Anita Kawatra, who headed external affairs at Prothena Biosciences, joined Edelman in New York as executive VP in its health sector.
She'll handle client/business development in the Rx, life sciences and biotech categories.
The more than 20-year communications veteran has worked in scientific, crisis regulatory, product and policy communications.
Before Prothena, Kawatra rose to VP-scientific relations at Elan Pharmaceuticals after doing PA, corporate marketing, global media relations and advocacy relations there.
She also held communications jobs at Merck & Co. and Merck-Media and began a career as speechwriter to New York Mayor David Dinkins and Governor Mario Cuomo.
Kawatra reports to Bruce Hayes, New York managing director of health at the No. 1 independent firm.
Lo Isidro, senior director at Real Chemistry with more than a decade of strategic communications and PA experience, has joined Narrative Strategies.
Nelson Fernandez, former North American chair of APCO Worldwide and managing director of Burson-Marsteller, has joined Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires as director of communications and PA.
Lilit Bargar, who was most recently an EVP in the healthcare practice at Weber Shandwick, comes on board at GCI Health as EVP, corporate practice lead.
Five ways that successful thought leaders are made.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.