2010 Conference Speakers
Deborah Axelrod, MD is director of clinical breast programs and services and medical director of community cancer education and outreach at NYU Clinical Cancer Center in New York City and a board certified surgeon who specializes in breast diseases and breast cancer. She is associate professor of surgery at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Axelrod is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a prominent speaker throughout the country. She is dedicated to educating the public about breast cancer and the need to take an active role in one's own health care.
Edna M. Bacon is a board certified art therapist practicing in Atlanta, GA. She realized the transformative power of art in her own work as a ceramic artist and her involvement with other makers through art history. This understanding of the healing qualities of art making led her to study for a Master's degree in Art Therapy which includes the art process and how it speaks to our inner and outer life. In her art therapy practice she encourages people to have a sense of curiosity about art materials and the process of making art and to listen for the messages that the art may have for them in living their lives.
Michael Baime, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, is the Director of the Penn Program for Mindfulness and the Director of Mind-Body Programs for the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The Penn mindfulness-based stress management program has enrolled more than 6,000 individuals in a structured eight-week meditation-based training course since its inception in 1992. Dr. Baime graduated from Haverford College in 1977 and from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1981. He completed post-graduate training in internal medicine at The Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia in 1984, and served an additional year as chief resident. He is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Baime was the recipient of the Appel award for student work in psychiatry in 1981 and the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006.
Jill Binkley, PT, MS, FAAOMPT is executive director of TurningPoint Women's Healthcare in Alpharetta, Georgia. TurningPoint is a non-profit organization with a mission to maximize the quality of life for women with breast cancer by providing, promoting and advocating specialized and evidenced-based rehabilitation. Ms. Binkley is a physical therapist, and has over 20 years experience in orthopedic physical and manual therapy. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy and has published extensively in rehabilitation journals. Ms. Binkley's expertise is in breast cancer survivorship issues and rehabilitation.
Kim Carlos, J.D. is co-author of Nordie's at Noon—the Personal Stories of Four Women "Too Young for Breast Cancer," which has received national acclaim and featured in national publications such as People, SELF and the New York Times. She is also immediate past President of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Greater Kansas City Affiliate and has served on Komen's National Public Policy Advisory Council. In addition, she has volunteered for the National Patient Advocate Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Young Survival Coalition.
Elizabeth Cohen is senior medical correspondent for CNN's health and medical unit. During her 17-year tenure at CNN, Cohen has reported award-winning stories and developed the popular "Empowered Patient" column on CNN.com.
During her years at CNN, Cohen has reported from Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; from a military hospital during Hurricane Katrina; from Virginia Tech following the shooting massacre in April 2007; and from California during the wildfires later that year. She reports daily on breaking medical news and consumer tips on CNN and on CNN.com. Her book, What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You, is due for publication in 2010.
Cohen has received several awards for her work, including a National Headliner, a Gracie, a Sigma Delta Chi, a Cine and two "Freddie" awards from the International Health and Medical Media Film Competition. Her stories have also been honored by the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Newswoman's Club of New York, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She’s been recognized by the Mental Health America, the Arthritis Foundation, the American Academy of Dermatology, and the International Nurses Society on Addictions.
Before joining CNN in 1991, Cohen was associate producer of Green Watch, an environmental show on WLVI-TV in Boston. Before working in television, she was a newspaper reporter for States News Service in Washington, D.C., and for the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., where she won a Hearst Award.
A winner of the outstanding alumna award from Columbia College, Cohen received a bachelor's degree in history. She earned a master's degree in public health from Boston University, which honored her with its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Sharon Crews, Ph.D. has been a licensed psychologist since 1979. She currently practices at The Samaritan Center of Atlanta, Inc., where she provides psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families. Dr. Crews also facilitates a cancer support group for women in the Atlanta community. Her expertise is in family systems therapy, PTSD and trauma resolution, hypnosis, couples psychotherapy, sexual adjustment therapy, mind/body psychology and grief and loss with chronic illness. She has been adjunct assistant professor at Georgia State University in the family therapy program, contributed to professional journal publications and presented workshops for mental health professionals.
Frank J. DellaCroce, MD, FACS is co-founder of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and board certified in plastic surgery. He is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is a member of numerous societies including the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery. Dr. DellaCroce is also an honorary board member of the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure and a clinical instructor for both the LSU and Tulane Divisions of Plastic Surgery. He serves on the advisory board for FORCE and has published numerous articles about breast reconstruction. Dr. DellaCroce has lectured extensively throughout the United States and was recently the keynote speaker at the Susan G. Komen Annual Conference.
Judy E. Garber, MD, MPH is director of cancer risk and prevention at the Gillette Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is also an attending physician at Dana-Farber's Breast Evaluation Center, an associate physician at Brigham & Women's Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Garber's research is focused on women at high risk for breast, ovarian and other cancers, and the development of medical strategies to prevent cancer.
