President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Dr. Marcella Nunez -Smith ac co-chair of his newly formed coronavirus task force.
Nunez-Smith is a professor at the Yale School of Medicine professor. She advised Gov. Ned Lamont on Connecticut’s pandemic reopening strategy and is one of three co-chairs of President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board.
According to the Yale School of Medicine website, Nunez-Smith’s “research focuses on promoting health and healthcare equity for structurally marginalized populations with an emphasis on supporting healthcare workforce diversity and development, developing patient reported measurements of healthcare quality, and identifying regional strategies to reduce the global burden of non-communicable diseases.”
In a statement Monday, Nunez-Smith said she was “honored” to be chosen for the position.
“Everyone is affected by this pandemic, yet the burden is disproportionate,” Nunez-Smith said. “We know communities of color are grieving at high rates and are facing substantial economic impact. The transition advisory board is setting a course for everyone in our country to experience recovery.”
At a news briefing Monday, Josh Geballe, the state’s chief operating officer, sang Nunez-Smith’s praises.
“Marcella was one of the key leaders on the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group,” Geballe said.” She was very influential in actions we took … [such as] focused testing in our cities, additional supports for people who need to quarantine and isolate who may not have room in their homes.
“Her thinking is woven throughout our COVID response, and we’re so proud that she was chosen for this tremendous responsibility. “
