Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute
Director's Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG)
Member Biographies
To jump directly to a Member's Biography:
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 Bill Bro is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA), a global voluntary health organization. The KCA serves constituents in Canada, the United States, the European Union and more than 100 other countries from its suburban Chicago offices. The KCA's mission is the global eradication of death and suffering from renal cancers.
Mr. Bro is a Nonprofit Executive Scholar, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He is a retired corporate executive, with more than three decades of experience in broadcast station ownership, aviation services management, communications consulting, and website development. He is past chairman of the KCA, succeeding the organization's late founder, Eugene P. Schonfeld, in 1997, and serving as its CEO since 2002.
Mr. Bro is a member of the National Health Council, National Coalition for Cancer Research, and the Association Forum of Chicagoland. He is a director of Friends of Cancer Research, Washington, D.C. Mr. Bro also holds a seat on the Kidney Health Council of the American Urological Association (AUA), and he is listed as co-author of several recent journal articles.
Mr. Bro is a 16-year kidney cancer survivor whose avocation is flying; he is an instrument-rated commercial pilot.
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 Grace Butler, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus at the University of Houston with 30 years of experience in teaching and administration in higher education. Dr. Butler is a Stage III colorectal cancer survivor who founded Hope Through Grace, Inc (HTG) in 2002. She is currently CEO of HTG - a non-profit, organization designed to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer by offering prevention education, screening for early detection, and survivorship support. HTG covers the cost of colon cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured populations. The organization provides cancer awareness programs at shelters, churches, higher education institutions, underserved communities including senior survivors of Hurricane Katrina who relocated to the Houston area. HTG won the American Cancer Society "Harold P. Freeman Award, Texas Division" and was awarded a grant by the Houston Endowment to continue its work.
Dr. Butler has taken courses at UTMD in Health Disparities, and has become a certified community health educator in order to understand the needs of people across the cancer continuum from prevention to early detection through treatment. Dr. Butler has been honored by the Houston Area American Cancer Society with the "Partners in Courage Award" for her work as a cancer survivor.
She is currently a member of the NCI Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA) program. She most recently served on Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) concept review panels and the NCI Initial Review Group Subcommittee A, reviewing Cancer Center grant applications. She has also presented testimony at the President's Cancer Panel.
She is a founding Board Member of the Camp For All Foundation, has served on the Advisory Board of the Texas Children's Cancer Center and has recently accepted an invitation to membership on the UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. Dr. Butler was a panelist at a White House sponsored Roundtable on Advances in Cancer Prevention with President Bush and national health leaders, held at the Nation Institutes for Health.
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 Yvette Colón, Ph.D., MSW, is an oncology social worker with over 17 years of experience, as well as an ovarian cancer survivor of 25 years. She is currently the Director of Education and Internet Services at the American Pain Foundation, where she oversees the Pain Information Center and manages the organization's website and online support program with a membership of over 40,000, including discussion forums devoted to cancer and related topics.
Dr. Colón has been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, Comprehensive Cancer Control Leadership Institute, C-Change, Intercultural Cancer Council, Association of Oncology Social Work, National Association of Social Workers, Alliance of State Pain Initiatives, Maryland Cancer Control Plan, Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and Maryland Governor's Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Task Force. She is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care and the Education Advisory Committee of the American Academy of Pain Management.
She has published on pain management , oncology social work, diversity and disadvantage in healthcare, the experiences of lesbian and gay cancer patients at the end of their lives, and technology-based social work practice. She is on the faculty at Smith College School for Social Work Post-Master's Certificate Program in End-of-Life Care and participated in the development of the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care. She was a recipient of a Project on Death in America Social Work Leadership Development Award in 2001.
Dr. Colón is a Latina who is bilingual and knowledgeable about issues of health disparities through her volunteer and consulting work. She was a nominee for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004 and has received numerous awards, including the American Cancer Society Year of Achievement and Distinguished Voluntary Leadership Awards, City of New York/Latino Heritage Month Certificate of Appreciation and Certificate of Excellence in Clinical Service from the Smith College Center for Innovative Practice and Social Work Education. In 2007, she was elected as a Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice in Social Work.
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 Ms. Kelly L. Cotter, J.D., was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 1988 and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother that same year. The experience sparked her involvement in educating communities about childhood cancer issues. She has developed educational materials and brought together multidisciplinary teams to address the issues of long-term survivors of childhood cancers. She has worked with the Center for Patient Partnerships, an advocacy organization, to promote successful health care though advocacy, education, and applied research. As the Director of Legislative Affairs for CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation, she worked to build support in Congress for increased research funding. She has been a consultant to a camp for children with cancers; she has served as a spokesperson for many events and cancer organizations, and she has initiated fundraising to increase support for research.
