Yale School of Public Health students learned about the rewards and challenges of creating complementary academic-industry partnerships when nationally recognized physician, health care entrepreneur, and executive Dr. Dena Bravata, MD, MS, visited the school as part of YSPH Dean Megan L. Ranney’s Leaders in Public Health speaker series.
Bravata, a Yale alumna, BS ‘89, has extensive experience in both clinical practice and health care entrepreneurship. After serving as an internist for 16 years in her own private practice and as an attending physician at Stanford University and the Palo Alto VA, Bravata transitioned to chief medical officer and head of products at Castlight Health, a San Francisco-based health care navigation company, in 2009.
From there, Bravata went on to become a co-founder and chief medical officer of Lyra Health, a leading provider of workforce mental health benefits. She is also a founding member of the Aspen Institute Healthcare Strategy Group, where prominent leaders in health care provide guidance on complex health issues. In December 2023, she co-founded Solara Health, a pioneering digital-first health management company that is using artificial intelligence in coordinating mental health and palliative care.
Ranney described Bravata as an “inspiring mentor and force behind many health services researchers that…are among the most influential in the field.”
Watch a complete recording of Dean Ranney's discussion with Dr. Dena Bravata.
Creating pathways for translating outstanding science into local and global health impact—including through the fostering of health care entrepreneurship—is one of six strategic priorities Ranney has identified for the Yale School of Public Health in the coming decade. As part of her Strategic Plan for the next five years, Ranney is seeking to create a “Future of Health” innovation hub that will facilitate the translation of science into systems change. Ranney’s plan calls for:
- Defining new approaches to and metrics for public health entrepreneurialism, in collaboration with an advisory board of health leaders from commercial, non-profit, and policy sectors;
- Developing coursework and coaching that builds students' and faculty members' skills and knowledge regarding health entrepreneurialism; and
- Establishing corporate and philanthropic partnerships to ensure sustainability of health solutions
During her YSPH appearance, Bravata said that while she will always be a physician at heart, she has been interested in the intersection of technology and health services since the earliest days of her professional career. As a successful entrepreneur, Bravata is known for her ability to leverage technological innovations such as artificial intelligence to improve health care.
In addition to her other duties, Bravata serves on the board of several health technology and health services companies, and she is a nationally recognized health services researcher who has published widely on a variety of key health technology, clinical, and public health topics. In 2021, Bravata received a national service award from the White House and the CDC for her work on the COVID-19 pandemic response and Vaccines.gov.
During their hour-long discussion on Nov. 20, Ranney asked Bravata to elaborate on her success in merging the strengths of industry with the rigor and evaluative capacity of academia. Ranney said the topic would be of particular interest to YSPH students and faculty, especially those who may be considering launching their own partnerships and startups.
Bravata said academia can play an important role in helping companies evaluate data and apply advanced technologies to make sure they are effectively and efficiently meeting patients’ needs and delivering quality services.
“There’s a greater and greater obligation on the part of private sector companies that are delivering health services to demonstrate through peer-review or other methodologically rigorous ways, that their product works as they say it does,” Bravata said. As thought leaders and experts in the clinical domains, academics can provide important insights to help companies succeed, she said.
Bravata encouraged those in attendance who might be interested in exploring corporate partnerships to contact Yale Ventures, which can provide guidance and assistance with such collaborations.
A full recording of the Leaders in Public Health discussion with Dr. Bravata is available on the YSPH YouTube website.