About me
Priyanka is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Elephant Head Communications, LLC, a strategic life sciences communications consultancy. With over 18 years of experience in healthcare communications, Priyanka brings deep expertise in guiding life biopharma and biotech companies through the critical stages of their development. Her approach combines strategic insight with values of hard work, empathy, grit, and humility, offering clients a trusted partner in navigating complex business challenges.
Priyanka’s career has been defined by her ability to shape corporate narratives, foster strong stakeholder relationships, and manage communications for key milestones. Her leadership roles at Kinnate Biopharma as Vice President, Head of Communications and Investor Relations, and at Mirati Therapeutics as Head of Communications and ESG Lead, demonstrate her skill in guiding companies through their transition from research and development phases to clinical and commercial stages. Prior to these roles, she served as Senior Director at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), leading global communications during pivotal moments like the acquisitions of Celgene and Myokardia and overseeing financial communications and crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic. During her nearly six-year tenure, she also led global oncology communications for BMS flagship products like Opdivo and Yervoy across several indications. Her career in communications began at Edelman and Marina Maher Communications, where she advised healthcare companies, building the foundation for her now well-established career.
At EHC, Priyanka guides companies in crafting unique value propositions, building media equity, and shaping reputations. By offering personalized coaching, disclosure planning, and strategic communications, she ensures that each company’s story is authentically conveyed to their key audiences. Her focus on authenticity, credibility, and thoughtful engagement has made EHC a trusted partner for businesses striving to improve human health.
Priyanka has been named by the San Diego Business Journal a 40 under 40 Top Business Leader (2024), a Leader of Influence in Advertising, PR, and Marketing (2023) and a finalist for the Business Women of the Year award. In addition, she earned a spot among the Healthcare Technology Report's Top 25 Leaders of San Diego in 2022, and received the honor of PRWeek’s "40 under 40" in 2020.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Priyanka dedicates her time and skills to giving back to the community. She has served as a caregiving member of the interdisciplinary hospice care team at Penn Medicine, supported the communications efforts of Friend’s Health Connection, a 501c3 that provides health and wellness education and connects individuals for friendship and mutual support, and volunteered with organizations that support the wellbeing of the San Diego community, such as Mama’s Kitchen and +Box.
Priyanka is a founding board advisory member for Ticket to Biotech, a global biopharma communicator community. She holds a B.A. in Communications and Public Relations, and a M.A. in Communication and Information Studies with a focus on organizational and mediated communications, both from Rutgers University.