Ms. Cotter has received numerous awards such as: The NCI Excellence in Cancer Patient Education Award for Electronic Media Awarded for the Outlook: Life Beyond Childhood Cancer website in 2000; Gwenette Smalley Award for Academic Excellence and Service at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, 2000; Yoshiyama Award from the Hitachi Foundation: Awarded nationally to 10 young adults for exemplary community Service in 1994; and the National Caring Institute Award: Awarded to 10 young adults across the nation for exceptional work in helping others in 1993.
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 Ms. Marie Dahlstrom is a leading advocate fighting to increase access to cancer education in the Latino community and linking cancer researchers to Latinos with cancer. Ms. Dahlstrom’s work with De La Mano Frente Al Cancer: Latino Cancer Coalition focuses on educating the Latino population on cancer prevention, detection and treatment for low income and underserved members of the Latino community. Ms. Dahlstrom is also a member of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure National Hispanic/Latina Advisory Council and serves as a board member for the Oregon/SW Washington Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Ms. Dahlstrom is a health consultant specializing in community research, program development and training focused on Latino health disparities both nationally and internationally. She previously served as associate director for the Oregon Health and Science University/OHSU Cancer Institute, Office of Multicultural Affairs and assistant professor with the OHSU Center for Health Disparities. Ms. Dahlstrom has co-authored numerous Latino community assessments in Oregon including Mujer Sana/Healthy Woman which provided best practices regarding breast and cervical cancer outreach and screening for Latinas.
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 As a cancer survivor herself, Gwen Darien brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to her positions as editor-in-chief of CR magazine and director of the American Association for Cancer Research Survivor and Patient Advocacy Program, where she oversees initiatives, including the organization's renowned Scientist↔Survivor programs.
AACR established the department of Survivor and Patient Advocacy in November 2004 with Darien as its founding director. Darien has led the expansion Scientist↔Survivor program to three AACR conferences; the creation of a Survivor and Patient Advocate portal on aacr.org; an expanded presence and integration of advocates in AACR’s activities; and the development and launch of CR magazine and its website in spring 2006.
Under Darien’s direction, CR magazine has published features on such timely issues as race and cancer research, how stress affects cancer, the screening debates, nanotechnology and profiles of survivors and scientists written by award-winning medical journalists, as well as insightful personal essays by survivors and advocates.
Darien was previously the editor-in-chief of MAMM, the country's only consumer magazine dedicated to women with breast and reproductive cancer.
Darien has addressed cancer survivors and scientists across the country and in Europe at many panels, workshops and conferences. Darien has served on the faculties of the AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, American Society of Breast Disease Annual Symposium, Accelerating Anti-Cancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop and the Milan Breast Cancer Symposium. She serves on the advisory board of the Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence College and is an external advisor to the Breast Cancer SPORE at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has received several awards for her work, including: the Avon Foundation Media Leadership Award, the LYMPHAdvocate Award from the Cure for Lymphoma Foundation, and the Sisters’ Network Media Leadership Award.
Prior to her diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1993, Darien was the executive director of Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. Darien was also deputy director of P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York City from 1984 to 1990. Darien is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.
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 Everett E. Dodson is a Community Health Educator at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. He is responsible for developing and implementing community outreach plans for the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research.
His professional experience includes Clinical Research Associate at the Howard University Cancer Center, where he served as the Director of Men Take Ten Prostate Cancer Outreach Program; Recruiter for clinical trials participation; Coordinator, Clinical Trials; and Facilitator for Community Health Education Programs.
Mr. Dodson has also been a Medical Research Assistant at the Howard University Cancer Center, an Asthma Counselor for the Howard University College of Medicine and a Public Health Advisor for the District of Columbia’s Commission of Public Health.
He has received certifications provided by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiatives from the University of Miami for Human Participation Protection for Research, and the American Cancer Society’s Prostate Cancer education Facilitator. He has been recognized for his efforts as an advocate by the international group, The Prostate Net.
He attended the University of the District of Columbia and the University of Maryland, University College.
