Carmen Caricchio
President

With more than a decade of healthcare PR experience, Carmen helps biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical technology companies gain awareness in the news and on Wall Street. She has launched numerous cardiology, oncology, dermatology, respiratory and endocrinology drugs, as well as medical devices, lasers, drug delivery systems, gene sequencing instruments, diagnostics and laboratory products.

Working closely with the biotech investment community, Carmen has introduced several emerging therapeutic companies to the marketplace, while supporting their fundraising and IPO strategies. Carmen is a communications advisor to BIO, the world’s largest biotechnology organization, as well as BayBIO, Northern California's life science association.

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Amy Berry
Account Supervisor

Amy has worked in both international agencies and corporate communications settings. Amy’s previous clients have included molecular diagnostic, medical device, laser vision correction and pharmaceutical companies, covering numerous disease categories: ophthalmology, oncology, neurology, HIV, osteoporosis and others.  For each of these, Amy has provided consultation and planning for professional and consumer awareness PR campaigns, and secured coverage in national and international publications. Amy has also developed sales presentations, speeches, executive committee presentations, internal communications and documents, lecture series and events.

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Drew Avril
Account Manager

Drew Avril is a consumer media relations specialist with more than 10 years of experience in publicity, marketing, event planning and journalism. His recent media campaigns have supported high-profile surgeons, divisions of major hospitals, state health associations and medical device manufacturers. Drew has secured national and international print and broadcast coverage in The New York Times, USA Today, the Associated Press, CNN, NBC, BBC Radio, WebMD, Men's Health and Elle, among many others.

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Alisa Bonsignore
Medical Writer

Alisa has more than 15 years of experience as a writer and editor for healthcare, medical device, pharmaceutical and high technology clients on both coasts.  She has extensive experience with devices for respiratory monitoring and therapy, as well as minimally invasive cardiovascular technologies.

Prior to joining CoActive, Alisa worked with a diverse client base including Covidien (Tyco Healthcare), Johnson & Johnson, Knoll Pharmaceutical and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  She provided planning and development for PR campaigns, customer communications, continuing education programs, peer-reviewed scientific papers, marketing collateral and web content, and edited science textbooks and psychology manuscripts.

Alisa holds a BA in English and Political Science from Bucknell University and is a member of AMWA, the American Medical Writers Association

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Julie Whorton
Account Executive

A recent graduate of Vassar College with a BA in biology, Julie began her communications career with CoActive Public Relations in 2007.  Her background provides CoActive with a fresh perspective on the newest developments in both the life sciences and academia.

While at Vassar, Julie conducted research on the potential effects of leptin, an adipostat hormone, on the neuroendocrine stress axis in the South African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis. Because of her work in the laboratory and the classroom, Julie graduated with departmental and general honors, and as a member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi.  

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Kristine Schaefer
Media and Presentation Trainer

Kristine helps senior professionals refine their messages, deliver their stories, and communicate their vision.  More than just a well-told story, the results help clients build relationships with customers, journalists, investors and other audiences that are critical to their success.

For the past 17 years, she has collaborated with hundreds of executives in health care and pharmaceutical industries and has also developed communications and training programs for major corporations, start-ups and government agencies.

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Shauna Farr-Jones, PhD
Financial and Scientific Relations

Dr. Farr-Jones has 15 years of experience as a bench scientist and seven as an industry analyst. She was recently at BioCentury Publications, the leading biotechnology business newsletter, where she analyzed and wrote about strategic market and technology issues affecting biotechnology companies. Dr. Farr-Jones provides unique insight to coActive’s clients with her combined expertise in fundraising, financial relations, grant writing and scientific writing.

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Stephanie Baba, OD, FAAO
Medical Writer

Dr. Baba has served on the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry for more than 15 years. She has written numerous publications including white papers, journal articles, and instructional brochures for optometric journals and commercial endeavors. Dr. Baba is presently contributing editorials to publications of the American Optometric Association.

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