Our Team Mini Kahlon, Ph.D. Executive Director Mini is the founding Vice Dean for Health Ecosystem at Dell Medical School and the founder of Factor Health. A behavioral neuroscientist, she trained at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where later, she led efforts to accelerate the translation of research for impact as the Executive Director and Chief Information Officer at the $200 million Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI). As founding Vice Dean for Health Ecosystem at the new academic medical center being built in Austin, TX, she prioritizes Dell Med’s investments in the broader drivers of health and regional innovation. Mini has been founding Co-Chair of the Austin Healthcare Council, the first Vice Chair for Health Innovation at the Chamber of Commerce, and launched Texas Health Catalyst, a health product development program that accelerates the translation of Austin-area entrepreneurial and university innovations to market. Rhonda Aubrey, BSN, MHI Co-Director & Lead, Health Business Rhonda is Senior Health Business Director for Health Ecosystem at Dell Medical School. Prior to joining Dell Medical School, Rhonda managed a California health care network of eight Federally Qualified Health Centers for over 20 years as Chief Operating Officer of Community Health Center Network, growing from 1,300 to 140,000 covered Medicaid lives. She has developed expertise in cost drivers and motivating factors for health plan partners as well as achieving improved health outcomes by the provider network. Rhonda has a background in both Nursing and Business and holds a Masters in Healthcare Innovation that supports her passion for building new models to address chronic challenges in the health care environment and promote greater health. Elizabeth Jacobs, M.D., MAPP Advisor, Clinical Value & Assessment Liz is Chief of Primary Care at the Dell Medical School. She also serves as associate chair for research in the Department of Internal Medicine. Her research focus has been investigating disparities in health care, specifically in minority populations. She is recognized as an expert on developing accessible and culturally competent care for diverse populations. She attended medical school at UCSF, trained at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and completed a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars fellowship. Lisa Kirsch, MPAff Advisor, Policy Lisa is the Senior Policy Director for Dell Medical School where she leads health policy research and analysis to support innovations in health care delivery and payment. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining Dell Med, she worked for more than 13 years at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program policy issues. She also served as the chief deputy Medicaid/CHIP director, where she oversaw the policy department and the development and implementation of the more than $10 billion Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program under Texas’ 1115 health care transformation waiver. Nicole Clark, MBA Lead, Program Launch Nicole is Director, Strategic Partnerships at the Dell Medical School. She builds strategic partnerships with industry, community and government agencies to strengthen Dell Med translational research and the broader health ecosystem. She graduated with an MBA from Texas State University. Her previous work includes managing graduate medical education programs. Lindsey Engelman, MA, MSCRP Program Manager Lindsey helps support the identification of innovative solutions to health problems. She brings experience building meaningful community relationships and building academic-community partnerships, with previous work in UT Austin’s Latin Americans Studies Institute and International Office, as well as international and environmental justice non-profits. Katherine Sebastian, RN, MPH Research Manager Kate is a research program manager in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School. She has over 15 years of experience in clinical research coordination and management, including implementing research interventions in rural and low-income communities. Maria Cowley-Morillo, BS Research Associate Maria is a Research Associate in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School. Born and raised in Austin, TX, she recently graduated the University of Texas with a BSc in Psychology. As an undergrad, she acquired over four years of research experience, primarily focusing on how to get individuals to play a larger role in their own healthcare. Within Factor Health she has most recently been working on the Social Connection program, which seeks to improve isolation among the elderly population. Through this work she is influencing care for the most vulnerable in our community. Jenna Parro, MHA Lead, Communication Jenna provides communication and engagement support and strategy for the Factor Health team, helping to tell program stories in a variety of contexts. Jenna has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from UT Austin and a master’s degree in health administration from Texas State University. Her previous work in health education, program management, community engagement, relationship development, and communication informs her work at Dell Med to support health outside of traditional healthcare contexts.
