The chance to ask an expert questions is a feature of NEOMED’s VITALS: Visionary Health Leadership in Action speaker series, and participants made the most of it at the second such event — a Zoom webinar open to the public, held Thursday, Nov. 5.
The guest speaker was a NEOMED alumnus, Rajeev Venkayya, M.D. (’91), who is the president of the Global Vaccine Business Unit at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. Earlier in his career, Dr. Venkayya served at the White House, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a national strategy (including the publication in 2007 of a 300-page “playbook”) to address an influenza pandemic.
His desire to be a leader who could make a large-scale impact also led him to a previous position as Director of Vaccine Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program.
Dr. Venkayya was introduced by President Langell. The question-and-answer session segment following Dr. Venkayya’s presentation was moderated by WKYC’s senior health correspondent, Monica Robins.
Next up on the VITALS series, held the first Thursday of each month: Mark Paul, president of the neurovascular division of Stryker, will speak at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.