About Bellevue Literary Press

Martin J. Blaser, MD, holds the Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome at Rutgers University and serves as Director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. Previously he served as Chair of the Department of Medicine at New York University. A physician and microbiologist, Dr. Blaser has been studying the relationships we have with the human microbiome, the bacteria that live in and on us. Over the last 20 years, he has also been actively studying the relationship of the human microbiome with both health and important diseases including asthma, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Dr. Blaser has been the advisor to many students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty. He has served as President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Cancer Institute, Chair of the Advisory Board for Clinical Research of the NIH, and until recently as Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council for Combatting Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) under 3 presidential administrations. He has been elected to major academies and received many awards for his scientific work. He has authored over 650 original scientific articles, holds 24 US patents, and he also wrote Missing Microbes, a book targeted to general audiences, now translated into 20 languages. Recently he appeared in The Invisible Extinction, an independent feature film focusing on his scientific work and that of his wife, Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello.

Lawrence H. Budish retired as a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, a major international law firm headquartered in New York City. Larry specialized in private equity and mergers and acquisitions, with a concentration in transactions in the media and business information industries. In addition to his legal experience, Larry has extensive experience with financial matters and fundraising for not-for-profit entities as a board member, past president, and longtime fundraising chairman for his synagogue.

Nathan Epstein is a quantitative researcher, data scientist, and software engineer with extensive experience in equity investing and financial markets. He is highly involved in the technology community through global conference presentations, journal and industry publications, and open source software contribution. He holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University, an M.S. in Operations Research from Columbia University, and an A.L.M in International Relations from Harvard University. His hobbies include ultramarathon distance running and volunteering across a variety of nonprofit organizations.

Elizabeth Grefrath is an associate in the Securities Litigation practice group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for a decade at the American Civil Liberties Union as the Special Assistant to the National Legal Director and spent several years as an oral historian at Columbia University. Her arts experiences include institutional fundraising at the Public Theater, researching public arts funding policy at the Alliance for the Arts, and producing dramas for small theater groups in New York City, including the NYC and Capitol Fringe Festivals. Liz has also completed stints of service on the Board of her cooperative apartment building in Crown Heights and was a member of Community Board 8 in Brooklyn. She has a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Liz is married to the novelist Joshua Furst, with whom she has two children, Ernie and Warren.

Gloria Jacobs is a consultant on arts, literature, and the women’s movement. From 2006 to 2013, she was Executive Director of the Feminist Press at CUNY, and from 1996 to 2002 she was the Executive Editor of Ms. magazine. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Daily News, The Guardian (UK), Working Mother, New York Woman, and Mother Jones, among others. She has also served as a consultant to the United Nations Women’s Development Fund where she produced the groundbreaking report, Women, War, Peace, which sought to tell the story of the impact of war on women through personal narrative. She is a board member of Girls Write Now, the writing and mentoring program for teen girls, as well as on Bellevue’s advisory board and is a past board member and chair of Women’s eNews.

Robert M. Kertzner, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, is an academic and clinical psychiatrist with publications in HIV psychiatry, sexual minority mental health, adult developmental and aging, bereavement, and clinical-ethical topics such as the receipt of gifts offered by patients in psychotherapy and challenges when working with patients holding different political viewpoints. He is the former Training Director of a NIMH postdoctoral training program in HIV Behavioral Sciences at Columbia University and recipient of the Cammer Award for Excellence in Teaching in Psychiatry. He continues his role in psychiatric education as a lecturer and psychotherapy supervisor for residents in training. Dr. Kertzner is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Andrea Louie is the Executive Director of the Serica Initiative, which raises awareness of AAPIs through dialog, storytelling, and the power of convening. Most recently, Andrea was in public service, as Assistant Commissioner, Program Services, at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and as Secretary in the Commissioner’s office at the Nassau County Department of Health. Prior to her work in government, she served as Executive Director of the Asian American Arts Alliance, leading arts advocacy and cultural equity for New York City’s diverse, pan-Asian, multidisciplinary cultural community. She is the author of a novel, Moon Cakes (Ballantine Books), and coeditor of an anthology, Topography of War: Asian American Essays (The Asian American Writers’ Workshop). She was appointed by the governor to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts and the NYS Commission on National and Community Service. Andrea serves on the board of Bellevue Literary Press, and previously a board member for SMU DataArts, Poets & Writers, and New Yorkers for Culture & Arts. She has served as a review panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Joyce Foundation, the Wallace Foundation, EmcArts, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. She was a writer-in-residence for the National Book Foundation and has been awarded artist residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, Djerassi, Hedgebrook, and the Fundacíon Valparáiso in Spain. She is a member of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop as well as the Asian American Journalists Association. She was an honoree of Leadership for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) in Los Angeles, and was an arts and community advocate honoree of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre.

