Julianne Roman, MPH, MSSW is an Associate Director, Community Partnerships at the American Cancer Society in New York City. She engages and supports FQHC, CHC, and CBO partners through collaborations and sharing resources to improve the lives of patients with cancer and their families. She also provides technical assistance to encourage implementation of evidence-based interventions with partners to increase HPV vaccination and cancer screening rates.
Dr. Heather Dacus joined the NYSDOH in 2007 and serves as Director of the Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control. A board-certified and NYS-licensed preventive medicine physician, she earned her master’s in public health degree at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health and her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Dacus is a Strategic Priority Team Co-Lead of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, a Steering Committee member of the NYS Cancer Consortium, co-chairs the NYS Cancer Consortium’s Colorectal Cancer Action Team and is part of the Citywide Colorectal Cancer Coalition’s (C5) Steering Committee. Prior to joining the NYSDOH, Dr. Dacus spent six years caring for Sailors and Marines as a Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Washington D.C., Okinawa and Upstate NY, earning the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Outside of work, Heather enjoys time with her family and practicing and teaching yoga.
Manika Surydevara, MD is a Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University Department of Pediatric with a focus on infectious diseases. She is also Co-Chair of the Provider Education Committee of the NYS HPV Coalition and Chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics, NY Chapter 1, Committee on Infectious Disease. Dr. Surydevara is currently working on an Masters in Public Health degree and has conducted research on various infectious disease topics including HPV vaccination.
Jeremy Heisey is currently the Immunization Quality Improvement Coordinator (IQIP), as well as the Child and Adolescent Program Coordinator with the New York State Department of Health, Division of Vaccine Excellence (DOVE). Jeremy focuses on improving vaccination rates in children and adolescents in New York State and also is involved with many other immunization education efforts and projects in New York State. He has been a nurse for over 24 years, and has a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education. Before his current position, he held a previous position with the Department of Health with the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management working on home health care initiates. His clinical experience varied from working at an local health department as a public health nurse, telemetry and 14 years in the intensive care unit.
Noora Majid, MPH is the Adolescent Coordinator for the Vaccine For Children Program in the Bureau of Immunization at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She represents the Bureau on the NYS HPV Coalition and has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of the NYS HPV Honor Roll Awards and the NYS HPV Provider Report Cards.
Linda Halsey is a work from home grandmother with a grandson, Calen, who is currently attending grad school at Syracuse University majoring in Social Work and Mental Health. She is employed with Verizon as a customer service representative with 27 years of experience. Linda is the Founder and President of Caleb’s Feet Foundation, Inc. Caleb’s Feet Foundation was birthed on August 2013 due to the death of her daughter from cervical cancer and a lack of knowledge about HPV. It is her desire to share relevant information to communities (especially those of color) surrounding HPV, the importance of the vaccine, and the related cancers caused by HPV so that they are informed and can make sound decisions. Linda lives in Brooklyn, New York. She obtained her BS in Business Administration and an MS in Public Administration along with a Certification in Nonprofit Management from Long Island University Brooklyn Center. Since the impact of Covid in 2020, the outreach of Caleb’s Feet has been limited and a struggle, but she still has not given up and continues to advocate to increase awareness about HPV. Linda is a member of the Eagle Academy II Ocean Hill PTA Alumni and the Missionary and Media Arts departments at her church.
Dr. Ashley Stephens is a pediatrician and researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center as well as the Associate Medical Director for the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Immunization Registry, EzVac. Her current research involves improving vaccine uptake through quality improvement programs as well as examining caregiver and adolescent attitudes and beliefs about vaccines. She received her medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Hannah Nein joined the American Cancer Society in 2007. She is a Senior HPV Program Manager of state engagement on the Interventions & Implementation team. Hannah is a Colorado native and studied biology at Western State College of Colorado. She is passionate about prevention, early detection, and motivated in HPV vaccination work by the possibility that we could see the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in her lifetime. When not working, you can likely find her kayaking on a mountain lake and enjoying time with family and friends.
