Healthcare Initiative | Spring 2026 Newsletter

The NYU Stern Healthcare Initiative kicked off the semester with a launch event on Thursday, February 12. The event brought together students, faculty, alumni, and industry partners to celebrate Stern’s Healthcare Initiative and introduce the Contractor Program in Healthcare and Contractor Fellows, made possible by the generous support of Ashish Contractor (BS ’97) and Amy Lung Contractor (BS ’00).

From left to right: Michael Dickstein, Jesse Horowitz, Nate Petitt, Charlotte Kremer, and Ashish Contractor
 

The event featured a panel discussion moderated by Professor Michael Dickstein, Director of the Healthcare Initiative; with industry leaders Ashish Contractor, Managing Director, Moelis & Company; Charlotte Kremer, Principal, Gramercy Life Sciences; and Jesse Horowitz, Chief Product Officer, Oscar Health. Panelists shared perspectives on capital markets, biopharma strategy, health insurance, and the evolving role of technology in healthcare. 

From left to right: Michael Dickstein, Jesse Horowitz, Charlotte Kremer, and Ashish Contractor
 

From left to right: Michael Dickstein, Ashish Contractor
and Amy Lung Contractor
 

The event also recognized the generous support of Ashish Contractor (BS ’97) and Amy Lung Contractor (BS ’00), whose contributions made two new student programs possible:

The Contractor Program in Healthcare: Open to all Stern students (undergraduate and graduate), the program aims to promote Stern’s thought leadership in healthcare, increase access to industry leaders, and educate students on emerging market trends. Upcoming activities include an industry conference, corporate treks to healthcare companies, and support for seminars showcasing Stern’s academic research. No application is required. To keep up-to-date on program activities, please join our mailing list and watch for updates on our events page.

The Contractor Fellows in Healthcare: Open to advanced-year MBA students with a focus in Healthcare who demonstrate outstanding potential. Interested students will be required to apply for consideration for this fellowship. Fellows will gain one-on-one mentorship and get immersed in experiential learning, research, and more. Applications will open April 2026 for a Fall 2026 start date.

Professor Rui Yang 

With a career spanning consumer healthcare, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals, Professor Rui Yang has led impactful product launches and growth strategies across global healthcare markets. He brings a unique end-to-end perspective on marketing, with experience in early-stage development, portfolio strategy, market access, go-to-market execution, omnichannel engagement, and general management. 

At NYU Stern, he teaches the school’s only MBA course dedicated exclusively to healthcare marketing, helping shape the healthcare community by connecting classroom learning with real-world industry perspectives. 

Beyond the classroom, Professor Yang serves on multiple advisory boards across healthcare and business media, contributing to strategic perspectives on marketing and leadership. He is committed to developing future healthcare leaders and advancing a more accessible, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare system. 

Lexi Frey, MBA ‘21

Lexi Frey, MBA ‘21, began her career as a biomedical engineer at a small medical device company focused on surgical robotics. When entering Stern, she knew she wanted to stay in the healthcare space but did not know what type of company or role would be the best fit, so she pursued a variety of options (Pharma, Medtech, consulting).

Ultimately, she accepted a role in consulting at Strategy&/PwC to give herself more time to explore and expand her knowledge across the healthcare landscape. In her 3 years at the firm, she partnered with clients across the healthcare value chain and gained a deeper understanding of how each component contributes to the broader health ecosystem. Lexi has now transitioned back to the medical device industry, where she is a leader in Corporate Strategy at Insulet, the maker of the Omnipod insulin pump.

Tori Murphy, MBA ‘23

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Tori Murphy, MBA ‘23, began her career as a consultant in PwC’s Health Industries Advisory practice. She spent several years supporting transformation initiatives across the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector before coming to Stern to pursue her MBA. Through her coursework, she strengthened core operational capabilities in areas such as finance while expanding into new domains, including entrepreneurship.

During her MBA, Tori worked as a Corporate Development Intern at Deerfield Management Company, an investment firm focused on advancing healthcare through investment, intelligence, and philanthropy. In this role, she identified licensing opportunities for early-stage assets and conducted diligence on prospective investments. After graduating, Tori continued at Deerfield as an analyst and also led business development efforts for Aviko Radiopharmaceuticals, a venture creation initiative centered on a cancer therapy that uses boron and neutron radiation to selectively target tumor cells. She now serves as Head of Portfolio Operations at Moderna, where she enables critical enterprise capabilities spanning portfolio planning, resource management, and governance.  

SHA Annual Healthcare Conference: From Capital to Code: Building the Future of Healthcare

Students - Alumni - Community

The Stern Healthcare Association (SHA) is excited to announce their flagship conference! From finance and investing to technology and startups, this conference will break down how the healthcare industry is evolving and where opportunity exists; featuring two tracks focused on: Healthcare Finance, Private Equity, and Investment Banking and Healthcare Technology, Startups, and Venture Capital.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Marschall Runge, former CEO of Michigan Medicine, will discuss managing care in the changing technology landscape, what’s coming, and tech as an opportunity and challenge.

• Date: Friday, April 17, 2026, 10:30am - 5pm
• Location: NYU Stern
• Get your Early-Bird Tickets here

Healthcare Cross NYU Grad-School Social

Students - Alumni

Come meet healthcare students from across NYU! Join us for a casual evening of networking and conversation with students interested in healthcare across business, public health, medicine, dentistry, public policy, and more. Whether you’re exploring careers, looking for teammates, or just want to meet people who care about fixing healthcare, this is the perfect place to make new connections across NYU! 

• Date: Friday, February 27, 2026, 5pm - 7pm
• Location: Amity Hall, 2nd Floor, 80 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012
• RSVP: here 

Health Economics Day

Students - Alumni - Community

Join us for the 4th annual Health Economics Day where we will bring together researchers working in health economics, health care markets, health insurance, and health policy in the greater New York area for a one-day workshop. 

Call for Papers: If you have a paper you would like to present, please submit it using the link here. The deadline for submissions is March 9, 2026. 

• Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
• Location: NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, 105 E 17th St, New York, NY
• RSVP & Program: link to register and program will be posted on the conference website in March.

If you have recommendations for speakers, mentors, or upcoming events, please reach out to healthcareinitiative@stern.nyu.edu to collaborate and continue growing the Initiative together.

If you want to be removed from the mailing list, please notify us here.