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Office of Communications

About the Office of Communications

The Office of Communications is the intentional voice of the school, supported by a unified communications team that speaks to internal and external audiences and represents the school in a consistent, cohesive, and compelling manner.

Communications Leadership

Leadership

  • Executive Director of Communications, YSM; Chief Communications Officer, Yale Medicine

    Nicole Wise is the Executive Director of Communications at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and Chief Communications Officer for Yale Medicine. She leads YSM’s Office of Communications, overseeing strategic efforts to elevate the institution’s reputation, support clinical growth, and position YSM as a leader in academic medical communications. Nicole directs a team of approximately 50 communications professionals across editorial strategy, clinical marketing, reputation and audience development, media relations, social media, and digital initiatives, ensuring alignment with YSM’s broader goals. Additionally, she collaborates with over 40 embedded communications officers across the school’s departments and affiliated entities to maintain a cohesive institutional voice. Since joining Yale in 2016 as Executive Editor of Yale Medicine, Nicole has played a critical role in building and executing a content strategy that has established Yale Medicine as a premier digital health resource. Under her leadership, the Yale Medicine website has grown to over 3 million monthly visitors and continues to set benchmarks in patient education, search visibility, and digital engagement. Nicole is also at the forefront of integrating AI into content strategy, leveraging emerging technologies for audience engagement, content production, and search engine optimization. She is a frequent speaker on the evolving role of AI in communications, presenting to organizations such as NASA, the American Association of Universities, and PR Boot Camps across North America. A former journalist, author, and healthcare marketer, Nicole has also led a consultancy specializing in content strategy for healthcare providers nationwide. She lives in New Haven.

Office of Communications Team

  • Communications Senior Directors

    • Senior Director for Communications Strategy, Product Innovation, and Engineering

      Justin leads the communications strategy, product innovation and engineering efforts at Yale School of Medicine, focusing on integrating cutting-edge AI solutions into core communications business processes, product development, and automation. He directs the teams responsible for ideating, designing, managing, and supporting the systems and infrastructure that power the school’s academic and clinical websites (medicine.yale.edu and YaleMedicine.org), while aligning the school’s various communication mediums—web, print, digital, and social—to the school's mission, while streamlining tools, reducing time to market, and boosting operational efficiency. Under Justin’s leadership, AI-driven products and automation have increased operational efficiency by over 100% and reduced time-to-market across communication platforms. His work has resulted in the creation of several enterprise-level products, including solutions that have transformed business operations and optimized communication strategies. He has spearheaded AI integration since 2018, leveraging predictive models, natural language processing, and generative AI to support new produce development. Justin oversees offshore developers, vendor relationships, budget management, and resource allocation, ensuring communications initiatives are aligned with the school’s strategic goals and growth. His cross-functional leadership brings together teams from design, engineering, product strategy, editorial, marketing, and relationship management, aligning the efforts of leaders across the institution to achieve high-impact outcomes. Since joining the Office of Communications as a founding member of its web group in 2006, Justin has been instrumental in shaping the school’s long-term digital transformation. He led the development of the school’s first standardized web templates and now manages the fifth iteration (T5), which transitions the school to an audience-centric communications model, enhancing user engagement and effectiveness. Justin also spearheaded the purchase and implementation of the school’s first content management system (SDL Tridion) and oversaw the creation of Beatrix, an enterprise-grade content management platform supporting web content, over 32,000 profiles, 100,000 calendar events and 75,000 news articles. Beatrix also enables faculty to import and generate standardized CVs, easing academic challenges and enhancing reporting. Additionally, he introduced standardized digital signage across the school’s campus. Residing in Seattle with his partners Rudy and Randy, and their child Felix, Justin is passionate about CrossFit, home renovation, traveling to visit family in Australia, and exploring new technologies to continue driving innovation in his field. Revised January 2025
    • Sr. Director, YSM Exec. & Internal Communications