Lauren Ng, DO, FAAP is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine of Stony Brook University. She is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She completed her residency and chief residency in Pediatrics at Stony Brook Children’s. Dr. Ng worked in private practice for two years but returned to work for Stony Brook Children’s Primary Care to pursue her love of teaching. She has been practicing as a primary care pediatrician in Center Moriches, NY for the past 8 years. Dr. Ng’s interests include medical education and preventative medicine. She is a clinical precepting attending to medical students and pediatric residents as part of her practice. She is currently involved in a quality improvement initiative with the American Cancer Society and the Stony Brook Cancer Center to increase HPV vaccination rates at the six Stony Brook Children’s outpatient offices; a project she started with a preventive medicine resident in 2021.
Jane V. Hamilton, R.N., is Manager of the Bassett Healthcare School-Based Health, overseeing the clinical, administrative, programmatic and community-based work for 22 centers. She has served in this position for over 32 years. Prior to her current position, she spent nine years in Delhi, New York, serving as Program Director for the Delaware Academy Student Health Program, of Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital. Earlier, she served as that O’Connor Hospital’s Prenatal Clinic Manager and Delaware County Prenatal Assistance Program Coordinator (1990-93). Ms. Hamilton worked as grant coordinator for the Community Orientated Primary Care Demonstration Project, Delhi Family Medicine (1989-92), and for the Cardio-vascular Screening Program, O’Connor Hospital (1985-88), both in Delhi, New York. Ms. Hamilton has served on the boards of the Delaware County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council (2003-2007), the Delaware County Rural Health Alliance (2002-present), and the Rural Health Network of South Central New York (1999-2001) Family Planning of South Central New York (2014-2020), State University New York-Delhi Nursing Program External, Community Advisory Member (2016-present), State University New York, Oneonta, NY Community Member of IRB, New York State American Cancer Society HPV Public Health Education Committee Member (2018-present), and is serving on the Board of Directors of the New York State School-Based Health Center Alliance. She presented at an information session at the WHITE HOUSE during the development of the Affordable Care Act. . She is a Certified Content Expert on NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home. She has presented multiple workshops and posters related to school-based health centers at state and national conferences.
Owen Leiba is Registered Nurse working as the Clinical Manager at Ryan Health (Nena-Site) which was a recipient of one of the 2023 NYS HPV Honor Roll Awards in the NYC Region for the Most Improved HPV vaccination Rate.
Ginger Champain is a Senior Contract Coordinator with the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control. Ginger is the point of contact for the Cancer Prevention in Action programs across the state supporting local cancer prevention education and interventions through policy, systems and environmental (PSE) changes to the environment. These changes enable healthy options to be the default choice, regardless of education, income, or other societal factors. Ginger specializes in PSE interventions and has a history of assisting organizations to adopt and implement evidence-based strategies including Paid Time Off for Cancer Screenings to detect cancers early when they are most successful to treat and Sun Safety policies to prevent skin cancer. Ginger has also successfully integrated HPV vaccination education in community settings to further support cancer prevention strategies.
Bethsy Morales-Reid is the Vice President for Program Impact & Strategy at Hispanic Federation. She has a track record of developing programs and advocacy strategies that engage communities and their leaders at the national level. While Ms. Morales-Reid has a public health background and assists in the development of health policy priorities for HF, she leads teams that impact the community through programs addressing health, education, and community engagement. Most recently, Bethsy led multi-region vaccination initiatives to increase uptake among Latinos. Prior to the Hispanic Federation, Ms. Morales-Reid led various programs within the Research and Evaluation Department, at the Latino Commission on AIDS. Bethsy is an experienced trainer/facilitator and has vast experience in working with non-traditional partners, type 2 diabetes, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, advocacy, program design and evaluation, curriculum development, coalition building and capacity building. She has been published in the AIDS Education and Prevention Journal for her work on behavioral interventions. Bethsy has also consulted for UNAIDS, Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Work, and the International Rescue Committee. Bethsy is a native New Yorker who received her BA in Political Science at Fordham University, and her MA in International Affairs at the New School University. Ms. Morales-Reid has worked her entire professional life as a passionate advocate for social and economic justice, which is fundamental to combating societal barriers impacting public health in our various communities through public education, advocacy, and increased visibility.