Jerome Lowenstein, MD: President and Founding Publisher, member in memoriam

Kathleen Masterson is a retired Director of Literature and Theatre at the New York State Council on the Arts and of the Arts Education Program. At NYSCA, she initiated long-lived technical assistance programs for literary publishers and presenters of contemporary writers. She is a librettist and has written with opera, new music and musical theatre composers including the late Jeff Langley and David M. Bishop. Commissioned works include Buffalo Nation (Bison bison), a large ensemble piece with composer Jerome Kitzke published by Peer Music International. Kathleen serves on the boards of Franklin Stage Company in the Western Catskills and Gingold Theatrical Group in NYC and was a co-founder of the Spencer Cherashore Fund, which provided artistic development grants to actors in middle-career. She has been an admirer of the essential Bellevue Literary Press since its inception.

Charles Petty is a venture capital investor focused on improving global public health. He is the managing director of the Global Health Investment Corporation, where he leads investing activities and serves on the firm’s investment committee. Previously, he cofounded Adjuvant Capital, a $300m–venture capital fund focused on clinical-stage global health research and development. Charlie started his career as a financial analyst for Sevis Finansya Fonkoze, Haiti’s largest microfinance bank. Charlie has served on the boards of numerous biotechnology companies and public health nonprofits. Charlie is a Kauffman Fellow and a proud graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two young children.

Daniel Ray, as Vice President of Management Science Associates (a multinational market research company), worked for nearly three decades with major corporations including American Express, HBO, and Kraft General Foods. His focus was on advertising, pricing, and new product development where he created analytical methodologies to solve challenging marketing issues. As a specialist in his field, he was often an invited speaker at national industry conferences and seminars on issues relating to the analysis of market research data.

Daniel grew up in France and, after passing the Baccalaureat, moved to England. (His first job happened to be at Foyles, then the largest bookstore in the world.) Once he became fluent in English he was accepted with full scholarship at the University of Wales, where he received Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering.

Ironically, before moving to the United States, this French son of Jewish refugees was awarded the Coventry Cathedral Fellowship, spending a year in Berlin as an exchange engineer in the name of reconciliation between England and Germany.

A man of many interests, Daniel co-founded and played keyboard for the Raytones—a jazz, blues and early rock n’ roll band—that performed in the New York metro area for over a decade (once even accompanying actor/singer Bill Murray).

Oliver Sacks: Professor of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine (member in memoriam)

Meghna Shah is a seasoned professional in product strategy and innovation, with over two decades of experience in transforming ideas into impactful tech solutions. As a Partner at PwC, she excels in guiding cross-functional teams through the intricacies of design thinking and agile methodologies to deliver consumer and enterprise-facing products. Her expertise spans customer journey mapping, market analysis, and the integration of emerging technologies, which have consistently driven user adoption and business growth. Meghna's entrepreneurial acumen is showcased through her founding of Toy It Forward, a nonprofit initiative that underscores her commitment to social impact and community engagement. Her proficiency in business development, product marketing, and leveraging partnerships with FinTechs further highlights her ability to navigate complex market landscapes and create sustainable value.