      Sara joined Yale School of Medicine in March of 2023 as senior director, executive and internal communications. In addition to providing executive communication support to the leadership team, she is responsible for amplifying YSM’s strategic goals and priorities and informing and inspiring the medical school community. Prior to joining Yale, Sara worked for more than 20 years in the healthcare and financial services industries, holding a variety of communication roles at a Connecticut-based health system and multiple Fortune 200 and Fortune 500 companies. Throughout her career, she has led comprehensive communication strategies that have driven measurable results in connecting employees to organizational cultures, brands and business goals. Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a master’s degree in corporate communication from DePaul University.
    • Senior Program Leader and Relationship Manager

      Lena serves as the Senior Program Leader and Relationship Manager for YSM Communications. Lena is dedicated to enhancing the institution's reputation, streamlining processes, and prioritizing well. She aspires for Communications to be recognized as an approachable and effective team, capable of addressing various needs. Lena facilitates this by connecting individuals to resources, offering advice, providing content suggestions, and working on strategies to advance projects. She works closely with YSM websites and wants: YSM sites to be beautiful, useful, and consistently branded which as a unit speak to the excellence of YSM All faculty and organizations being able to promote their important work, regardless of whether or not they have dedicated communication resources YSM websites to be accessible for users and readers Efficient use of accurate data across websites and systems
    • Senior Director, Brand and Content Strategy

      Jennifer Torrance is the Senior Director of Brand & Content Strategy at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), where she leads efforts to shape and strengthen the school’s brand across digital, print, and social platforms. Her work focuses on developing and implementing an audience-centric content strategy that supports the institutional priorities of both YSM and its clinical practice, Yale Medicine (YM).. Jennifer oversees a multidisciplinary editorial team and works closely with communications officers embedded in departments and centers. She collaborates with colleagues across YSM, Yale University, and Yale New Haven Health System to align messaging, content, and visual identity. As Executive Editor of Yale Medicine Magazine, she leads storytelling initiatives that build the school’s reputation and support fundraising. She emphasizes cross-functional collaboration to fully leverage content across channels and maximize reach, relevance, and reputational impact. Jennifer partners with YSM’s multimedia, marketing, technology, and analytics teams to improve content delivery on the web, streamline digital workflows, and integrate tools like AI to better engage audiences and measure performance. Before joining YSM, Jennifer spent nearly three decades in academic research communications, leading brand, content strategy, and creative efforts at the intersection of science, storytelling, and institutional advancement. She also ran a consultancy supporting life sciences and mission-driven organizations in developing integrated communications strategies that connect content to impact. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys hiking, woodworking, silversmithing, and playing Celtic fiddle. She lives with her husband, two college-aged children, and four spunky dogs.
  • Editorial

    • Senior Science Writer/Editor, YSM/YM

      Isabella "Izzy" Backman graduated from Saint Michael's College with a B.S. in biology and minor in creative writing. She would go on to join the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program, one of the country's most competitive journalism programs, which allowed her to combine her interests. She brought her love for telling stories about science to Yale School of Medicine in 2021 as a summer science writing intern, and in the fall, she joined the Office of Communications full-time as associate writer and editor. She has held previous positions at NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University News. Her work can also be found in outlets including Science, Mongabay, Eos and the San Jose Mercury News.
    • Senior Clinical Writer, Yale Medicine; Senior Clinical Writer

      Kathy Katella is a writer and journalist who has specialized in health and medicine for more than 20 years. She is a senior clinical writer for Yale Medicine, where she has produced articles on a variety of topics, including such areas as cardiology, cancer, and surgery. She has written extensively about Covid-19 and other infectious diseases. Kathy previously served as Yale Medicine’s communications manager, a position that involved providing general support for the CEO and other senior administrators, and producing newsletters and year-end reports, in addition to other responsibilities. Before joining the Yale School of Medicine, Kathy was a general assignment feature reporter and editor for two daily newspapers in Connecticut. As a freelance writer, she published articles in the New York Times and other publications, and provided editorial services for such clients as University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University, Masonicare, New Reach, and Yale New Haven Hospital. She is the author of two books in a series for middle schoolers called “Celebrity Activists.”
    • Senior Clinical Writer

