People

Executive Team and Staff

Executive Team | Staff A-E | Staff F-M | Staff N-Z

Lexi Abel, MPH
Project Manager
Lexi is a Project Manager working with NICHQ’s Obesity National Advisory Council and other obesity programs. Prior to joining NICHQ, Lexi earned an MPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a BA in Sociology from Grinnell College. She served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica and worked with International Planned Parenthood Federation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Shikha Anand, MD, MPH
Director of Strategic Alliances and Initiatives and Obesity Program Director
Dr. Anand is a pediatrician with expertise in obesity and the Patient-Centered Medical Home. For 5 years, she served as the Pediatric Director at a Federally Qualified Health Center, where she created a multi-disciplinary primary care obesity clinic. She cofounded the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program to bring fresh produce to low income families.


Julius Anastasio, MS
Project Manager II
Julius is a Project Manager II working on the Collaborate for Healthy Weight project. Prior to joining NICHQ, Julius worked at the Schepens Eye Research Institute as a Research Fellow developing public health interventions. He holds a BS in Human Development from Cornell University and an MS in Applied Educational Psychology from Northeastern University, with a specialization in early intervention.

Katherine Blakeslee
Project Coordinator
Katherine is a Project Coordinator working on the Improving Care for Children with Autism project. Prior to joining NICHQ, she was a Researcher for the Autism Consortium at Tufts-New England Medical Center.

Bob R. Bower, MBA, CPA
Director of Finance
Bob has more than thirty years experience working for nonprofit organizations, primarily in colleges. At NICHQ, he is responsible for all aspects of the financial management; including budgeting, financial reporting, cash flow, billing, and grant and contract management. Bob is active in his church and is also the Treasurer of Ecclesia Ministries.

Emily Clermont, MPH
Senior Project Manager
Emily is a Senior Project Manager on several projects including Collaborate for Healthy Weight and the Sickle Cell Disease Prevention and Treatment Demonstration Program. Prior to joining NICHQ, she worked at Children’s Hospital Boston. Emily is a graduate of Stonehill College. She completed her MPH in Epidemiology and received a certificate in Leadership and Management from Boston University School of Public Health.

Sarah Donohue-Rolfe
Project Manager
Sarah is a Project Manager at NICHQ, working on the Newborn Hearing Screening project and the New York State Obstetrics and Neonatal Quality Collaborative. Before joining NICHQ, Sarah was a program assistant at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, where she majored in Political Science and minored in French.

Julie Eisen, MA
Online Community Coordinator
Julie is an Online Community Coordinator.  She is responsible for building virtual communities on the Collaborate for Healthy Weight project, managing NICHQ's social media, and creating content for NICHQ's newsletter. Previously, Julie worked at Policy Studies, Inc. as a Research Assistant. She holds a BS in Biology and Media/Communication from Muhlenberg College and an MA in Health Communication from Emerson College/Tufts University School of Medicine.

Erin Ellingwood
Project Manager for Marketing Services
Erin supports NICHQ's marketing, communication, and technology operations. She is responsible for managing the marketing systems and technologies that enable the effective and reliable flow of information to NICHQ’s various audiences and supporters. Prior to joining NICHQ, Erin worked at Children’s Hospital Boston as the assistant to the Chief of the Immunology Division. She holds a BA in English/Creative Writing and Drama from Kenyon College.

Leigh Elliott
Office Coordinator
Leigh Elliott is our Office Coordinator. Prior to NICHQ she worked as a teller at TD Bank. She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College with concentrations in Violin Performance and European History. She is also a current member of the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra.  



Karen Errichetti, MPH
Associate Director of Applied Research & Evaluation and Senior Project Manager
Karen manages quality improvement projects with a focus on evaluation.  Before joining NICHQ, Karen served as a Project Director at the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Office of Survey Research and as a Project Manager at Boston University. Karen holds a BA in Biological Sciences from Wellesley College and an MPH in Epidemiology from Yale University. She is in the dissertation phase of Boston University’s DrPH program.