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 Ms. Joyce Wilcox Graff is a cancer survivor and caregiver who is currently the Executive Director of the VHL Family Alliance, a non-profit, support organization that serves more than 15,000 patients and their family members and health care teams dealing with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease in 102 countries. Ms. Graff has been touched by cancer throughout her life. From her husband’s battle with brain and kidney cancer to her own struggle with breast cancer and her son’s experience with kidney, eye and brain tumors, Ms. Graff’s personal experience has taught her a great deal about the needs of cancer patients. She works diligently with the VHL Family Alliance to bring together resources that allow families dealing with rare disorders to better cope with the many complications they face. Ms. Graff has also served on the boards of the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the New England Regional Genetics Group, the New England Coalition for Cancer Survivorship and the National Braille Association.
Ms. Graff has gained exposure to cancer research through her work on the governing board of the Renal SPORE at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the SPORE advocates’ group, where she has participated in research meetings and the grant application assessment process. Ms. Graff has had the opportunity to collaborate with many NCI and NIH researchers to improve diagnosis and therapies for VHL-related tumors. These collaborations include her involvement assembling an expert panel to draft kidney tumor treatment guidelines, developing "questions to ask the doctor" to explore the pros and cons before using stereotactic radiation for VHL soft tumors, Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) or cryoablation for kidney tumors, and guidelines for improving the diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma.
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 Cheryl Jernigan, CPA, FACHE is a 12-year breast cancer "thriver", choosing not just to survive but also to thrive post diagnosis. In addition, she has a distinguished background as a professional and civic leader, and health advocate in the greater Kansas City area and nationally.
Among her current community service roles, Ms. Jernigan is a founding board member and a past board president of the Greater Kansas City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure; Board President and founding board member of Turning Point, a non-profit organization which seeks to empower and transform the mind, body, and spirit of individuals, families, and friends living with serious or chronic physical illness; Immediate Past Board president and founding board member of Take Charge Challenge, a community-wide, year round corporate challenge designed to stimulate healthy behaviors and create a healthier Kansas City; and Chair of The Advancement Board for The University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Hospital.
Nationally, Cheryl is the Affiliate Representative on Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Board of Directors. She also serves as the chair of the Board’s Audit Committee, and a member of the Advocates in Science Steering Committee.
In 2007, Cheryl was selected to be one of 55 international delegates to the first Global Breast Cancer Advocacy Summit which was convened in Budapest, Hungary.
Her deep interest in health and science has driven her to be a Consumer/Patient Advocate in scientific research grant reviews for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the U.S. Congressionally-Directed Breast Cancer Research Program, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. In 2008, she was selected to participate in the American Association of Cancer Research’s Scientist↔Survivor Program.
She and her husband Jeff, who is a prostate cancer survivor, have also become active in ZERO-The Project to End Prostate Cancer.
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 Mr. Kaye has been involved in cancer advocacy since 1996 when he co-founded the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) with his late wife, Randi. Mr. Kaye was the primary caregiver to his wife, who died of lung cancer. In addition to the NCCC, he has collaborated with several other national gynecological cancer organizations as well as the American Cancer Society (ACS), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) to create educational opportunities for clinicians.
He has helped to pioneer grassroots efforts, including outreach in Los Angeles County to increase cervical cancer awareness and human papillomavirus (HPV) education through public service announcements and a multi-lingual phone bank, including screening awareness education to women in Malawi, Africa. He has developed an award-winning cervical cancer/HPV website. Along with others, he successfully lobbied Congress to designate January as Cervical Health Awareness month and has been active in grassroots efforts for more then ten years on awareness campaigns throughout the year and during cervical health awareness month. He brought the national cervical cancer/HPV quilts to Sacramento to promote legislative awareness in California and has been responsible for overseeing the cervical cancer/HPV quilts travel nationwide to many healthcare and womens events.
As the past Executive Director of the NCCC, he has testified before the FDA on new technologies. He has been a member of the Data Safety Management Group (DSMG) at NCI on the cervical cancer/HPV vaccine for 3 years (a collaboration between industry, scientists and advocates). He was a member of the advocate planning group for a national conference held in Washington DC this past September 2007 on the cervical cancer/HPV vaccine and is working again in a leadership role on the planning of the upcoming 2008 national conference on cervical cancer and HPV to be held in Los Angeles. Alan has helped to create a cervical cancer/HPV video and helped to develop and launch the "Parents Educating Parents" program providing information to parents at local schools nationwide on cervical cancer/HPV vaccines. Day after day, week after week, month after month, through the NCCC Hotline, PhonePals program, NCCC survivors program and emails, Alan helps women and their family members' battle the real issues related to all cancers, cervical cancer and HPV disease.