      Carrie MacMillan joined the Office of Communications in 2016 as a writer for the Yale Medicine website. She writes feature and news stories for the patient-oriented site, covering all departments and spanning topics from patient stories to breaking medical news to health trends. Prior to Yale, Carrie spent 11 years as a feature writer for a daily newspaper, focusing on health, general interest and news topics. She also wrote and edited for a variety of consumer and business magazines and websites. Carrie has amassed more than 18 awards from local and national news organizations for her writing.
    • Science Writer Intern, Office of Communications

      Mahima combines her passion for science and storytelling at Yale School of Medicine, where she arrived after completing her degree in science communication at University of California, Santa Cruz. As the current science writing intern, she writes both short- and long-form articles for the school. In her free time, she enjoys browsing books in Yale's historic libraries, taking long strolls and experiencing New Haven's fall in all its glory
  • Graphic Design

    • Design Manager, YSM; Director of Communications Design, Yale School of Medicine; Brand Manager, Yale School of Medicine; Brand Manager, Yale Medicine

      Appreciating design from a young age, Jenn attended the University of Connecticut, obtaining a BS in Graphic Design in 1998. From there she nurtured her talent as a young designer at the New Haven Advocate, moving up the ranks from graphic designer to Art Director. From there, she moved on to work at several design agencies—before striking out to start 'Canvas' with a business partner. Jenn joined Yale School of Medicine's Office of Communications in August of 2008, when that office was staffed by 10-12 people. In the years since, her responsibilities have changed as the communications office has quadrupled in size—and the scope and breadth of the work done now has changed considerably. In 2008 Jenn was responsible for the layout of Yale Medicine (now Yale Medicine Magazine) as well as other publications for the school of medicine. During the school's bicentennial, celebrated in 2010-2011, she took on the conceptualization, design, and layout of a 250-page hardcover coffee table book which featured a timeline woven through the entire book. Later, Jenn took on the responsibility of being the brand manager for both the school of medicine and the clinical practice, which has caused her to interact with many departments within the school of medicine. Jenn's position now includes designing materials for many offices across Yale School of Medicine including large books for admissions, the annual Facts & Figures brochure, many posters for events and awareness, and many other items. She also works hard to inject the idea of 'living the brand' whenever she interacts with any member of the Yale School of Medicine community.
    • Visual Design Specialist

      Maya works with faculty and staff to create clear and effective visual materials that support teaching, research, and communication. Maya holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Paier College of Art and has built her career around combining creativity with practical design solutions. She specializes in icon design and illustration and enjoys creating visuals that make complex information easier to understand and more engaging.
  • Internal & Executive Communications

    • YSM Internal Communications Manager

      Stephanie joined Yale School of Medicine in March of 2025 as YSM internal communications manager. In this role, she leads and executes the internal communications strategy for YSM and Yale Medicine, engaging faculty, clinicians, and staff in educational, clinical, and research missions. She also serves as editor-in-chief for YSM's intranet (MyYSM), YSM Events weekly newsletter, and digital signage. Additionally, Stephanie supports YSM's internal executive and senior leadership communications, including messaging for town halls and other forums. Stephanie is a seasoned strategic leader with a versatile background in marketing and communications. Prior to joining Yale, she served in various marketing and communication roles planning and executing both internal and external marketing and communication strategies for a number of industries, including insurance, higher education, and edtech. In addition to her role at Yale, Stephanie is an adjunct professor in the School of Business at Quinnipiac University, where she designs and teaches courses in communications, marketing, career development, and business. Stephanie holds a bachelor's degree in communications/media studies from Quinnipiac University and both a master's degree in organizational psychology (MSOP) and an MBA from the University of Hartford.
    • Communications Support Specialist

      Laura joined Yale School of Medicine in 2000 and has had held many roles since then. Her current position as Communications Support Specialist allows her to showcase her skills in survey design, data storytelling, and pitch deck creation.
    • Director, YSM Communications

