1 9 9 7 - 9 8 ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Health ▁Policy ▁Fellow ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁on ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁the ▁Labor ▁Sub comm ittee ▁for ▁Public ▁Health ▁and ▁Saf ety ▁ ▁At ▁V ander b ilt ▁he ▁serves ▁as ▁Vice - Ch air man ▁of ▁Ne uro log y , ▁and ▁ ▁previously ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁Ass istant ▁Dean ▁of ▁Ad m issions ▁for ▁the ▁Medical ▁School , ▁and ▁ ▁the ▁Ne uro log y ▁Res iden cy ▁Program ▁Director . ▁ ▁Alliance ▁for ▁Pat ient ▁Access ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁Chair ▁of ▁the ▁Alliance ▁for ▁Pat ient ▁Access , ▁which , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁" re pres ents ▁phys icians ▁and ▁is ▁largely ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁ph arma ce ut ical ▁industry . ▁The ▁contrib utors ▁mostly ▁include ▁brand - name ▁drug ▁mak ers ▁and ▁bi ote chs , ▁but ▁some ▁– ▁such ▁as ▁Pf izer ▁and ▁Am gen ▁– ▁are ▁also ▁developing ▁b ios im il ars ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁he ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁special ty ▁dru gs ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁agreed ▁with ▁the ▁find ings ▁of ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁Bud get ▁Office ▁that ▁sp ending ▁on ▁pres cription ▁medic ations ▁" s aves ▁costs ▁in ▁other ▁areas ▁of ▁health care ▁sp ending ." ▁He ▁observed ▁that ▁special ty ▁dru gs ▁are ▁so ▁high ▁pr iced ▁that ▁many ▁patients ▁do ▁not ▁fill ▁pres cri ptions ▁resulting ▁in ▁more ▁serious ▁health ▁problems ▁increasing . ▁His ▁article ▁referred ▁to