Andrew Rosner, JD, has worked extensively in healthcare advocacy and public health program development in under-served communities. For over 10 years, Andrew worked as a healthcare attorney where he advocated on behalf of individuals and organizations involving a range of healthcare issues. Andrew provided leadership within a number of organizations that addressed healthcare disparities and access issues, including the HERO Program, a federally funded program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Andrew also founded Entertaining Health, LLC, a research company that provides evaluation services for public health programs. Andrew developed key collaborations with New York University’s Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Yale University. Andrew has worked extensively in cannabis, including with the New York State Hemp Pilot Program where he focused on statutory and regulatory issues connected with consumer safety. Andrew advocates at the state and federal level for evidenced-based policies that support an equitable and accessible medical cannabis industry. He is currently developing a class for Syracuse University on Cannabis Law, Policy, and Social Justice.

Alexander Pearlman, PhD, is a computational biologist who holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, a master's degree in molecular biology and a doctoral degree in computational biology. His graduate research at NYU was focused on studying the biology of metastatic cancer through the lens of the tumor genome. He investigated the molecular basis for the prostate cancer health disparity in African American and Caucasian American men. As Instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine he translated his graduate work into a clinical tool by developing a DNA based prognostic model that could predict the likelihood of prostate, breast and lung primary tumors to become metastatic. Through his 20 years of research Alex co-authored 21 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Currently he is working to develop diagnostics and therapeutics involving the use of cannabis medicines that will revolutionize the management of disease by providing meaningful guidance for treatments that improve the patient’s quality of life.

Ranjit Arpels-Josiah is a board certified cardiologist with over 20 years of broad-based clinical experience. Currently he practices cardiovascular medicine at the Mount Sinai Health System at Beth Israel and had previously been in private practice at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City where he developed and co-managed a cardiac MRI center. In pursuing his clinical and research interests in cardiovascular risk factors, Ranjit focuses on the role of social determinants in health. Throughout his career, Ranjit has sought to address the disparities in the delivery of medical care, including working in inner city emergency rooms and providing primary care services in Native American Communities.