MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS

FOCUS AREA WORKING GROUP

The strategic mission and objectives of the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) Medical Communications Focus Area Working Group are to create a community that advances our role as fully integrated strategic business partners to promote the growth of Medical Affairs Professionals within the Medical Communications sector worldwide; to develop our Medical Communications community within MAPS to become the premier global destination of choice for Medical Communications MA Professionals; and to catalyze our individual personal leadership development and professional career advancement.

Activities: 

We will organize Medical Communications workshops for MAPS meetings in the North America, APAC (Asia Pacific – China/Japan), and EMEA (Europe, Middle-East, Asia) regions. We develop original content for webinars, podcasts, eLearning courses and white papers. In addition, the working group will periodically contribute cogent and timely content on the Medical Communications sector for the MAPS publication, Elevate magazine. Most importantly, we will provide a supportive resource for all Medical Communications Medical Affairs Professionals.

Strategic Objectives

Innovate and enhance best practices in Medical Communications
- Educate on the evolving landscape of innovation in Medical Communications
- Define ways to demonstrate the value of Medical Communications using effective metrics
Demonstrate the strategic value of an integrated Medical Communications Function as part of Medical Affairs
- Enhance understanding within the Medical Affairs community on the various capabilities of Medical Communications
- Further strengthen collaboration between Medical Communications and other Medical Affairs functions

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Description: In this third podcast episode in collaboration with Open Health, MAPS speaks with Jessica Ingram, Managing Director of Learning and Development at Open Health, and two of her team: Briony Frost, Learning Design and Development Specialist, and Jessamy Lowe, Senior Account Handler. Joining Jess, Jessie, and Briony is Seema Haider.

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MEMBERS

Brian Falcone

Co-Lead for Medical Communication FAWG

Strategic Business Unit Lead

Fatima Ahmad

Therapy Area Head -Rare Endocrine/Rare Renal, Rare Disease Therapy Area, Clinical Medical Regulatory

Clare Baker

Senior Director, Head of Medical Excellence

Elise Blankenship

Director, Medical Affairs Excellence & Chief of Staff North America Medical Affairs

Elvira Dsouza

President

Sissy Easo-Joseph

Director, Scientific Communications, Antibiotic Portfolio

Ezinneka Imoh

Associate Director, Global Scientific Communications & Medical Education, Rare Diseases

Renu Juneja

Head of Scientific Evidence and Communications

Paolo Marchi

Director, Global Medical Communications Rare Diseases Early Indications

Teri Michelini

Head, Global Oncology Scientific Communications

Paul O’Grady

Executive Director, Worldwide Medical Oncology, Medical Communications

Avishek Pal

Scientific Communications Director, Cell & Gene Therapies

Narmada Rosner

Director, Group Lead, Global Medical Communications Center of Excellence

Marleen Van der Voort

Executive Director, Head of Global Medical Engagement Excellence

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RESOURCES RELATED TO MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS

Digital Opinion Leaders and HCP Influence Mapping

April 30, 2025

This article summarizes insights from a 2025 MAPS Roundtable where Medical Affairs leaders discussed emerging trends in digital engagement, focusing on the rise of Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs) and strategies for Healthcare Professional (HCP) influence mapping. The conversation highlighted how innovative approaches are reshaping disease awareness and stakeholder relationships.

Redefining Medical Affairs Strategy with Data

March 20, 2025

Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Affairs team is transforming strategy with data-driven insights, moving beyond traditional approaches to identify key opinion leaders, improve advisory board diversity, and enhance patient journey mapping. With H1’s analytics, they are shifting from quantity to quality in engagements, advancing health equity, and leveraging AI for smarter decision-making.

Storytelling: The Underappreciated Cornerstone of Evidence-Based Medical Communications

January 30, 2025

In an era of data-driven medical communications, we're missing a crucial ingredient: storytelling. New research shows our brains are wired to engage with narrative formats - making storytelling not just a 'nice-to-have' but a neurological necessity for effective medical education. Learn how the STORIES framework (Structure, Tailoring, Originality, Rationality, Immediacy, Emotionality, Simplicity) is revolutionizing how we communicate complex medical information to healthcare providers and patients alike. From graphic novels to VR simulations, see how narrative techniques are transforming medical education and patient engagement.

Sharpen Communication Strategies at Speed: Can We Unlock the New Insights From “Alternative Metrics”?

July 9, 2024

Digital Science held a roundtable discussion with Medical Affairs leaders in Madrid in May 2024 on the topic of scientific communications strategies assessment and their success measurements for multiple stakeholders.

Generating better outcomes for patients through strategic planning

May 29, 2024

From the choice of where to publish to the assessment of impact, every decision holds weight in medical research publication. And yet, the metrics that have been traditionally used to guide these decisions offer only a partial view. The result: a hit-or-miss situation when it comes to reaching the target audience—healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients. Can a data-driven approach that incorporates both traditional and the newer alternative metrics hold the key to improved publication planning, impact and thereby better patient outcomes?

Omnichannel integration in Medical Affairs: from aspiration to reality

March 18, 2024

Omnichannel communication is the strategy of integrating various communication channels, both digital and non-digital, and joining multiple communication touchpoints to provide a seamless, personalized experience, and unified identity across all channels, devices, and touchpoints: the customer (namely HCPs and patients), rather than the product, is at the center.

Charting a Course to Excellence: Discovering the Latest in Medical Publication Guidelines

Digital First Scientific Communications – How Digital is Transforming Medical Communications EPISODE 2: Open Access Part 1-Making Scientific Information More Accessible

October 24, 2022

In this our second episode this season, we'll be discussing open access in medical publishing from the biopharma perspective.

MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

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