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Women's Health Research at Yale
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Meet Our Director

Basmah Safdar, MD

Basmah Safdar, MD

Basmah Safdar, MD, is an emergency medicine physician and internationally recognized scholar in sex-specific research with a focus on microvascular health – in the heart, brain, and COVID-19. In July 2025, Safdar became Director of Women’s Health Research at Yale, the university’s interdisciplinary research center committed to improve the health and well-being of everyone by studying the health of women and examining health differences between and among women and men.

Funded by a diverse grant portfolio including the NIH, CDC, foundations, and investigator-initiated industry awards, Safdar has successfully conducted numerous clinical trials and translational research in emergency settings. The Safdar Lab leads the Yale CMD Registry (examining coronary microvascular dysfunction), committed to patient monitoring through an integrated, multidisciplinary clinical approach.

In her capacity as the Medical Director of the Chest Pain Center at Yale New Haven Hospital, Safdar adeptly combines a data driven approach with extensive operational and content expertise to drive clinical program advancement, programmatic efficiencies, and champions the implementation of value-based chest pain care through the health care delivery continuum. Previously, she led the Women’s Heart Program at Yale New Haven Hospital from 2009 to 2013. In 2014, she co-chaired the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, which formalized sex as a critical variable in emergency medicine research.

Safdar applies a systems lens merging her academic expertise with a servant leadership ethos to foster consensus and establish standardized efficient practices in her operational and administrative responsibilities. She is deeply committed to cultivating equitable and transparent platforms for both patients and physicians. Nationally, she completed a 3-year term as President of the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) and used this platform to coordinate faculty development resources for early and mid-career women faculty in the field. She remains committed to teaching and provides mentorship to Yale undergraduates, medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty. In her role as Vice Chair, Safdar leads faculty affairs, development, and mentorship efforts for the Emergency Medicine department.

In recognition of her service and exceptional leadership, Safdar was sponsored by the Yale School of Medicine Dean to participate in the 2023-2024 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program. This prestigious initiative is dedicated to cultivating a diverse cohort of accomplished women leaders poised to make significant contributions to academic medicine's leadership landscape.

Staff

  • Jessica Quistorff, MPH

    Senior Program Manager

    General inquiries, Operations, Giving inquiries

    Jessica arrived at WHRY in 2022 after working for four years at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., in the Developing Brain Institute as the Clinical Research Program Manager. Prior to that, she worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York while earning a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. At WHRY, Jessica works closely with the Director on strategic planning, development, special project coordination, staff supervision, and day-to-day operations of the center with an eye toward stability and growth.

  • Marco Mutonji

    Finance and Grants Program Manager


    Marco is a Certified Public Accountant who joined WHRY in 2014 with more than 10 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit settings. He earned his BA in accounting from Baruch College, has previously worked as a CPA, and performs a full range of accounting functions, including maintaining the financial and accounting records of Women's Health Research at Yale's various portfolios.


  • Sara Luciano

    Communications Officer

    Sara joined the WHRY team as Communications Officer in early 2024, bringing more than 15 years of experience in communications roles of increasing responsibility in both nonprofit and agency settings. Notably, Sara led media relations efforts for the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in 2011 and authored Growing Up Rural in America during her time as Director of Media and Communications for U.S. Programs & Advocacy at Save the Children. At Save the Children, Sara served as an inaugural member of the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. At WHRY, Sara works closely with the Director and Senior Program Officer to inform audiences of the center’s work to change the landscape of medical and behavioral research, professional and personal practice, clinical education, and health policy to advance women’s health.

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