      Julie Parry stepped into the Director, YSM Communications role in December 2024. In this role, she develops written and verbal messages for YSM’s internal channels, including MyYSM, town halls, emails, newsletters, and digital monitor displays to amplify – and engage the YSM community in – the school’s mission, values, and strategic goals and priorities. She also helps implement and execute an audience-based communication strategy that informs, engages, and inspires both internal and external stakeholders, including health care consumers, prospective students, and the public. In addition, Julie serves as the relationship manager with the YSM departmental communication officers to foster and facilitate collaboration among – and support – this community of practice. Julie joined Yale School of Medicine and the Department of Internal Medicine in August 2018. While in Internal Medicine, she outlined a communications strategy for the department to highlight its exceptional clinicians, educators, researchers, and staff. Julie and team created and wrote for 11 publications, showcasing a variety of topics to a range of internal and external audiences, along with creating and managing the department’s social media accounts and website. She also created the department’s first annual report to accentuate the department’s excellence in its tripartite mission, along with revitalizing the monthly newsletter, D[IM]ensions, and launching the department’s alumni publication, D[IM] Digest. During her 25+ years of experience in communications, public relations, and marketing, Julie has worked in a number of industries such as sports and entertainment, technology, and healthcare. Julie earned her master's degree in Marketing & Strategic Communications from New York University in 2025. She was honored with the Leadership & Service Excellence Award at 2025 commencement. Additionally, she completed the Yale School of Management Women's Leadership Program in March 2025, and a graduate certificate in Healthcare Marketing & Communications in 2023.
  • Marketing

    • Director of Marketing, YSM

      Matthew O'Rourke leads marketing efforts for the Yale School of Medicine and its clinical practice, Yale Medicine. Prior to his current role, he worked in Orthopaedics. He spent five and a half years at the Yale School of Management working in international communications, collaborating and coordinating communications efforts with 30 schools in 25 countries through the Global Network for Advanced Management. A journalist by training, he oversees marketing campaigns and strategy for both the school and Yale Medicine. Previously, O'Rourke worked as a reporter at the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper, covering two towns and developing an outdoors/environmental beat for six and a half years. While there, he was part of a team that won the national Society of Professional Journalists Sunshine Award, highlighting excellence in Freedom of Information Act requests and reporting. His work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe.
    • Physician Marketing Manager, Yale Medicine

      Tracey Hammill joined Yale School of Medicine Office of Communications in 2016 and manages physician marketing initiatives for Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of Yale School of Medicine. As a physician marketing manager, Tracey develops, plans, and implements digital marketing campaigns to elevate Yale Medicine’s physicians and healthcare services. She manages marketing initiatives such as condition- and procedure-focused campaigns, email marketing, and assists new physicians with their online profiles and location listings. Before joining Yale School of Medicine, Tracey was a marketing coordinator at Yale New Haven Health, where she created and implemented print marketing initiatives to promote outpatient healthcare services. Her role also included organizing large-scale ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new outpatient locations and coordinating community physician networking events. Previously, Tracey worked for various physician group practices, focusing on referring physician outreach and communication. Prior to her career in healthcare marketing, Tracey gained invaluable experience in managed care, holding positions in pre-certification, appeals, data analysis, and project management. Tracey holds a bachelor's degree in public health and nutrition minor from Southern Connecticut State University.
  • Media Relations & Audience Development

    • All Media Inquiries

      Director of Media Relations and Audience Development

      Please contact Colleen for all media inquiries and topics: Colleen.Moriarty@yale.edu
    • Media Contact for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital

      Communications Officer, YCC Media Relations & Audience Development

      Please contact for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital inquiries: Michael.Masciadrelli@yale.edu
    • Media Contact for research, education, and general topics

      Communications Officer, YSM Social Media and Audience Development

      Please contact Sean for research, education, and general YSM inquiries: Sean.Mccabe@yale.edu 203-650-3120
    • Media Contact for Clinical Topics/Yale Medicine

      Communications Officer, YM Audience Development and Social Media

      Please contact Danielle for clinical topics and Yale Medicine inquiries: Danielle.Flocco@yale.edu
  • Operations & Administration

