Sonia Nagda Ashok MD MPH

I support working parents in their transition to parental leave and return to work. I create career content for the Cleo app, including blog posts and support materials. I also deliver webinars to member organizations, such as PepsiCo, on work-life integration, parental support, and learning and growth.

I support DEI initiatives at the Stanford School of Medicine. I manage the hiring software transition to improve the demographic reporting for Stanford faculty positions. I also conduct research and implementation of anti-racism and health equity initiatives through the Commission on Justice and Equity.

Connective Coalition is a global movement that empowers womxn in the workplace to be more confident, resilient, and successful in their careers. I offer group and 1:1 coaching services, and have helped dozens of career seekers find new jobs, increase their salaries, get promoted, and find more aligned career paths. I have published articles on career success, job crafting, and toxic work environments in publications such as Thrive Global, InHerSight, and Indiaspora. I have also spoken on a number of topics including mentorship, micromanagement, and how to manage uncertainty at work during Covid-19, including at Georgetown Law School, the SEEMA Network, and the Woke Desi Podcast. I completed the Science of Happiness at Work course at UC Berkeley and have a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through the University of South Florida Muma School of Business.

I curated medical specialty news and research updates for healthcare providers. I managed a team of editors. I worked to innovate on our new and existing workstreams, including the creation of a content series with the highest to-date performance (click-through rate/CTR). I provided medical expertise and clinical consulting on a variety of topics, including product development, specialty targeting, and marketing. I organized and participated in member feedback events that were used to plan for upcoming product innovations and app redesign.

I directed Amida’s workstreams on care management, care coordination, predictive analytics, and health data accessibility. I acted as a project manager, consultant, business analyst, and health policy advisor. Clients include healthcare payors, population health services organizations, data analytics companies, healthcare nonprofits, health information exchanges, and state/local/federal government agencies. I produced written project deliverables, managed client relationships, supported business development, and created marketing materials. I submitted more than 20 proposals resulting in upwards of $4 million in client contracts.

I managed the health policy work for the Deputy Mayor, including legislative requests from the agencies (Department of Health Care Finance, Department of Health, Department of Behavioral Health) and hearings with Council members on various topics. I facilitated interagency communication on health-related issues. I served on the HIE (Health Information Exchange) Policy Board and the EMSAC (Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee). I assisted with issues related to United Medical Center and the DC Health Benefit Exchange. I also served on the Executive Committee for the Creating Community Solutions youth mental health event.

I translated clinical research into patient-accessible articles for the organization’s web sites, including articles on hormone therapy, the relation of environmental exposures on cancer, and a series on autoimmune diseases. I wrote and delivered testimony on drug and device safety and efficacy at FDA Advisory Committee Meetings. I co-authored manuscripts for publication in medical journals on the topics of breast implant toxicity and oral contraceptive safety.

On a Knowledge Transfer project supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), I was involved with the planning of comparative effectiveness research (CER) webinars, with participant registration ranging from 150 to 1200 clinicians, health administrators, and researchers. On the EDM Forum project, I conducted a literature review of approximately 200 articles related to clinical informatics and CER; this work was later published. I also led the clinical informatics subcommittee, overseeing discussion on health data storage, governance, mining, and analysis.

I was involved in a review of the literature on the comparative effectiveness of a neurological drug.

I was responsible for policy research and analysis on various issues surrounding health care reform. I wrote blog posts and patient-centered materials about the impact of Obamacare, as well as policy briefs for senior leadership. Additionally, I was involved with the launch of the Campaign for Better Care, which advocates for the coordinated care of elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions.

As a Health Policy Intern, I was responsible for researching issues on health, safety, transportation, and education. Through my evaluation of current Cambridge policy, as well as that of other major progressive cities, I wrote briefs on how to reform the city. I was also responsible for canvassing in support of the candidate.

Completed a research project and literature analysis on methods to improve communication between physicians and patients.

I performed a program evaluation for Women in Action Taking Charge of their Health (WATCH), which provides minority and immigrant women with breast health and breast cancer informational sessions in their native languages. I also worked on the Pink and Black campaign, which addresses the health disparities in breast cancer. This project involved the creation of a toolkit that can be used by lay health advisers to conduct breast cancer awareness and prevention seminars.

I served as Course TA for “Theory and Practice of Effective Leadership”

I participated in a occupational medicine research project, The Nurses' Back Pain Study, at the DFCI. I was involved with the creation of a survey that would be given to nurses in the Partners Healthcare system, in order to determine their work-related lifting requirements, injuries, and return-to-work.