WSJ names new health and medicine editor, and health/science news editor

Stefanie Ilgenfritz, health and science coverage chief at The Wall Street Journal, sent out the following announcement on Thursday:

Friends,

I’m happy to share some exciting news and moves in our growing Health & Science coverage area.

John Simons is named Deputy Coverage Chief for Health & Science, effective immediately. John will work with me to lead the group and guide all of our coverage. He’ll also direct one of our three reporting teams, this one focused on the health-care industry, including health insurers, hospitals and the intersection of tech and medicine.

John is returning to the U.S. from London, where he led energy coverage in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He was previously deputy bureau chief for management & careers, and has a deep background in business and health care, including stints at Newsweek/IBT Media, the Associated Press and Fortune where he covered biotech, pharma and tech. DC hands will also recall John as an economic policy reporter in the Journal’s Washington buro. He and his family have relocated back to New Jersey.

In addition, also effective now, Jonathan Rockoff is named Health and Medicine Editor, leading the team covering public health, medical research and drug and device development. Jon had previously been deputy of the health and science bureau, and has written extensively about pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Among his work, he contributed to a series of articles on drug pricing that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. Jon is an experienced reporter who got his start covering police and police corruption at the Providence Journal. For the Baltimore Sun, he covered schools, worked as investigative reporter and served as a Washington correspondent. He is not depicted by any character in The Wire.

Nour Malas has joined the team as a News Editor, helping us produce polished, digital-savvy packages of content, and keep on top of breaking news. Nour joins us after a year away on a fellowship at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, where she focused partly on studying digital strategy and innovation in business. Before that, she was a reporter based in Los Angeles covering economic development on the West Coast. From 2009 to 2017, she was a Middle East correspondent for the Journal, covering everything from oil markets in the Gulf to the historic Arab Spring uprisings and the rise and fall of the Islamic State terror group. She wrote fun Aheds from the region, too.

We are also seeking a Science Editor to lead our third reporting team, and stay tuned for some additional reporter openings as we fill out the coverage area.

Please welcome John, Jon and Nour in their new roles as we plow ahead through the Covid-19 storm and into the future. You can reach the team at HealthScienceEds@dowjones.com