Dr. David Batman Joins Virgin Pulse Science Advisory Board

FRAMINGHAM, MA--(Marketwired - September 22, 2016) - Virgin Pulse, the leading provider of employee-centric solutions that drive wellbeing, culture, and productivity across organizations around the world, is pleased to announce that Dr. David Batman, an international expert in work-related health issues, has joined its highly-regarded Science Advisory Board. Dr. Batman comes to Virgin Pulse after serving for eight years as chief medical advisor to The Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), an employee wellbeing company that Virgin Pulse acquired earlier this year.

With 26 years of experience working as a fully registered consultant physician in occupational medicine, and 20 years as Head of Occupational Health and Safety and employee wellbeing for Nestle in the UK and Ireland, Dr. Batman brings wide-ranging expertise spanning pre-employment assessment, return to work evaluation, employee resilience, talent management and rehabilitation to the Board. In addition to his role with GCC, Dr. Batman facilitates weekly clinics advising employers and employees on work-related health matters. His unique perspective -- uniting occupational health, work-related psychological issues, and international wellbeing -- brings holistic, global insight to Virgin Pulse's Science Advisory Board.

"Dr. Batman's significant experience and expertise in occupational health will be incredibly valuable to the research initiatives of the Science Advisory Board," said Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Chief Medical Officer of the Virgin Pulse Institute, President of Virgin Pulse. "As global wellbeing advances and evolves, we feel extremely lucky to be working with one of the leading minds in the field of international occupational health. Dr. Batman's work with GCC has been impactful and impressive, and we are eager to bring his insights to a broad audience of HR and wellbeing professionals and influencers."

"The invitation to join the Science Advisory Board is exciting, both personally and professionally," said Dr. Batman. "As a lifelong proponent of personal and workplace wellbeing, I welcome and embrace the opportunity to work with like-minded experts to bring leadership to both employers and employees as they work to advance the health, wellbeing, and resilience of the workforce. I'm proud to advance a mission which will benefit so many individuals and their families."

The Science Advisory Board is a part of The Virgin Pulse Institute, a research organization dedicated to proving that investing in employee wellbeing is a critical talent optimization strategy that yields significant value-on-investment for businesses. Science Advisory Board members work collaboratively with the Institute's dedicated analytics team and Global Wellbeing Alliance to deliver data, materials, and actionable insights that aid workplace wellbeing professionals as they deliver meaningful programs that improve employee health, productivity, and engagement.

The Science Advisory Board is comprised of the world's most respected researchers and thought leaders in the fields of employee wellbeing, habit formation, and behavioral economics, including:

• Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, Ph.D., MPH: Christakis directs the Human Nature Lab at Yale University and is the Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science. He is a social scientist and physician who conducts research in the areas of biosocial science, network science, and behavior genetics. Read Dr. Christakis's white paper, "Social Connections and Wellbeing."
• Eric A Finkelstein, Ph.D., M.H.A.: Finkelstein is Executive Center Director of the Lien Centre for Palliative Care and Professor at the Duke‐National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School and Research Professor at Duke University Global Health Institute. He is a leading international health economist doing research in the economics of health behaviors. Watch Dr. Finkelstein's webinar, "Behavioral Economics Role in Driving Change."
• B.J. Fogg, Ph.D.: Fogg directs the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University. He is a leading researcher on behavior change and habit formation, and his breakthrough work has led to a new field called Behavior Design. Watch Dr. Fogg's webinar, "Designing Environments to Sustain Wellbeing."
• Ron Goetzel, Ph.D.: Goetzel is a Senior Scientist and Director of the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies (IHPS) at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Vice President of Consulting and Applied Research for Truven Health Analytics. He is a nationally recognized and widely published expert in health and productivity management (HPM), return-on-investment (ROI), program evaluation and outcomes research. Read Dr. Goetzel's white paper, "The Dos and Don'ts of Workplace Health and Wellbeing Programs: Why Building a Culture of Health is a Ture Differentiator."
• Christopher P. Landrigan, MD, MPH: Landrigan is Director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Research Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at Boston's Children's Hospital. A major focus of his work has been evaluating the effects of healthcare provider sleep deprivation on patient and provider safety, and the effects of interventions to reduce these risks. Watch Dr. Landrigan's webinar, "Asleep On the Job: Sleep Deprivation's Debilitating Impact on Employees."
• I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD, MPH: Lee is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her research primarily focuses on the role of physical activity in preventing chronic diseases and enhancing longevity. Watch Dr. Lee's webinar, "A Little Goes a Long Way: Exercise's Impact on Health & Longevity."

Join Dr. Batman as he hosts a webinar on Thursday, October 13, at 2 PM EDT addressing the impact of lifestyles on employee and business performance, as well as psychological health. Registration for the webinar is free and open to the public. To attend the live event, visit the webinar registration page. To learn more about the Science Advisory Board and Virgin Pulse's mission to create thriving workplace cultures, visit www.virginpulse.com.

About Virgin Pulse
Virgin Pulse, the leading provider of technology solutions that promote employee engagement and wellbeing and part of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, helps employers create workforces that are happier, healthier and ultimately more productive. The company's modern, mobile first platform delivers a personalized user experience that utilizes gamification to engage users in building habits that inspire meaningful and measurable change across individuals and the businesses they serve. By helping employees thrive at work and in all aspects of life, Virgin Pulse is helping change lives and businesses around the world for good. More than 2,500 global organizations representing many of the Fortune 500 and Best Places to Work, have selected Virgin Pulse's solutions to engage their workforces and drive their businesses forward.