Team Member Category: Leadership Team

Chief Operating Officer

Vimal Bhatnagar joined Aquifer in October of 2023. He is responsible for executing the company’s vision and strategic plan in the health professions education market, overseeing all business operations such as product innovation, sales, marketing, HR, and financial systems, and ensuring alignment for maximum impact. Additionally, he will support product strategy, ensuring innovation, operational quality, and scalability through best practices and performance metrics.

Vimal has a background in healthcare operations, where he has performed the role of Chief Operating Officer, driving growth for both start-up and mature dental service organizations. He received his MA from Case Western Reserve University and his JD from the Cleveland State College of Law.

Vimal lives in Ohio and enjoys spending time with his family, watching and coaching sports, and reading.

Aquifer Team: Executive

Chief Curriculum Officer

Emily Stewart, MD joined Aquifer in August of 2022. She is responsible for all aspects of Aquifer’s academic and curriculum strategy, and oversees all content, assessment, teaching and learning integration, research and Consortium operations. Emily comes to us from Thomas Jefferson University where she was an Associate Professor of Medicine, Hospitalist, and the Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. Prior to her role as Residency Program Director she served as Internal Medicine Subinternship Director, Course Director for the GATEWAY to Internship course for which she led the development and implementation, and Co-Clerkship Director for Internal Medicine. She recently moved to New Hampshire with her husband, Jeff, and two daughters. They enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, skiing and playing sports.

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Leslie Fall is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aquifer and a Clinical Professor in the Division of Medical Education at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is a nationally recognized expert on innovation in health professions education and evidence-based methods for the integration of basic science into clinical education. Formerly a Full Professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and Vice Dean for Faculty Development, Dr. Fall took the helm full time at Aquifer in 2015.

A graduate of Dartmouth Medical School, she completed a medical education fellowship at Michigan State University and the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program for women. Dr. Fall is a former pediatric clerkship and residency program director, and an inaugural member of Geisel’s Academy of Master Educators. She has been both locally and nationally involved in the continuum of medical student, resident, and faculty education throughout her career, particularly through the lens of expertise development. Her work has resulted in numerous publications, invited national workshops, and visiting professorships.

Chief Financial Officer

Craig joined Aquifer in 2018 and is responsible for all financial, human resources and administrative operations.  He has a varied and extensive background in finance, software development, medical and consumer product development, and manufacturing.  He’s also been a co-principal investigator on SBIR research programs and has published on product development risk management. Craig received his BS from MIT and his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.  He lives in NH with his wife and two Maine Coon cats and enjoys international travel and the outdoors.