Opportunity Labs

Mario Ramirez, MD, MPP referenced in a Hill op-ed about bird flu: "Dr. Mario Ramirez, an emergency medicine physician, current managing director at Opportunity Labs, and former acting director for Pandemic and Emerging Threats in the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently warned in an op-ed of “a critical need for a more robust and adaptable plan, especially for protecting children and schools, severely affected by the faults in the COVID-19 pandemic response.” Worth reading in full!

In my op-ed published this morning in STAT News, “Preparing schools for the H5N1 bird fly they’re likely to face,” I discuss what actions school leaders and public health officials need to take now to help minimize learning disruption if an avian flu jumps to humans. This includes school leaders intentionally addressing the gaps in school pandemic response planning, testing health-data sharing systems, and conducting tabletop planning exercises, while federal health officials urgently need to change the way we’re approaching a potential mass vaccination campaign in kids. Opportunity Labs worked with education leaders across the country during the Covid pandemic, reach out if you’d like to discuss where we think avian flu is headed.  Andrew Buher Juliette Cricket Heinze Briana Thompson Zoe Schlesinger Marisa Porges Dan Hanfling MD Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Ronit Feifer U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://lnkd.in/gmjgYv9y

Super excited to welcome Marisa Porges to the Opportunity Labs team as a Senior Advisor. For the last seven years, Marisa was head of the Baldwin School, an excellent all-girls school in Philly. She is a former senior advisor at the White House, fighter pilot, and author of "What Girls Need: How to Raise Bold, Courageous and Resilient Women." Welcome Marisa! Mario Ramirez, MD, MPP Juliette Cricket Heinze Briana Thompson Zoe Schlesinger

Andrew Buher and Gretchen Shipley this morning on why benchmarks in AI procurement are critical for schools. Great piece discussing the work that Opportunity Labs and our partners are developing on this critical issue. check out their piece here. Zoe Schlesinger Juliette Cricket Heinze Briana Thompson https://lnkd.in/e-S3xjMb

New research alert! School Social Workers play a crucial role in advancing a school's mission of fostering an environment conducive to learning and the development of student competence and confidence. Given School Social Workers’ unique skills, role, and proximity to students, staff, and families, we conducted a nationwide survey of school social workers to understand their views on the effects of emerging technologies, specifically generative AI, on student wellbeing. SSWAA School Social Work Assn of America Assn of America Rebecca Oliver Mario Ramirez, MD, MPP Zoe Schlesinger Juliette Cricket Heinze Briana Thompson EDSAFE AI Alliance #AI #GenAI

New Year, New Look, New Opportunities. Today Opportunity Labs is launching our new website and our annual list of Opportunity Opportunities (separate post). Check both out. Mario Ramirez, MD, MPP Juliette Cricket Heinze Briana Thompson Zoe Schlesinger