    • Director of Operations, YSM Communications

      In her capacity as Director of Operations, Christina develops systems and processes that align editorial, design, digital, production, and analytics teams with YSM's communications strategy. She brings more than 15 years of experience at global organizations including Meta, Google, and R/GA, where she helped multidisciplinary teams work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and deliver high-quality content and communications at scale. She has spent several years as a consultant, helping Fortune 500 companies build and stabilize their in-house content operations. Her people-first approach is grounded in clarity, simplicity, and a commitment to building operational foundations that serve both day-to-day team needs and YSM's broader mission of advancing science, education, and patient care through effective, unified communication.
    • Senior Administrative Assistant

      Susan began her career at Yale in 1999 in the Department of Pathology, where she served as the Residency Program Coordinator for 6 years. She then moved to the Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, in Internal Medicine, where she worked as the Human Resource and Operations Manager for four years and as an accountant for 2 years. In 2010, she accepted a position managing the Chair's office in the Department of Neurology. During this time, Susan also managed the Education Office and Faculty Affairs for the department. In 2020, she embarked on a new part-time role as a Senior Administrative Assistant in the YSM Department of Communications. Outside of work, Susan enjoys gardening, bird watching, traveling, and reading.
  • Photography & Video Production

    • Director, Multimedia Services

      We on the multimedia team are here to support the YSM community with design, photography and video needs. Please reach out to my email or ysm.multimedia@yale.edu if you have any questions or need assistance.
    • Photo Editor

      Abbey joined YSM in 2022 as photo editor and has been dedicated to supporting clinical, research, event, and portrait photography across YSM ever since. On set, she aims to promote professionalism and efficiency while working closely with photographers, communicators, and other members of the community to produce high-quality visual assets that support the YSM mission. With a background in research psychology and English from UCONN, she is completing her Master's in Information & Library Science, focusing on digital collections, publications, licensing, and copyright. Abbey recently completed a metadata internship with the Library of Congress and volunteers at a local genealogical library in her spare time. Prior to Yale, Abbey worked in tech support, as a rowing coach, and a freelance photographer. Abbey thinks life is always better with an extra cup of coffee and a good book. Feel free to reach out to Abbey about photographic or related inquiries via email anytime.
    • Senior Video Producer

      Kimberly Conner started at YSM in 2017 as a video producer and was promoted to Senior Video Producer in 2022. As the Senior Video Producer, Kimberly plays a pivotal role in leading the strategy and creation of videos that highlight the research, education, and clinical missions of YSM for internal and external audiences. Kimberly earned her Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Stanford University in 2011. She then served in the Peace Corps for two years in Madagascar as a Community Health Educator. Upon returning to the U.S., Kimberly earned her Master's in Journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in 2015. Prior to her position at Yale, Kimberly worked in national broadcast journalism at MSNBC, CBS, and 48 Hours, where she contributed to numerous high-profile projects.
    • Video Post-Production Specialist

      Noah Golden is a video producer/editor who has been at Yale School of Medicine since 2013. Over that time, Noah has produced hundreds of videos for Yale School of Medicine and Yale Medicine, including the 4 Things series, The Exam Room series, profiles of the Second Year Show, the Yale Medical Orchestra, Match Day and a large number of Yale Medicine physician bios. He ran Yale School of Medicine's Facebook page for two years and continues to work on social media strategy. His work has won an award from LabTV and been featured in the New Haven Documentary Film Festival.  In his spare time, can often be found playing music, creating/watching/writing about theater or eating.
    • Video Producer

      Lindsey Leger is a video producer, working to create original video content highlighting innovative research and care at YSM. Prior to joining Yale, she was a freelance photographer and videographer working with editorial and humanitarian clients, including the Associated Press, UNICEF and USAID. She completed her BFA at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and is completing a MA at the University of Münster in Germany.
  • Communications Product Innovation & Engineering

