Katharine W. Bothner, Senior Program Assistant

Katharine Bothner received a B.S. in Chemistry with High Distinction from the University of Virginia. With a focus in Biochemistry, she conducted her thesis research on the long-term effects of a cytostatic cancer therapy involving calcium channels on prostate cancer cells. After completing her undergraduate studies, Ms. Bothner taught high school science for two years in Baltimore, Maryland with Teach for America. Over 70% of her biology students passed the Maryland High School Assessment test, a figure nearly twice the city average. In October 2006, she joined the staff of the Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine as a Senior Program Assistant.

W. Alexander Goolsby, M.S.P.H., Program Officer

Alex Goolsby joined the Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine as a Program Officer.  Previously, Mr. Goolsby had worked as a private consultant with major medical centers throughout the country to enhance the coordination and delivery of inpatient care through process redesign, implementation, and outcomes measurement and monitoring.  As a healthcare consultant, Mr. Goolsby also worked with healthcare professionals to implement a variety of healthcare IT systems at large academic medical centers.  Mr. Goolsby received an M.S. in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, where he concentrated his studies on health policy and administration. Mr. Goolsby also researched legal and ethical aspects of clinical genetic testing. His ongoing interests include policies affecting access to care and underserved populations.  Mr. Goolsby received his B.A. in Chemistry from Colgate University. While at Colgate, he also interned at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the National Institutes of Health to develop novel, potential HIV therapeutics.

J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., M.P.P., IOM Senior Scholar

Michael McGinnis joined the Institute of Medicine as Senior Scholar in 2005, to help develop the IOM’s leadership on evidence-based medicine and expansion of research on the comparative effectiveness of clinical interventions.  From 1999 to 2005, he served as Senior Vice President and founding Director of the Health Group, and as Counselor to the President, at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  Much of his career has been spent as participant and leader in national policy in disease prevention and health promotion, including continuous appointment, from 1977 to 1995, as Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) through the Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton Administrations. During this period, he led the development of Healthy People, the nation's prevention agenda, and the creation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a body that has for two decades evaluated the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and pioneered the advance of evidence-based medicine. Other programs and policies launched at his initiative include: the first HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, now in its sixth edition (first edition co-produced with USDA in 1980) and the first Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health (1988); the work of the Public Health Functions Steering Committee to develop the 10 Essential Services of Public Health; the RWJF Health & Society Scholars Program; the RWJF Young Epidemiology Scholars Program; and the RWJF Active Living family of programs. His current and recent Board memberships include: the National Academies IOM Committee on Children's Food Marketing (Chair); the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Multivitamins in Chronic Disease Prevention (Chair); the Health Professionals Roundtable on Preventive Services (Chair); the Board of Directors of the Nemours Foundation; the Board of Directors of the Partnership for Prevention; and the Board of Trustees of the United Way of the National Capital Area (Chair, Resource Development). Dr. McGinnis' international service includes appointments as Chair of the World Bank/European Commission Task Force on post-war reconstruction of the health sector in Bosnia in 1995-6; State Coordinator for the World Health Organization smallpox eradication program in Uttar Pradesh, India in 1974-5; and Coordinator for U.S.-Eastern European health programs in 1972-3.  He is an elected member of the IOM, a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.  Other recognitions include the Wilbur Cohen Award, the Porter Prize, the National Health Leader of the Year Award, and the Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service.  Dr. McGinnis earned degrees in political science, medicine and public policy from Berkeley, UCLA and Harvard.  Please click here for full CV.

LeighAnne M. Olsen, Ph.D.,  Program Officer 

LeighAnne Olsen received a B.A. in Molecular Biology from the University of California-Berkeley where she also completed a minor in Anthropology. After graduation, Dr. Olsen joined the Department of Biochemistry as a research assistant and studied mechanisms of DNA damage. Her work on structural biology and interest in the development of antiviral therapeutics led her to pursue graduate studies in molecular biology, with an emphasis in virology, at Princeton University.  She received her Ph.D. in 2005, completing a dissertation incorporating aspects of immunology, neurobiology and microbiology to identify factors contributing to virulence and illuminate viral strategies for evading host cell defense mechanisms. As a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academies, Dr. Olsen's work contributed to the development of an initiative to improve the translation of biomedical research into effective medical practice. In January 2006, she joined the Institute of Medicine as a Research Associate with the Roundtable on Evidence Based Medicine where she continues to work on health policy. She is interested in encouraging the development of biomedical technologies and using scientific capacity building to address issues of global health such as emerging infectious diseases and access to essential medicines.

Daniel F. O'Neill, M.B.A., Research Associate

Daniel O’Neill received a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University where he completed his honors thesis researching the effects of low-carbohydrate diets on oxidative stress indicators in diabetic rat models, extending earlier work at Duke University. Following his undergraduate studies, he received a Life Science Fellowship to study Biotechnology Enterprise at the Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, and was awarded his M.B.A. in 2006. Mr. O’Neill recently served as a Research Fellow at FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions, in Washington, DC where he worked to develop the Medical Research Investment Analyst Program to better match philanthropists with medical research projects. In February 2007, he joined the staff of the Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine as a Research Associate.