating ways technology can improve access to high-quality dermatologic care in an efficient manner.

Emma Davies, MD, has a broad-base of clinical interests to effectively manage patients with corneal and lenticular pathology. She is specialized in complex cataract surgery, partial thickness corneal transplantation including Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) and Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK), and refractive surgery. As a full-time member of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service at Mass. Eye and Ear, she offers exceptional, personalized, and detailed care both in the clinical and surgical settings. She has practices at the Mass. Eye and Ear Main Campus, Mass. Eye and Ear Longwood Campus, and Mass. Eye and Ear Waltham sites.    Dr. Davies earned her bachelor of science in biology with a concentration in marine biology at Duke University. She fulfilled an honors thesis with research in the chemical and visual orientation of estuarine crustaceans. She completed her medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Davies was granted a Clinical Neuroscience Research Grant to complete research in ganglion cell loss after optic neuritis in multiple sclerosis patients. She was awarded the University of Pennsylvania Ophthalmology Excellence Award at medical school graduation for her work. She completed her medical internship at the Pennsylvania Hospital in the University of Pennsylvania Health Care System. Dr. Davies went on to join the Harvard Ophthalmology residency program at Mass. Eye and Ear. She was awarded the Best Resident Research Award in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Mass. Eye and Ear for her work in changing trends in herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) presentation. She continued at Mass. Eye and Ear for her fellowship in Cornea, Refractive Surgery, and External Diseases. She completed work in surgical outcomes for a variety of complex cataract surgery procedures, including scleral-fixated lens placement and cataract surgery in retinitis pigmentosa patients, and investigated predictive factors for corneal clearance after Descemet’s membrane stripping only for patients with Fuchs Endothelial Dystrophy. Dr. Davies brings cutting-edge diagnostic procedures and surgical techniques to her practice at Mass Eye and Ear. She trained with Dr. Pineda for complex cataract surgery techniques (including intra-scleral fixation of a lens after trauma or vitreoretinal surgery) and Dr. Veldman for DMEK techniques (including pre-loaded DMEK grafts) and is eager to continue to expand our advances in corneal and refractive surgery.     As a clinician scientist, Dr. Davies has published a number of studies regarding complex cataract surgery outcomes and techniques as well as the management of complicated corneal infections, including corneal ulcers, infections after keratoprosthesis, and herpes zoster ophthalmicus. She is the author of the corneal ulcer algorithm that has standardized care of corneal ulcers in the Mass. Eye and Ear Emergency Room. She has also published multiple studies regarding state-of-the-art treatments for Fuchs corneal dystrophy patients, particularly Descemet’s membrane stripping without endothelial keratoplasty (DWEK). She currently is studying rho kinase inhibitor impact on corneal clearance after DWEK. 

Dr. Samantha DeAndrade is a urogynecologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She is also an instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Paul F. Dellaripa is a rheumatologist and internist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). He is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. At BWH, he specializes in lung disorders associated with autoimmune diseases. He participates in clinical trials and clinical investigation to better understand and treat these disorders.

Anne Densmore, Ed.D., is a certified speech pathologist as well as a speech and play therapist. She as also the author of Your Successful Preschooler, a Harvard Health Publishing book published by Jossey-Bass (2011).

Dr. Neelam Desai is a breast medical oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She is also a member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and is an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her research interests are in cancer genetics and HER2-positive breast cancer.

Dr. Nisa Desai is a practicing hospitalist physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. She completed undergraduate education at Northwestern University, followed by medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago and internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia. She enjoys working with patients with complex medical histories, and is interested in gastrointestinal disorders. For fun, she enjoys traveling, fitness classes, and trying new recipes.

Dr. Catherine M. DesRoches is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who specializes in health policy and emerging trends in health care delivery. She is the principal investigator of the OpenNotes Lab, which designs, evaluates, and guides innovations in clinical documentation, medical records, and patient engagement. She is also the program director for the Keane OpenNotes Fellowship in patient engagement and transparency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. DesRoches completed her doctorate in public health at Columbia University, and was a senior survey researcher and senior fellow at the Mathematica Policy Research. She has held faculty and research positions at Harvard Medical School, Simmons College, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.