Jan T. Vilcek, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Microbiology at NYU Langone Medical Center, earned his degrees in Bratislava, Slovakia (then Czechoslovakia). He is among the earliest researchers of interferon, and of another regulatory protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Dr. Vilcek’s work was instrumental in the development of the anti-inflammatory drug infliximab (Remicade®), the first member of a new class of therapeutics widely used for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other chronic inflammatory disorders. Dr. Vilcek has published more than 350 papers in scholarly journals, and he is co-inventor of 38 US patents. In 2000 Dr. Vilcek and his wife established The Vilcek Foundation, whose main mission is to honor outstanding contributions of immigrants to the sciences and arts in the United States. He received NYU’s Albert Gallatin Medal, is an honorary alumnus of NYU School of Medicine, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the J. E. Purkynie Honorary Medal from the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the Outstanding American by Choice Award from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He is an honorary member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic, recipient of the Gold Medal of Charles University in Prague, and recipient of honorary degrees from the Comenius University in Bratislava, the CUNY Graduate Center, and NYU. In 2013, he received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama. In 2016, his memoir Love and Science was published by Seven Stories Press.

Nicholas Fox Weber is a cultural historian and has been the Executive Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation for the past four decades. During this time he has worked tirelessly to preserve the lasting achievements and legacies of the Alberses. He has written extensively on each artist and other books of his include artists such as Le Corbusier and Balthus. His latest work, a definitive biography of Piet Mondrian, will be published in September 2024. He also spearheads Le Korsa, a nonprofit organization he founded in 2005 to assist with medical care and education in Senegal.

Mieko Willoughby is President and CEO of Headlands Asset Management LLC, a private equity investment firm located in San Rafael, California, with executive headquarters in Manhattan. Prior to co-founding Headlands, Ms. Willoughby was Senior Managing Director at Bear, Stearns & Co., Fixed Income Sales & Trading, 1992-2008. Ms. Willoughby is one of the original members of the Bellevue Literary Press Advisory Board.

Ellen Adler is the former publisher of The New Press, where she worked for 21 years. She was named Person of the Year by Publishers Weekly in 2021. While publisher, Adler acquired and edited works of narrative nonfiction and memoir as well as books about inequality and social policy. Among her authors are the National Book Award finalist Arlie Russell Hochschild (Strangers in Their Own Land and Stolen Pride); the NAACP Image Award winner Susan Burton (Becoming Ms. Burton); Susan Linn (Who’s Raising the Kids?); and Sohaila Abdulali (What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape).

Prior to joining The New Press, Adler held a range of editorial, marketing, and executive positions at Berlitz, Doubleday & Co., The Dial Press, and Alfred A. Knopf. She is a past trustee of and advisor to Columbia University Press; served on the Association of American Publishers’ Freedom to Read Committee; and is a former member of the steering committee of the Independent Publishers Caucus.

Kate Aufses is an attorney based in New York City. She is currently Counsel with the law firm Freedman Normand Friedland LLP, where her practice focuses on art law and, in particular, representing claimants seeking restitution of artworks misappropriated during World War II. Kate previously worked as a litigator at two New York law firms and as Associate General Counsel to the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the country's largest municipal funder of the arts. Kate is a member of the Board of Trustees of Hudson Guild, a multi-service community agency serving the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Kate holds a BA in English from Kenyon College, two MPhils from Cambridge University, and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School. Kate is a passionate reader and art lover, and she lives on the Upper East Side with her husband and two sons.

Matthew Bucknor, MD, MFA, is an Associate Professor and the Associate Chair for Wellbeing and Professional Climate in the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging. He also serves as Executive Sponsor of Differences Matter, a multi-year UCSF School of Medicine initiative designed to promote equity, belonging, and anti-oppression at UCSF. He earned a BA in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University, an MD from Stanford School of Medicine, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. He is an Executive Board Member of the Pegasus Physician Writers at Stanford, where he has led monthly writing workshops since 2013. His creative writing has been published in Intima and Aaduna and has received awards from Glimmer Train, The Sewanee Review, and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.