Tobi Ash is the Editor-in-Chief and a major contributor to PIE: Vaccine Information for Parents Informed and Educated, a project of the EMES Initiative, in conjunction with the CDC Foundation and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. EMES started in response to the measles epidemic in the Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox communities in New York City and New York state. Tobi’s expertise is in women’s health, midwifery, health promotion, and health policy. She received her Bachelors in Nursing and a Registered Nurse degree from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. She then received her MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. She is completing her doctoral studies in health promotion. After completing her MBA, she was a medical director of women’s health for a clinic in Miami Beach for several years. During this time, she wrote the health column for the women’s magazine, Nashim. She continues to edit and write for the OJNA nursing journal and several medical and nursing journals including the Internal Journal of Emergency and Trauma Nursing and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. She was recently featured by the American Nurses Association and Johnson & Johnson for her work on public health for Nurses Week 2023. For more than 25 years she taught thousands of girls and women about their bodies and their health. Her book “Growing Up: Girls Edition” on puberty for special needs girls and their caregivers is under contract to be published by Mosaica Press.
Dr. Jana Shaw is a practicing pediatrician who specializes in infectious diseases and is recognized as an expert in vaccine-preventable infections. She holds the position of professor in the Department of Pediatrics and also serves as a professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Additionally, she fulfills the role of hospital epidemiologist at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Furthermore, Dr. Shaw holds the position of Chief Medical Officer at the North Country Family Health Center in Watertown, New York. Her ongoing work involves research, advocacy, and leadership efforts aimed at improving vaccination coverage for both childhood and adult vaccines.
Dr. Robert A. Bednarczyk, Ph.D is an Associate Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. He is also a faculty member of the Emory Vaccine Center and the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Winship Cancer Institute. Dr. Bednarczyk’s research interests are in the area of vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitance, with a particular focus on HPV vaccination. Since receiving his PhD in Epidemiology from SUNY, University at Albany School of Public Health, he has been very active in research and public health outreach related to vaccine uptake, including serving on both the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable and the HPV Roundtable of the Southeast.
Michael Davoli has been a passionate advocate For more than 25 years, working on a variety of national, state and local policy campaigns across issues—from education to health care reform. A native of Syracuse, he studied political science at the University at Albany before embarking on a career in advocacy. Michael arrived at the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in 2011 to manage their statewide grassroots network and eventually heading up legislative efforts in New York State, New York City and New Jersey aimed at limiting the impact of cancer for all residents. Ensuring equitable access to cancer prevention and care has been a defining feature in 2022 and 2023. In the last year, he has built multiple coalitions of patient and provider groups, working to improve access to precision medicine through biomarker testing and expand access to cancer screening. Michael has mobilized stakeholders across the state and captured the attention of the media, resulting in bipartisan support for legislation to improve access to biomarker testing and cancer screening, help patients pay for prescription drugs, and curb tobacco use.
When Lillian Kreppel was diagnosed with stage II anal cancer in 2017, her response reflected her personality: “I don’t have time for this cancer. Let’s take care of this. Let’s get it done.” Lillian and her doctors immediately identified her rigorous treatment program of chemoradiation therapy, and she assembled a huge support team of friends that was with her every step of the way. Her determination, positive attitude, and relentless spirit got her through the ordeal with her critical organs (and sense of humor!) intact. Lillian’s personal experience with HPV related anal cancer profoundly influenced her to become an activist and a tireless advocate, and in the end a new mission and vision in life was born. She knew that she had a responsibility to empower the public and the medical communities through education, awareness, and advocacy, and that the time was, and is, NOW. Together with actress, Marcia Cross and businessman, Dan Lifton, they founded HPV Cancers Alliance in 2019. Lillian/HPVCA is motivated, driven and committed to spreading knowledge and saving lives, in Lillian’s own words, “although HPV impacts nearly everyone, no one should die from this preventable virus”. She is a woman with an iron-sharp mission and vision, and the endless energy and dedication to achieve it. Lillian is funny, outgoing, and a lover of life. She just hit her 5-year cancer free mark & considers herself now, an anal cancer thriver.
2024 Summit Speakers
In order of appearance on the agenda
Michael Seserman, MPH is currently an Associate Director of State Partnerships with the American Cancer Society and Co-Chair of the NYS HPV Coalition. Since joining ACS in 1999, Michael has focused on policy and system change with large organizations to advance cancer prevention especially in the areas of tobacco control, cancer screening and HPV vaccination. Before that, Michael was a Public Health Prevention Specialist at CDC where he supported the Office on Smoking and Health, the Division of HIV/AIDS, and later, the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control and the Division of Chronic Disease prevention.
