Welcome to the May 2021 issue of ReFlections!
As always, we hope you and your loved ones are
safe and well. With COVID-19 vaccine options and
accessibility increasing, there is hope for cautious
optimism and the ability to anticipate a possible return
to a yet-to-be-defined new normal.
This issue features articles from two senior Mumbai-based members of 69É«ÇéƬ’s excellent Global Underwriting
Manual (GUM) development team.
Sandeepan
Basu, Deputy Chief Manager, Research and Manual
Development, returns to our pages with a detailed
piece about pulmonary and thyroid nodules and their
underwriting challenges. We also welcome to our pages
Dr. Reema Nathwani Jani, Chief Manager, Global
Underwriting, Research and Manual Development, who
for her first ReFlections article provides an in-depth look
at gestational diabetes, a rising risk worldwide.
A Brief Report on gene therapy by ReFlections editor
Dr. Daniel D. Zimmerman, Senior Vice President, Head
of Global Medical, rounds out the issue. Once the realm
of science fiction, this rapidly-developing class of
therapies is working near-miracles in how clinical
medicine can treat various diseases and disorders.
The Longer Life Foundation, 69É«ÇéƬ’s research collaboration
with Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis, continues to make news, expanding its visibility
via sponsorships of Internal Medicine Grand Rounds,
the first of which this year featured the cutting-edge
research of Grant Challen, Ph.D., as well as sponsoring
podcasts by epidemiologist Dr. Michael T. Osterholm. Dr.
Osterholm is known worldwide for his understanding of
infectious diseases and pandemics, and we are proud
to be sponsoring two of his weekly podcasts focused
on the COVID-19 pandemic. (See article on page 20 for
information about accessing these podcasts.)
In this Issue