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 Dr. Beverly Laird has a doctorate in public health and works in the field of orthopedic surgical instrumentation development. She also has many years of cancer advocacy experience, following a breast cancer diagnosis at age 39 in 1989. Dr. Laird is also a survivor of endometrial cancer. Her primary constituency is breast and gynecological cancer survivors, and her main advocacy interest is providing psychosocial care for cancer patients.
Dr. Laird is an active volunteer with the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and served on the board of directors for several years. She is a member of the speaker's bureau, a coordinator and trainer for ACS's Reach to Recovery program, and co-founder of a Young Survivors' Support Group. Dr. Laird serves as a patient advocate reviewer for the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure's research grant program and a strategic planning instructor for Komen's affiliate training program. She is a board member of the North Central Alabama Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, currently the President-Elect. Dr. Laird is an external reviewer for NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) and a member of the NCI Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA) Program, serving as an advocate reviewer and as a trainer for new CARRA members. She also trains advocate reviewers for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. She is a member of the patient advocate team for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Breast Cancer SPORE Grant. Most recently, Dr. Laird was appointed as a patient advocate to the Uterine Task Force of the Gynecologic Cancer Scientific Steering Committee (GCSC) of the NCI and became a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scientist-Survivor Program. Her volunteer work in patient services has brought her numerous awards, most recently the Cameo Award from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Life Is A Gift Award from the North Central Alabama Affiliate of Komen, and the Life Inspiration Award from the American Cancer Society.
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 Deborah Morosini, MD is a 3rd generation physician, and sister of the late Dana Reeve.
Deborah is greatly inspired by both Dana and her husband, the late actor who played Superman, Christopher Reeve. After Chris became a vent-dependent quadriplegic in a riding accident, he became an activist for spinal cord research. By transforming their own tragedy into hope for others, Dana and Chris inspired a generation.
When Dana, a healthy and vital non-smoker, was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer only months after being widowed, she drew worldwide attention. Following Dana's death in March, 2006, her sister Deborah became a passionate activist in the lung cancer advocacy movement. She remains dedicated to raising awareness and research dollars for lung cancer in the hopes of finding a cure.
Dr. Morosini works as a pathologist in oncology research and development for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals where she is the U.S. expert in global tissue and biobanking regulations. She serves on the Board for the Lung Cancer Alliance and the Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, and appears frequently as a public speaker. She has been interviewed by The Nancy Grace Show on CNN and Entertainment Tonight and has served as the keynote speaker for organizations such as the American Lung Association and the New York Biotech Association. Dr. Morosini completed her pathology residency at Boston University Medical Center, after graduating from Boston Medical School.
Deborah believes that all of us can transform our own personal tragedies into inspired actions for the larger good. By raising lung cancer awareness, she hopes to save lives, and erase the long-held stigma surrounding this illness.
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 Phyllis Pettit Nassi, MSW, enrolled in the Otoe-Missouri Tribe and member of the Cherokee Nation, is Manager Native American Outreach at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and is currently a Ph. D. student at the University of Utah’s College of Social Work. Phyllis’ dedication is to community, cancer research, education, screening and early detection.
Phyllis presently serves on the American Indian Alaska Native National Advisory Committee, Susan G. Komen for the Cure; is an Advocate for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scientist-Survivor Program; is a member of the Patient Advocacy Committee for the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), is on the Advisory Board of the Cancer Information and Support Network (CISN); is a Participant representative on the National Children’s Study (NCS) Steering Committee and is on the Advisory Board of College/Graduate Horizons. Phyllis is the recipient of Utah's American Indian Outstanding Manager Award and the University of Utah College of Social Work’s Pete Suazo Social Justice Award and the James Garland Woolsey Memorial Award for Professional Promise in the Field of Health and Rehabilitation.
Phyllis has taken part in the National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health; Patient Navigator Supervisor Training and A Gathering of Cancer Support Group Training. HCI’s Special Populations Program recently received recognition from the Department of Health and Human Services for its work in educating Native American communities about cancer prevention and detection.
Phyllis has traveled from 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle to the pueblos, villages and towns of Northern Arizona and New Mexico to talk about cancer. Her heartfelt concern and genuine commitment to her Indian sisters and brothers focuses on culturally sensitive outreach and continues to help them understand the importance of early detection and why cancer screening and participation in research is so important.