Julie R. Gralow, MD is professor of medical oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an associate member of the clinical research division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She is also director of breast medical oncology at UWSOM and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and serves as Associate Program Head for the UW/FHCRC Consortium Breast Cancer Program. Her research interests include breast cancer treatment, prevention and survivorship. She is vice-chair of the Southwest Oncology Group's (SWOG) Breast Cancer Committee and co-chair of the breast scientific leadership council of the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups. She is also an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) Nominating Committee and was chair for ASCO's Cancer Communications Committee in 2008-09. Dr. Gralow is committed to improving the quality of life for breast cancer patients and promoting breast cancer awareness in the community.
James Hankins is the director of social services and patient support services for the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory. He is a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to providing counseling and support services to patients and caregivers coping with medical illnesses. Mr. Hankins came to the Winship Cancer Institute from Portland, Oregon where he worked as a therapist in private practice and as an oncology social worker for the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
Valerie Henderson, MSW has been a medical social worker for 27 years. She currently works for Winship Cancer Institute for the Medical and Radiation Oncology Departments. Ms. Henderson has worked 25 years in oncology clinic, hospital and hospice settings where she enjoys helping clients empower themselves as a means of coping with cancer.
Marc Heyison is the president and co-founder of Men Against Breast Cancer, the first and only national non-profit organization designed to educate and empower men to effective caregivers when breast cancer strikes their family. He also serves as the executive director of The Gloria Heyison Breast Cancer Foundation. Mr. Heyison was the 2000 recipient of Columbia Hospital's "For Women's Outstanding Individual Commitment" award. He also received WUSA's TV 9 "Nine Who Care" award in 2001 and the "Thomas Jefferson" award from The American Institute, the highest civilian volunteer award granted in the United States. In the spring of 2003, Mr. Heyison was honored for his commitment to breast cancer by Washington Life Magazine, naming him one of the "Men of Substance and Style." In 2004, Mr. Heyison was also the recipient of the "Bess Cohn Humanitarian of the Year" award.
Pasha Hogan, B.B.S, Dipl. Psychotherapy/Counseling, RYT is the founder of The Creative Recovery Program, a series of workshops developed especially for women at any stage of a cancer diagnosis. She has always been interested in the integration of body, mind and spirit and is a registered yoga/meditation teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance. Paula teaches yoga at The Life Healing Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico and also teaches yoga as part of her workshops throughout the U.S and Ireland. She is a Reiki Master practicing and teaching Reiki workshops regularly. Through her workshops, speaking engagements and private practice, Pasha's mission is to empower individuals to live passionately and transform life challenges into learning and healing experiences.
Shayna Komar R.D.L.D is a registered and licensed dietitian. She currently contracts with Cancer Wellness of Piedmont Hospital where she provides individual counseling, cooking workshops and group lectures for people diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. Ms. Komar focuses her energy on educating people on how to use food as a part of their medicine before, during and after treatment. She was named Distinguished Dietitian of the Year in 2006 and has presented nutrition lectures all over the United States.
David M. Lee, MD is a board certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist. In July 2009, he was promoted to associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University. He is also a collaborative scientist in the division of reproductive sciences at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, and the director of pediatric gynecology at Doernbecher Children's Hospital at the Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Lee is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Society of Reproductive Surgeons and North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. He is also a member of the National Advisory Board for Fertile Hope. Dr. Lee specializes in treating patients with infertility problems, Müllerian anomalies and intersex disorders and pediatric gynecological conditions.
Jane Levy, LCSW-R is the director of patient assistance programs at CancerCare. She has been in charge of developing comprehensive financial assistance and psychosocial support programs for various populations. She has managed large gifts from the Avon Foundation, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Millennium pharmaceuticals, the New York Community Trust, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Web MD Foundation and many others. Ms. Levy is also a founding member and coordinator for C-FAC, the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition- a group of fifteen national organizations dedicated to helping patients manage their financial challenges.
Shelley Lewis is a wife, mother, author and longtime television producer. She has spent more than 25 years producing news and information programming. Ms. Lewis was executive producer of programs at ABC, CNN and NBC and in 2004, she co-created Air America Radio. Soon after, Ms. Lewis was diagnosed with breast cancer. In May 2008 she published Five Lessons I Didn't Learn From Breast Cancer (and One Big One I Did), an irreverent, thoroughly modern take on the breast cancer experience.
Minetta C. Liu, MD is the director of translational breast cancer research and the biomarker section chief of the clinical molecular diagnostics laboratory at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. She serves as the principal investigator for industry sponsored clinical and translational studies in breast cancer. Her primary research focus is on the development of reliable predictors of treatment response. Dr. Liu is dedicated to providing multidisciplinary breast cancer care and offering patients access to novel therapeutic and diagnostic tools.