Julianne Roman, MPH, MSSW is an Associate Director, Community Partnerships at the American Cancer Society in New York City. She engages and supports FQHC, CHC, and CBO partners through collaborations and sharing resources to improve the lives of patients with cancer and their families. She also provides technical assistance to encourage implementation of evidence-based interventions with partners to increase HPV vaccination and cancer screening rates.
Dr. Heather Dacus joined the NYSDOH in 2007 and serves as Director of the Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control. A board-certified and NYS-licensed preventive medicine physician, she earned her master’s in public health degree at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health and her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Dacus is a Strategic Priority Team Co-Lead of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, a Steering Committee member of the NYS Cancer Consortium, co-chairs the NYS Cancer Consortium’s Colorectal Cancer Action Team and is part of the Citywide Colorectal Cancer Coalition’s (C5) Steering Committee. Prior to joining the NYSDOH, Dr. Dacus spent six years caring for Sailors and Marines as a Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Washington D.C., Okinawa and Upstate NY, earning the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Outside of work, Heather enjoys time with her family and practicing and teaching yoga.
Manika Surydevara, MD is a Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University Department of Pediatric with a focus on infectious diseases. She is also Co-Chair of the Provider Education Committee of the NYS HPV Coalition and Chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics, NY Chapter 1, Committee on Infectious Disease. Dr. Surydevara is currently working on an Masters in Public Health degree and has conducted research on various infectious disease topics including HPV vaccination.
Jeremy Heisey is currently the Immunization Quality Improvement Coordinator (IQIP), as well as the Child and Adolescent Program Coordinator with the New York State Department of Health, Division of Vaccine Excellence (DOVE). Jeremy focuses on improving vaccination rates in children and adolescents in New York State and also is involved with many other immunization education efforts and projects in New York State. He has been a nurse for over 24 years, and has a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education. Before his current position, he held a previous position with the Department of Health with the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management working on home health care initiates. His clinical experience varied from working at an local health department as a public health nurse, telemetry and 14 years in the intensive care unit.
Noora Majid, MPH is the Adolescent Coordinator for the Vaccine For Children Program in the Bureau of Immunization at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She represents the Bureau on the NYS HPV Coalition and has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of the NYS HPV Honor Roll Awards and the NYS HPV Provider Report Cards.
Linda Halsey is a work from home grandmother with a grandson, Calen, who is currently attending grad school at Syracuse University majoring in Social Work and Mental Health. She is employed with Verizon as a customer service representative with 27 years of experience. Linda is the Founder and President of Caleb’s Feet Foundation, Inc. Caleb’s Feet Foundation was birthed on August 2013 due to the death of her daughter from cervical cancer and a lack of knowledge about HPV. It is her desire to share relevant information to communities (especially those of color) surrounding HPV, the importance of the vaccine, and the related cancers caused by HPV so that they are informed and can make sound decisions. Linda lives in Brooklyn, New York. She obtained her BS in Business Administration and an MS in Public Administration along with a Certification in Nonprofit Management from Long Island University Brooklyn Center. Since the impact of Covid in 2020, the outreach of Caleb’s Feet has been limited and a struggle, but she still has not given up and continues to advocate to increase awareness about HPV. Linda is a member of the Eagle Academy II Ocean Hill PTA Alumni and the Missionary and Media Arts departments at her church.
Dr. Mary Koslap-Petraco is a clinical assistant professor at Stony Brook University School of Nursing in Stony Brook, NY, and a primary care provider in her own private practice after working for Suffolk County Department of Health Services for 30 years where she used her experience as a public health nurse to make system level changes. While on staff at SCDHS Dr. Koslap-Petraco managed the immunization and lead programs and provided education to staff and the public on various communicable diseases and assisted in the management of communicable diseases. She is a member of the ad hoc advisory board of the New York State Get Smart safe use of antibiotics campaign, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ad Hoc Nurse advisory group, a nurse consultant for the Immunize.org, and chair of the scientific advisory board of Vaccinate Your Family-The Next Generation of Every Child by Two. Dr. Koslap-Petraco speaks on immunizations and infectious diseases nationally and internationally and has authored numerous articles and written chapters in seven textbooks. Dr. Koslap-Petraco has extensive experience working at the grassroots level to pass legislation important to Nurse Practitioners. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She received the Doctor of Nursing Practice and an MS in child health and pediatric nursing from Stony Brook University. Dr. Koslap-Petraco received a BSN from Excelsior University in Albany, New York, and earned a diploma from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City.
