media
a lot of corporate takeovers , when Carl Icahn was a big presence in biotech . I got to learn about inspiring and ama�ing cancer drugs being created by Celgene , a New Jerseybased company .
����I� �����ME T� ����� ��� ��I�� �T�RIE� �T��� ��T
�R�M ���R TIME T�ERE �� ��R�
After seven years atBloomberg , Iwas ready to stretch my wings and try somewhere else . Ihad lunch with CNBC ’ s former pharma reporter , and he said that he ’ d put me in touch with Nik Deogun , CNBC ’ s editor in chief ( who also lives in Montclair ). It took me ayear to convince him Icould make the jump toTV , but Idid .
Right after Imoved over toCNBC , Iattended ahuge cancer conference that ’ s held inJune every year . Compassionate use of drugs — access to experimental drugs outside clinical trials — was coming into focus . For one of the first stories Idid , I interviewed ateen with arare cancer whose doctor thought would be perfect for immunotherapy drugs , but the teen couldn ’ tget access to them .
The �bola outbreak began in West Africa months later . Apatient in Dallas was diagnosed , and we covered the story for three straight days .
��E� �I� ����IR�T�E��ME ���RE �� T�E ��R����IR���
��� �������� ���ER IT� CNBC started covering the story closely from the beginning of February with nightly specials . ( Former FDA commissioner ) Scott Gottlieb and Dr . Fauci sounded the alarm . Others look at the markets and how they ’ re affected� Ifocus on the development and scientific aspects of the vaccines .
���T��ITLI�E T� �E �� T�E ��ME �E�T ��R M��T
�� ���R ��REER�
Being speciali�ed has been ama�ing , because I ’ ve known alot of the people who ’ ve been important to
MIXING BUSINESS WIT� PLEASURE T������ ��������� ���� ��� ��� ������� ��������� �������� �� ��� M�������� ���� ������������ .
the COVID story for a long time . I interviewed Dr . Fauci about the universal flu vaccine , and got to see his office with clippings of himself serving all these different presidents . It was like walking into history . I ’ ve worked with Moncef Slaoui , the former head of Operation Warp Speed who ’ s important in the health world , and Paul Stoffels , the chief scientific officer atJohnson �Johnson .
��� T�E ��LITI��L �LIM�TE ���E�TE� ���R ��ILIT�
T� �� ���R ����
It ’ s acaustic environment . With Pfi�er , there was aback and forth about whether it would be available on election day , and some people think this could have changed the way people voted . But the trial wasn ’ t done , and Ihad to explain the medical reasons for it . People assume you have apolitical agenda inboth directions , so you feel like you must be doing it right !
��� �����ME ��ME �T�RIE� T��T�ILL M��E �E��LI�E�
I� �����
COVID isgoing tobeimportant for months to come , but the rest of the medical world is still working . There ’ s the decision from the FDA about approving an Al�heimer ’ s drug that showed mixed results in clinical trials . They ’ re a couple years away from better options . The opioid crisis has gotten eclipsed by the coronavirus , but there will be unprecedented trials to hold the industry accountable .
���TI����R ��R� ���E��LE
LI�E ����
Iwork from �a . m . to 8p . m ., at the end of The News with Shepard Smith . Isee my toddler and husband between TV hits . Ileft the newsroom on March 18 , and haven ’ t been back in the office since then . Ican do this because my ama�ing husband does most of my house care and helps with the child care .
���T�TTR��TE� ���T�
M��T�L�IR�
When Iwas expecting in2018 , we had to move out of Manhattan to afford more room , and Iheard from so many ofmycoworkers that Montclair is great . The first time we visited was on abeautiful day . My husband and Isaw charming houses and parks , and we fell in love .
What ’ s also cool is that there are so many artistic people inthis town . The former owners ofour house built the sound studio on the third floor that ’ s now my TV studio . ■
COURTESY OF �OSH HEILBRONNER
�
SPRING 2021 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE