Working together to enhance recovery
RECOVER Leadership
The RECOVER Observational Consortium – which consists of many study sites and researchers – works closely with Patients, Caregivers, and Community Representatives across all levels of the initiative, including in national leadership roles and communities with study enrollment locations.
Visit the Clinical Trials Leadership page to learn more about the leadership structure for the RECOVER Clinical Trials.
Observational Consortium Steering Committee (OCSC)
The OCSC provides scientific leadership, operational oversight, and program coordination to achieve the scientific goals of the RECOVER Initiative.
The roles and responsibilities of the OCSC include the following:
- Oversee the science and operations for all observational studies.
- Monitor progress toward RECOVER milestones to deliver results within timelines and budgets.
- Set up and oversee a team of subcommittees, Coordinating Committees, and sub-coordinating committees.
- Facilitate and promote collaboration, cooperation, and communication across the RECOVER Observational Consortium.
- Identify, assess, and develop solutions for operational or scientific challenges.
- Review summary reports on data quality and completeness, protocol noncompliance, and participant safety and retention.
- Review and decide on proposals from subcommittees and Coordinating Committees.
Voting members
Professor of Anesthesia and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Gilbert H. Glaser Professor of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine
Journalist, Producer, and Community Engagement Specialist
Broadcasting & Video Production Professional/Editor
Assistant Director, Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities
Administrator, Community Partner's Linked Network of Services
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Vice Chair of Research of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health
Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Associate Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor, Neurology, University of Utah
Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Founding Director, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Health San Antonio
Professor of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology), Stanford University
Director, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
Director, Biospecimens Accessioning and Processing (BAP) Core Laboratory, Mayo Clinic
Professor of Medicine, Biostatistics, Harvard Medical School
Professor of Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Director of Center for Public Health Surveillance and Technology, RTI International
National Community Engagement Group (NCEG)
The NCEG helps RECOVER study leaders ensure that RECOVER research meets the needs of patients, caregivers, and community members. With this goal in mind, NCEG members:
- Share thoughts from the patient and community point of view about the experience of people affected by Long COVID.
- Discuss and work to determine the important research questions.
- Provide feedback on study materials.
- Provide input about the best way to collect information from participants.
- Review study findings and help identify ways to share them.
- Ensure RECOVER study leaders follow the guiding principles detailed in the RECOVER Patient and Community Engagement Strategy (PDF, 327 KB) when engaging with study participants and the public.
Members of the NCEG are part of the larger group of RECOVER Representatives.
Long COVID patients, caregivers, and community members participate in RECOVER by helping guide our research studies and communications.
NCEG Co-Chairs
Jacqui LindsayProject Consultant, Boston COVID Recovery Cohort
RECOVER Community Representative Jacqui Lindsay is Founder and President of Innovation by Design, a consulting firm that that specializes in strategy, innovation, and leadership development for organizations committed to social and systems change. She also leads the Boston COVID Recovery Cohort (BCRC), a coalition of six Massachusetts hospitals supported by RECOVER to conduct research on COVID-19 and the communities most impacted by the disease and its long-term effects. Jacqui is committed to the development of a world that's enriched by what diverse groups of people produce when they are supported to think and learn together, discover common ground, and work together to create the future they want.
Journalist, Producer, and Community Engagement Specialist
Leah Castro has been a Community and Caregiver Representative with RECOVER since May 2022. Her professional background includes 20 years’ experience as a music and entertainment journalist/producer, three years’ experience as a realtor, and nearly five years’ experience contracting in the Community Engagement space. Working in these different roles has allowed her to develop a keen eye for detail, exceptional problem-solving abilities, and a commitment to excellence that seamlessly translates into multiple sectors.
Leah currently participates in several leadership groups within the RECOVER Initiative. In addition to serving as NCEG Co-Chair, she is Co-Lead of the NCEG Publications Subcommittee. In August 2022, she co-developed the standard operating procedure (SOP) the Publications Subcommittee follows to include Representatives in the authorship process for RECOVER publications. Leah also serves one of the Representatives on the Observational Consortium Steering Committee (OCSC).
Chief Executive Officer
Marta Cerda is a Co-Chair of the NCEG and served on the RECOVER Clinical Trials Steering Committee and the RECOVER-VITAL Platform Protocol Writing Team. Marta has more than 38 years’ experience in corporate, not-for-profit, philanthropic, and political arenas. She is currently CEO of ASI, a not-for-profit organization that provides home health, telehealth, home care services, employment, and training programs.
Marta is a dynamic leader who takes a transformative approach to leadership, using her experience and global vision to analyze trends and forecast where the healthcare industry is headed. She has transformed ASI from a fee-for-service model to a population health model.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marta led ASI’s vaccine outreach initiatives. Her efforts led to ASI receiving a grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct COVID-19 vaccination and outreach in 5 Latino and African American communities in Chicago where people face difficulties accessing healthcare services. ASI also created a team of 13 Community Health Workers who reached most of Chicago with resources and vaccinations. She is working on a Long COVID Summit in partnership with UI Health scheduled for September 2024.
Marta earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University’s Chicago School of Law. She is a candidate for the Northwestern-Kellogg School Executive Scholar Program. As a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow, she has attended the Center for Creative Leadership and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Marta completed How Women Lead’s global fellowship, Women Leaders for the World 2024. She was named a Notable Woman in Healthcare in Crain’s Chicago.
Broadcasting & Video Production Professional/Editor
Mike Zissis is a Co-Chair of the NCEG and a RECOVER Patient Representative. His initial COVID infection was in January 2021, followed by Long COVID 5 weeks later. He has been a patient participant in the RECOVER adult observational study since April 2022. Mike advocates for having strong, respected, and effective patient input and communication included in all aspects of the RECOVER Initiative.
