NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BehaVR, a leading innovator of virtual reality-based digital wellness and digital therapeutic experiences, today announced that Tamara Elias, M.D. has been appointed to the company’s board of directors as Independent Director. Dr. Elias currently serves as Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships & Innovation at Merck & Co., Inc. Her expertise and experience will help guide BehaVR as it expands within behavioral health and works closely with health systems, payer organizations and biopharmaceutical leaders interested in this space.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Elias join our team as our Independent Director. Her experience with clinical product development and commercialization and deep understanding of both the payer and life sciences sectors will be a huge asset to BehaVR as we continue to grow,” said Aaron Gani, founder and CEO of BehaVR. “She has her finger on the pulse of the latest innovations and advancements in healthcare delivery, and we are excited for the perspective she will bring to our company as we expand our collaborations and develop new digital wellness and therapeutic solutions.”
“I am excited about the acceleration of digital wellness solutions to improve healthcare delivery, so look forward to working with the talented BehaVR team and distinguished Board to expand adoption of its vast capabilities,” said Elias. “I share the company’s commitment to helping people achieve their best health and welcome the opportunity to contribute to its efforts to achieve this important mission.”
Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Elias served as vice president of clinical product development at Aetna, vice president of corporate strategy and business development at Becton Dickinson, and a partner at Essex Woodlands Healthcare Partners, a healthcare-only growth equity firm. Earlier in her career, she was a management consultant at McKinsey, advising pharmaceutical, diagnostic and device companies in R&D, product commercialization and M&A.
Dr. Elias currently serves on the boards of medical device companies Avinger, Inc. and REVA Medical, and she has previously served on the boards of Millennium Pharmacy Systems, BreatheAmerica, Influence Health and ATS Medical.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Anthropology from Yale University, and a Doctor of Medicine from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She trained as a general surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.
About BehaVR
BehaVR is advancing healthcare access and delivery and improving patient outcomes and experiences through the pioneering use of virtual reality (VR), cloud computing, and machine learning. Founded by leading clinicians, healthcare veterans and technology innovators, BehaVR has a proprietary technology platform that enables a personalized and progressive treatment approach that is grounded in decades of neuroscience research and designed to educate, motivate, and activate individuals to make long-term, sustained improvements to their health. For more information, visit www.behavr.com.
Contacts
Kerri Guyton
kerri.guyton@finnpartners.com
615-610-0322