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SAN FRANCISCO —W2O has named Ujwal Pyati, a former medical researcher with healthcare agency experience, has been named practice lead, scientific strategy as part of the agency’s larger push to expand its scientific and medical communications practice.

Pyati joins from McCann Health North America where, as senior VP, director of scientific strategy, he was responsible for supervising teams across the McCann Health Network. He will be based in W2O’s Florham Park, NJ office.

In addition to growing the scientific and medical practice, Pyati is charged with integrating the group with the firm’s analytics/digital and value, pricing and market access practices. His role also includes developing the practice’s science-driven strategy and scientific storytelling.

“Uj has been an integral force in driving the commercial success of a vast range of high-science brands through bold, differentiated and inspiring disease awareness and brand campaigns,” said Jennifer Gottlieb, president of the W2O Group. “Because of this experience, he will not only make an immediate and measurable impact on our ability to define scientific strategies and stories for our cornerstone AOR assignments, but he will also provide scientific leadership throughout the firm on everything we do for clients across the board.

Before joining McCann in 2011, Pyati completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. His research experience extended over 13 years and earned him a Harvard Medical School hematology fellowship.