Our Leadership
Co-Founder
Linda Mussallem
Linda Mussallem is the co-founder of the Mussallem CHD Alliance and the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, and a lifelong advocate for integrative health, inclusive design, and whole-person care. Through her philanthropic leadership, she has advanced health equity and community-based wellness initiatives, with a particular focus on underserved and historically excluded populations, including individuals with Down syndrome. Linda serves on the Advisory Board of the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and co-founded the George and Bob Fund, which has contributed more than $25 million to programs that elevate dignity, access, and quality of life. Her work bridges healthcare advocacy, design, and strategic philanthropy to create environments where people can thrive.
Co-Founder
Mike Mussallem
Mike Mussallem is the co-founder of the Mussallem CHD Alliance, the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, and the former Chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences. During more than two decades of leadership, he helped transform structural heart care and establish Edwards as a global leader in patient-centered medical technology, while also launching the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. Together with his wife Linda, Mike has long supported health equity, Down syndrome advocacy, and whole-person care through strategic philanthropy. Their joint efforts include co-founding the George and Bob Fund to drive innovation, access, and system-level impact for people living with Down syndrome.
President
Orin Herskowitz
Orin Herskowitz is the President of the Mussallem CHD Alliance. Prior to joining the Alliance, he served as Senior Vice President of Applied Innovation at Columbia University, where he led initiatives spanning innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and science-based economic development. Orin has been deeply engaged in regional and national innovation efforts, including service with the Center for American Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He has also advised organizations such as the National Science Foundation, ARPA-H, and Schmidt Futures.
Executive Vice President, Public Affairs
Perry Bridger
Perry Bridger is the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Mussallem CHD Alliance, bringing expertise in healthcare policy, market access, and public affairs. Prior to joining the Alliance, he served in senior leadership roles at Edwards Lifesciences, including Senior Vice President and later Senior Advisor, Public Affairs, where he helped shape global market access, reimbursement, and public policy strategy in support of patient-centered innovation. Earlier in his career, Perry was a Health Policy Analyst in the Coverage and Analysis Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he led Medicare national coverage policy for cardiology, neurologic, and orthopedic medical devices. He also served as Senior Vice President and Director of the Reimbursement and Product Commercialization Practice at Avalere Health, advising healthcare innovators on policy and market strategy.
Vice President, Communications
Alyssa Lorenzo
Alyssa Lorenzo is the Vice President of Communications for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. Prior to joining the Alliance, she was a Partner at FGS Global in its strategic and financial communications practice. At FGS, she advised public and private company as well as non-profit foundation clients on a wide range of complex situations, including long-term strategic profile-raising campaigns, M&A transactions and financial restructurings, and litigation and crisis situations. Over her fifteen-years with the firm, Alyssa provided communications counsel to clients across diverse industries, such as healthcare, technology, media, and real estate with an emphasis on advising investment firms and financial sponsors. Earlier in her career, she was a legal assistant supporting business litigation and real estate cases at two boutique law firms.
Director of Operations
Krystal Estrada
Krystal Estrada is the Director of Operations for the Mussallem CHD Alliance and brings more than 13 years of operations leadership experience across nonprofit and creative organizations. Most recently, as Director of Operations at BES (Build. Excel. Sustain.), she developed scalable systems and processes that improved organizational efficiency, strengthened cross-functional collaboration, and created greater clarity for both internal teams and program participants. As the parent of a daughter born with CHD, Krystal also brings personal perspective to her role. Having navigated the CHD journey firsthand, she is committed to building the internal systems and processes that enable Mussallem CHD Alliance to better serve and support the CHD community.
Head of Patient Data Strategy and Real-World Evidence
Andrew Schrag
Andrew Schrag is the Head of Patient Data Strategy and Real-World Evidence for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. Prior to joining, he led product at Syapse through its acquisition by N-Power Medicine, building the multi-modal clinical data platform and cross-functional teams responsible for longitudinal patient data products used across major health systems and life sciences organizations. His work in oncology contributed to dozens of publications, collaboration with the FDA and Friends of Cancer Research to establish evidence standards for use of real-world data, and research that shaped drug approvals and improved patient outcomes. Andrew has a background in Computer & Data Science and is passionate about using data and technology to tangibly improve people’s lives.
Our Staff
Chief of Staff
Eva Yao
Eva Yao is the Chief of Staff of the Mussallem CHD Alliance and is on secondment from McKinsey & Company, where she served as a Senior Business Analyst focused primarily on healthcare provider organizations. She joined McKinsey after graduating from Dartmouth College, where she studied Government and Psychology. During her undergraduate years, Eva founded a healthcare nonprofit in response to COVID-19 to provide financial support for students seeking mental health care. Her work reflects a strong commitment to healthcare access and organizational impact.
Research Strategy & Operations Manager
Jonathan Birabaharan
Jonathan Birabaharan is the Research Strategy & Operations Manager for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. Prior to joining, he was a Blavatnik Fellow at Yale Ventures, where he partnered with faculty to translate academic research into commercial ventures across multiple therapeutic areas. His career spans academia, startups, accelerators, and venture capital, including roles at UPMC Enterprises, LifeX, and Resilient Life Sciences. Jonathan holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, along with a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Communications Assistant & Office Manager
Amelia Spiegelman
Amelia Spiegelman is the Communications Assistant and Office Manager for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. Prior to joining the Alliance, she worked across multiple divisions of the Simons Foundation, supporting science engagement and interdisciplinary initiatives. Earlier, she conducted astrophysics research at NYU’s Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, contributing to exoplanet classification using high-performance computing. Amelia holds a degree in Physics from NYU, with minors in Astronomy and Studio Art.
Executive Assistant
Lisa Beach
Lisa Beach is an Executive Assistant for the Mussallem CHD Alliance, where she supports leadership operations and key organizational priorities. Before joining the Alliance, she served as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Edwards Lifesciences. Over her 17-year tenure at Edwards, she also supported the R&D teams in the Transcatheter Heart Valve business unit before transitioning into marketing. She played a key role in supporting the global study and launch of transcatheter aortic valve replacement therapy, helping the team address complex challenges and broaden patient access worldwide. Earlier in her career, she was a corporate meeting planner in the medical device, life sciences and diagnostics markets.
Friends of the Alliance
Beyond our core team, the Mussallem CHD Alliance is powered by an exceptional group of volunteer clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who serve as essential contributors to our mission.
Meet the Alliance
The Mussallem CHD Alliance is growing. Working alongside our founders, MCA members include clinicians, researchers, funders, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to transforming CHD care.