    • Director of Product

      Mark began working with Yale School of Medicine Communications in 2010 as the Manager for Web Training and Support. In this role, Mark fielded website editors' questions concerning the YSM website and the tools used to update them, and assisted the Communications Office in identifying opportunities for improvement and new ways to support communications at the school. Over the years, his role transitioned from supporting editors making website updates to software development and the creation of the website applications themselves. Now, as Product Director, Mark defines requirements and facilitates the development of web applications, leads the design process for those applications to ensure they meet the school's need in a user-friendly and accessible way, and is constantly turning to the Yale School of Medicine community to gather new ideas and ensure software solutions are successful.
    • Product Manager

      Audriene joined Yale School of Medicine in July of 2024 as a product manager. In this role, she works on the development and implementation of digital platforms that support research, education, and communications across the institution. Her work includes defining and refining functional requirements for Beatrix and websites, stakeholder engagement, and managing end-to-end product lifecycles. Audriene also collaborates closely with editorial and development teams to ensure alignment with institutional strategy, user needs, and technical feasibility. Audriene has a strong foundation in engineering and a deep commitment to service design and digital transformation. Prior to joining Yale, she spent 15 years in the automotive industry, where she specialized in electrical engineering, embedded systems integration, feature management and product management . Her transition to the healthcare and academic space reflects her passion for impactful, mission-driven work and her ability to adapt and thrive in complex environments. In addition to her role at Yale, Audriene is an advocate for mental health awareness and education. She actively engages in continuous learning, with interests spanning communications, user experience, and AI-enhanced product development. She also contributes to volunteer efforts in literacy and community-based education. Audriene holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and is pursuing ongoing professional development in communications and product leadership. She combines technical acumen with user-centered thinking to create tools that empower faculty, staff, students, and the broader community.
    • Director of AI Development and Systems Architecture

      Mike Friscia joined the Yale School of Medicine in April 2017 as the Lead Technical Architect with responsibilities for systems and software design. Starting in 2019 he shifted focus to Artificial Intelligence technologies and primarily works on AI projects and systems architecture. Previously he worked in the Yale University Library for ten years managing a team of software engineers focused on digital asset management and discovery systems with emphasis on open source, community driven development. Prior to Yale, Mike was the lead software developer at Connecticut College where he worked primarily with student and alumni information systems. Mike enjoys collecting and programming vintage computers from the 1970's and 1980's and is an active participant in the International Game Developer Association working as a consultant on several open source projects.
    • Senior Communications Project Manager, YSM Comms.

      Jen joined the Yale School of Medicine in 2023 to help manage projects for both the Web Services team and the Office of Communications. She has a proven track record of building key relationships with project stakeholders, and over 15 years of experience in content creation, desktop publishing, and executing targeted projects and Internal Communication plans across diverse technical and non-technical environments.
    • Business Systems Analyst & Web Producer

      A graduate of Northwestern University, Denise Meyer has worked in public relations and communications for over thirty years, first in the arts, then as a consultant for a wide range of small businesses, non-profits, and an international manufacturing company. She is the founding publisher of Eirini Press whose offerings on non-duality include titles by Lawrence LeShan, Jonathan Bricklin, and others. In 2025, her book Swimming in the Sea of Qi: The Taiji Path to Energetic and Spiritual Awareness was published by Floating World Press. Denise has a wide range of print, social media, and web experience and was web coordinator at the Yale School of Public Health from 2008-2021. There she has created and developed editorial and video content for the school's websites, newsletters, and other special projects. In November 2021 she moved to the Yale School of Medicine Communications Group where she is a business systems analyst and web producer.
    • Director, Web Services

      Since joining the Yale School of Medicine Office of Communications in October 2011, Liz has been instrumental in shaping the School’s digital presence. Today, as Director of Web Services, she leads a dedicated team that manages all Web Support Help Desk requests submitted to ysm.editor@yale.edu, ensuring seamless, reliable support for both the School of Medicine and YaleMedicine.org. Passionate about creating user-friendly experiences, Liz ensures a strong partnership with the product team to guide continuous enhancements to YSM websites and applications, keeping them innovative, accessible, and responsive to the community’s needs. Liz makes her home in Guilford with her wife, Carissa, and their 110-pound Bernese Mountain Dog, Monty. Outside of work, she can often be found with an iced coffee in hand exploring New England, or new destinations around the globe.