Thomas Campbell Jackson is a member of BLP’s advisory board and a private investor active in film, theater, and publishing. He is a venture partner at Easton Capital Investment Group and has over two decades of experience in health affairs, including as director of the City of New York’s Health Benefits Program for over a million municipal employees, retirees, and dependents. He has advised municipalities, companies, and nonprofits on health and insurance policy, and has sat on the boards of several tech startups. Mr. Jackson has served on the Board of Advisors of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia Alumni Association, and was Board President of the Imagine Science Film Festival, and Imaginal Disc Productions. With his wife and daughter he helms the Brandt Jackson Foundation, with broad interests in the arts and sciences.

Cynthia H. Cho is a corporate attorney based in New York City. After practicing at two law firms, she is now in-house at Advance, a private company that owns and invests in companies across industries including media, technology, and entertainment. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and her B.A., in political science, from Stanford University. In between law school and college, she worked at an education nonprofit, on a political campaign, and as a newspaper reporter. She grew up in Queens and lives in Brooklyn.

Ellen Chodosh has recently retired as Director, New York University Press, a position she held for 10 years. While at NYU she also served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Publishing, School of Professional Studies, and was an adjunct instructor in the Masters of Science in Publishing Program. Prior to this, she had a long career at Oxford University Press holding a variety of positions, including Vice-President and Publisher Trade Division, and ran a consultancy that provided research services and strategic planning for think tanks, university presses, and independent publishers.

Bruce Morrow has 29 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit leadership. He has worked with the Misty Copeland Foundation, The Trevor Project, GLAAD, Girl Scouts of the USA, Bank Street College of Education, and Teachers & Writers Collaborative. He is a former fiction editor at Callaloo and a co-editor of Shade: An Anthology of Fiction by Gay Men of African Descent. His writing has been published in the New York Times, Speak My Name: Black Men on Masculinity and the American Dream, and Freedom in this Village: Twenty-Five Years of Black Gay Men’s Writing. He holds a BS in Biology from RIT and an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University,

David Oshinsky, PhD, is the director of the Division of Medical Humanities at NYU School of Medicine and a professor in the NYU Department of History. Previously, Dr. Oshinsky was at the University of Texas at Austin, where he received the university’s Raymond Dickson Centennial Teaching Award. He graduated from Cornell University and obtained his PhD from Brandeis University.

An accomplished writer and American historian, he is the author of several books, which include A Conspiracy So Immense: The World of Joe McCarthy, which won the Hardeman Prize for the best book about the U.S. Congress, and Worse Than Slavery, which won the Robert F. Kennedy Prize for distinguished contribution to human rights. His latest book, Polio: An American Story, won both the Pulitzer Prize in History and the Hoover Presidential Book Award. In 2009, PBS aired a documentary based upon this work, “The Polio Crusade,” and he received the Dean’s Medal from the Bloomberg-Johns Hopkins School of Public Health for his distinguished contributions to the field. His articles and reviews appear regularly in the New York Times and other national publications.

Jennifer H. Pien, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor and Stanford Medical Humanities & Arts faculty through the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University. In addition to her clinical work for physician well-being, she is the Director of Health Narratives at Stanford: The Pegasus Physician Writers, Founder of The Pegasus Review, and faculty editor for the Oxford Review of Books x Stanford collaboration. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Stanford School of Medicine Medical Humanities Fellowship. Her interests include advocacy for adults with developmental disabilities and the intersection of creative writing and medical humanities. Her forthcoming debut novel is represented by Lisa Grubka, United Talent Agency, and her nonfiction work is represented by Amy Collins, Talcott Notch Literary.

Diana Robinson is a wealth manager focused on working with families to help them achieve their financial goals and, from there, realize their dreams. She is the Managing Director and Head of Investments and Advice for J.P. Morgan Private Bank, U.K., Ireland, and the Channel Islands. She has worked at J.P. Morgan for close to 30 years, interspersing her time with consultant roles in Social Finance, Women’s Financial Empowerment, and not-for-profit companies in the areas of education and social care. Diana is a US citizen who has lived in Europe and Asia with her husband and two adult children. She moved to London from Asia in 2023 and is enjoying the opportunities available to take an active role in supporting the vibrant arts and science communities in the U.K.