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 Wendy K.D. Selig, a native of Princeton, New Jersey, is Vice President of External Affairs & Strategic Alliances for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), where she leads efforts to build alliances with traditional and non-traditional partners.
Ms. Selig is charged with bolstering the organization’s advocacy efforts and its visibility within key policy communities, including among corporations, foundations, trade associations and federal agencies. She leads and coordinates the Society’s campaign to bring about change in the health care system and improve access to quality health care. Additionally, she provides leadership for One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC), a coalition of more than 40 groups seeking enhanced federal funding for cancer programs.
Ms. Selig joined the Society as Managing Director, Federal Government Relations on May 1, 2000 after serving more than 11 years as a senior House staffer on Capitol Hill. Prior to her current role with ACS CAN, she spent four years as the organization’s Vice President for Legislative Affairs, serving as the lead federal lobbyist and overseeing all federal, policy and media advocacy activities.
During her tenure with the Society and ACS CAN, Ms. Selig has led strategic implementation of federal legislative activities across the cancer agenda, including appropriations and budget, private insurance, Medicare, health disparities and tobacco control. She assists in managing the Society’s overall government relations portfolio, and has been an architect of high profile, broad-based strategies and legislative campaigns to promote the nationwide cancer agenda. She is expert in cancer policy, including a variety of health care issues.
Ms. Selig is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University and holds a Masters in Science in Journalism degree (With Distinction) from Northwestern University. She and her husband, Michael, live with their daughter Jessica and son Ryan in McLean, Virginia.
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 Mr. Doug Ulman is President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a three-time cancer survivor and a national cancer survivorship advocate. After overcoming chondrosarcoma during his sophomore year in college and malignant melanoma twice since, in 1997 Doug founded the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, a non-profit organization to provide support, education, and resources to young adults, their families and friends who are affected by cancer. He served as Executive Director of the Ulman Cancer Fund for four years.
In 2001, Doug joined the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) as director of survivorship and today serves as the Foundation’s president. Founded by champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, the LAF provides the practical information and tools to help people affected by cancer live life on their own terms.
Doug has received numerous awards for his service to the community. In 2002, Doug was selected from more than 20,000 individuals to appear on more than 15 million boxes of Wheaties Energy Crunch as an American Everyday Hero. In 2003, Doug was selected as the Austin Under-40 award winner in the healthcare category. In 2005, Doug was honored by both the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the Association of Oncology Social Workers.
Doug currently holds numerous civic and charitable board positions across the country and sits on the executive board of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults and is a founder of the LIVESTRONGTM Young Adult Alliance. Following his three cancer diagnoses, Doug returned to the soccer field and helped Brown University to three Ivy League Championships in four years. He has participated in ten marathons, including a 100-mile marathon in the Himalayan Mountains.
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 Ms. Arlene Wahwasuck is an advocate, educator and breast cancer survivor who works closely with the Native American populations of Northeast Kansas. A retired officer from the U.S. Public Health Service, Ms. Wahwasuck has served on the board of the Four Tribes Women’s Wellness Coalition (FTWWC) since its inception in 2005. The goal of the FTWWC is to provide education and to promote early detection of breast and cervical cancer to approximately 1,000 Native American women living in Northeast Kansas. The Native American tribes are the Kickapoo of Kansas, the Prairie Band Potawatomi, the Sac and Fox of Nebraska and Missouri, and the Iowa of Kansas. As a member of the FTWWC board, Ms. Wahwasuck facilitates collaborations with government agencies, health providers, educators, tribal leaders and members, to create meaningful outreach efforts to promote early cancer detection. Ms. Wahwasuck’s goal is to decrease cancer-related health disparities, and she represents the perspective of cancer patients who lack access to high-quality care.
Ms. Wahwasuck is not only as a member of the FTWWC board, but serves on the boards of the Native American Cancer Education for Survivors, Native American Cancer Research, Spirit of Eagles and the Native American Advisory Council of the Komen Foundation. Ms. Wahwasuck works with a broad constituency of people at risk for cancer within the Native American community. She also personally provides outreach services that educate women in these tribes about breast and cervical cancer risks and treatment. Through health fairs and one-on-one consultations, she is able to share her experience as a Native American breast cancer survivor with women in her community. These experiences allow Ms. Wahwasuck to continue serving the community after a 29 year tenure as a nurse in the U.S. Public Health Service.
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*The NCI Director intends to appoint these individuals pending clearance.
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