NCEG Members
NCEG members are listed with permission. This roster is not a comprehensive list of NCEG membership, as some participants prefer to contribute to the NCEG without being listed publicly and we honor their preference.
- Jacqui Lindsay - Co-Chair
- Leah Castro - Co-Chair
- Marta Cerda - Co-Chair
- Mike Zissis - Co-Chair
- Teresa Akintonwa
- Felicia Davis Blakley
- Frank Blancero
- Heather Elizabeth Brown
- Etienne Carignan
- Megan Carmilani
- Yvonka Hall
- Nita Jain
- Jeannie Karwowski
- Lydia Lerma
- Heather Marti
- Christine Maughan
- Tony Minor
- Brittany Taylor
- Hyatt Vincent
- Melissa Williams
Learn more about how RECOVER research works and the role of patients, caregivers, community members, RECOVER Representatives, and study participants.
Coordinating Committees
The Coordinating Committees plan, manage, and monitor the scientific progress of and operations within their respective studies (Adult, Pediatric, Pregnancy, Electronic Health Record (EHR), and Autopsy).
The roles and responsibilities of the Coordinating Committees include the following:
- Address daily scientific tasks within each of the observational cohort studies.
- Monitor study-specific risks, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration to ensure the success of each study.
- Review site-specific reports on data quality and completeness, protocol noncompliance, and participant safety and retention.
- Act as a go-between for the Hub/Site Principal Investigators and the OCSC.
- Report progress and risks to the Senior Scientific Program Director via the OCSC.
Go to: Adult Cohort | Pediatric Cohort | Pregnancy Cohort | Autopsy Cohort | EHR Cohort
Adult Cohort Coordinating Committee
- Igho Ofotokun, MD - Chair
- Upinder Singh, MD - Vice-chair
- Alexander Charney, MD, PhD
- Andrea Foulkes, ScD
- Bruce Levy, MD
- Christine Maughan
- Grace McComsey, MD
- Hassan Brim, PhD
- James Heath, PhD
- Jeff Martin, MD, MPH
- Jerry Krishnan, MD, PhD
- Juan Lewis
- Leora Horwitz, MD
- Leyna Aragon, MS
- Lumy Sawaki-Adams, MD, PhD
- Megumi Okumura, MD, MAS
- Nathan Erdmann, MD, PhD
- Rachel Hess, MD, MS
- Sairam Parthasarathy, MD
- Sally Hodder, MD
- Thomas Patterson, MD
- Torri Metz, MD, MS
Pediatric Cohort Coordinating Committee
- Melissa Stockwell, MD - Chair
- Valerie Flaherman, MD, MPH - Vice-chair
- Aimee Peddie
- Amy Salisbury, PhD, RN
- David Warburton, OBE, DSc, MD, MMM, FRCP, FRCS, FRCPCH
- Gail Pearson, MD, ScD
- Jane Newburger, MD, MPH
- Jessica Snowden, MD, MS, MHPTT
- Kay (Kyung) Rhee, MD, MSc, MA, FAAP
- Kelan Tantisira, MD, MPH
- Lawrence Kleinman, MD, MPH
- Megan Carmilani
- Megan Fitzgerald
- Rachel Gross, MD, MS
- Tanayott Thaweethai, PhD
- Torri Metz, MD, MS
Pregnancy Cohort Coordinating Committee
- Torri Metz, MD, MS - Chair
- Valerie Flaherman, MD, MPH - Vice-chair
- Harrison Reeder, PhD
- Krista Coombs
- Leora Horwitz, MD
- Megan Rockwell
- Monica Longo, MD, PhD
- Rachel Gross, MD, MS
- Rebecca Clifton, PhD
- Vanessa Jacoby, MD, MAS
Autopsy Cohort Coordinating Committee
- James Stone, MD, PhD - Chair
- Andrea Troxel, ScD
- Barbara Sampson, MD, PhD
- Daniel F Gallego Umana, MD
- Jonathan Melamed, MD
- Kay Williams-Dawson
- Kristen Thomas, MD
- Mady Hornig, MA, MD
- Marrah Lachowicz-Scroggins, PhD
- Vivian Gainer, MS
EHR Cohort Coordinating Committee
- Charles Bailey, MD, PhD - Chair
- Andrew Wylam
- Emily Pfaff, PhD, MS
- Gabriel Anaya, MD, MSc
- Ivan Diaz, PhD
- Lisa O'Brien
- Rainu Kaushal, MD, MPH
- Richard Moffitt, PhD
- Shawn Murphy, MD, PhD
- Suchitra Rao, MD
- Thomas Carton, PhD, MS
Sub-Steering Committees
Three committees, which report to the OCSC, oversee several cross-consortium activities.
Ancillary Studies Committee (ASC)
The ASC assesses how inquiries for external studies match up with RECOVER’s research portfolio and scientific aims. The intent is to allow external studies to
access RECOVER’s study data
and participant samples, qualifying them as
RECOVER ancillary studies.
Biospecimen Access Committee (BAC)
The BAC recommends policies on how to prioritize study requests and recommend studies for access and use of RECOVER biospecimens (tissue, blood, saliva, and other samples) from the adult, pediatric, and tissue pathology (autopsy) studies.
Presentations and Publications Oversight Committee (PPOC)
The PPOC oversees
publications
for the Observational Consortium. It ensures that reports about the RECOVER Initiative are accessible to the public and promote better understanding of Long COVID.