We are pleased to report that GRI Distinguished Senior Fellow, Marcella Nunez Smith, was named one of three Co-Chairs to President-Elect Joe Biden’s Coronavirus task force today. Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith is Associate Professor of Medicine, Public Health, and Management and Founding Director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) at Yale University. She is also board certified in internal medicine after completing her residency at Harvard University’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Joining her as co-chairs are Dr. David Kessler, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, and Dr. Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general under President Barack Obama. Ten other individuals will join the task force to consult as well. This group of diverse individuals will guide the president-elect in tackling the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Nunez Smith is currently working with the GRI team as an advisor on a federally funded project to ensure that stakeholder engagement is diverse in makeup and representation so that resilience issues are looked at with equity and inclusion. Her input will help ensure that GRI’s work on long-term recovery strategies for Connecticut communities will be focused around elements that also equitably and inclusively build resilience for all of the State’s residents.