Ruth O'Regan, MD is associate professor of hematology and medical oncology at the Emory Winship Cancer Institute and director of Emory Winship's Translational Breast Cancer Research Program. Dr. O'Regan also holds the Louisa and Rand Glenn Family Chair in breast cancer research. She is widely published in peer reviewed scientific journals and speaks nationally on topics such as the use of hormonal and targeted therapies. Dr. O'Regan is currently a member of the breast cancer scientific committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Sami Papacek is a certified personal trainer, cancer exercise specialist and wellness educator with over 13 years experience in the fitness field. She is the owner of Life in Focus, where she trains clients of all levels and backgrounds, but specializes in working with breast cancer survivors. Sami developed the Pink T's program, an exercise class for Kansas City-area women recovering from breast cancer. This program has graduated over 200 women since 2005. Currently, Sami is also working with the Kansas University Breast Cancer Survivorship Center on a clinical trial using a diet and exercise intervention for breast cancer survivors as well as other physical activity programs. Sami also recently launched Prevail to work with the medical community and cancer organizations to bring exercise into all facets of cancer wellness including prevention, treatment and survivorship. She served three years as chair for YSC-Kansas City and co-chaired KC's In Living Pink gala the past two years.
Jean Rowe, LCSW is a medical oncology social worker at Emory Winship Cancer Institute and holds a 17-year career as a paralegal. She provides counseling and support to people with brain tumors, breast cancer, gynecologic cancer and melanoma. Ms. Rowe also facilitates groups for young women with breast cancer and women with metastatic breast cancer. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Georgia Social Work Oncology Group, and is active in the Association of Oncology Social Workers.
Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D. is director of the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship and a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has written extensively about women's reactions to breast cancer, as well as on the roles of coping, social support and development during treatment for cancer. Dr. Rowland was the first director of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Post-Treatment Resource Program, an innovative resource center providing a full range of non-medical services to patients and their families after the end of treatment. Since joining the NCI, Dr. Rowland has created numerous partnerships to advance public awareness about the needs of survivors with other federal and non-governmental agencies.
Haley Schwartz, Esq. is the director of the breast cancer legal project (BCLP) of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. She represents and advises women with breast cancer and survivors in various areas of law, including estate planning and end of life decision making, guardianship for minor children, access to health care, Social Security disability, health and disability insurance coverage denials, access to public benefits, family law, tenant rights, employment rights, consumer law, debt relief and debt collection practices. In May 2009, Ms. Schwartz received the American Cancer Society's Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award. In 2005, the National Association of Women Lawyers named her as the Outstanding Woman Law Graduate of Emory University School of Law.
Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, BCD, OSW-C is the chief of oncology social work at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an adjunct professor at Simmons College School of Social Work and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's first Hatcher Professor of Survivorship. She is also past president of the Association of Oncology Social Work; in 1991, she received their Oncology Social Worker of the Year award, and, in 2007, their Leadership in Oncology Social Work award. A nationally known speaker, Ms. Schnipper has written numerous articles for professional journals about issues for both breast cancer survivors and professional caregivers.
Lillie D Shockney, RN, BS, MAS is University Distinguished Service Associate Professor of Breast Cancer and assistant professor in the departments of surgery and gynecology at John Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also an associate professor at John Hopkins School of Nursing and co-founder and vice president of the national nonprofit organization Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer. Ms. Shockney is a published author and nationally recognized public speaker on breast cancer and serves on the medical advisory board of several national breast cancer organizations. She is and the recipient of numerous leadership and community service awards and was selected as one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland for her leadership and community service efforts. Dr. Shockney's research interests include quality of life issues for survivors.
Ashley Varner, MSW, MBA, LCSW-C is senior director of the caregiving programs for The Wellness Community. She provides cancer support, education and hope for people affected by cancer. Previously, Ms. Varner served as senior oncology social worker with John Hopkins Hospital. Her expertise includes studying the experiences of caregivers and the use of spirituality and religion as a way to cope with cancer.
Chef Nancy Waldeck is the owner of Taste and Savor, Inc. A breast cancer survivor who loves creating delicious and easy meals, her skills and enthusiasm have taken her from the kitchen crew at the TBS cooking show Home Plate, all the way to Africa where she served as Chef Instructor at the United States Embassy in Burundi. Chef Waldeck is a frequent presenter at corporate and charity functions, and is the holder of the advanced WSET certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. She is also the author of Cooking for the Mind, Body and Spirit–Caring for Yourself and Others, which will be published mid 2010.
Kathryn Carlson Wrammert, is a Nurse Practitioner at The Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. She is a dual specialized Adult and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, and a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is an Adjunct Faculty at Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and currently precepts and teaches undergraduate and graduate nursing students. She has developed a breast cancer survivorship program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, which she coordinates weekly. She has spoken locally and nationally on use of targeted therapies as well as endocrine therapies in breast carcinoma. She is a member of Oncology Nursing Society.