Dr. Ashley Stephens is a pediatrician and researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center as well as the Associate Medical Director for the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Immunization Registry, EzVac. Her current research involves improving vaccine uptake through quality improvement programs as well as examining caregiver and adolescent attitudes and beliefs about vaccines. She received her medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Hannah Nein joined the American Cancer Society in 2007. She is a Senior HPV Program Manager of state engagement on the Interventions & Implementation team. Hannah is a Colorado native and studied biology at Western State College of Colorado. She is passionate about prevention, early detection, and motivated in HPV vaccination work by the possibility that we could see the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in her lifetime. When not working, you can likely find her kayaking on a mountain lake and enjoying time with family and friends.
Lauren Ng, DO, FAAP is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine of Stony Brook University. She is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She completed her residency and chief residency in Pediatrics at Stony Brook Children’s. Dr. Ng worked in private practice for two years but returned to work for Stony Brook Children’s Primary Care to pursue her love of teaching. She has been practicing as a primary care pediatrician in Center Moriches, NY for the past 8 years. Dr. Ng’s interests include medical education and preventative medicine. She is a clinical precepting attending to medical students and pediatric residents as part of her practice. She is currently involved in a quality improvement initiative with the American Cancer Society and the Stony Brook Cancer Center to increase HPV vaccination rates at the six Stony Brook Children’s outpatient offices; a project she started with a preventive medicine resident in 2021.
Jane V. Hamilton, R.N., is Manager of the Bassett Healthcare School-Based Health, overseeing the clinical, administrative, programmatic and community-based work for 22 centers. She has served in this position for over 32 years. Prior to her current position, she spent nine years in Delhi, New York, serving as Program Director for the Delaware Academy Student Health Program, of Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital. Earlier, she served as that O’Connor Hospital’s Prenatal Clinic Manager and Delaware County Prenatal Assistance Program Coordinator (1990-93). Ms. Hamilton worked as grant coordinator for the Community Orientated Primary Care Demonstration Project, Delhi Family Medicine (1989-92), and for the Cardio-vascular Screening Program, O’Connor Hospital (1985-88), both in Delhi, New York. Ms. Hamilton has served on the boards of the Delaware County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council (2003-2007), the Delaware County Rural Health Alliance (2002-present), and the Rural Health Network of South Central New York (1999-2001) Family Planning of South Central New York (2014-2020), State University New York-Delhi Nursing Program External, Community Advisory Member (2016-present), State University New York, Oneonta, NY Community Member of IRB, New York State American Cancer Society HPV Public Health Education Committee Member (2018-present), and is serving on the Board of Directors of the New York State School-Based Health Center Alliance. She presented at an information session at the WHITE HOUSE during the development of the Affordable Care Act. . She is a Certified Content Expert on NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home. She has presented multiple workshops and posters related to school-based health centers at state and national conferences.
Owen Leiba is Registered Nurse working as the Clinical Manager at Ryan Health (Nena-Site) which was a recipient of one of the 2023 NYS HPV Honor Roll Awards in the NYC Region for the Most Improved HPV vaccination Rate.
Ginger Champain is a Senior Contract Coordinator with the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control. Ginger is the point of contact for the Cancer Prevention in Action programs across the state supporting local cancer prevention education and interventions through policy, systems and environmental (PSE) changes to the environment. These changes enable healthy options to be the default choice, regardless of education, income, or other societal factors. Ginger specializes in PSE interventions and has a history of assisting organizations to adopt and implement evidence-based strategies including Paid Time Off for Cancer Screenings to detect cancers early when they are most successful to treat and Sun Safety policies to prevent skin cancer. Ginger has also successfully integrated HPV vaccination education in community settings to further support cancer prevention strategies.
Bethsy Morales-Reid is the Vice President for Program Impact & Strategy at Hispanic Federation. She has a track record of developing programs and advocacy strategies that engage communities and their leaders at the national level. While Ms. Morales-Reid has a public health background and assists in the development of health policy priorities for HF, she leads teams that impact the community through programs addressing health, education, and community engagement. Most recently, Bethsy led multi-region vaccination initiatives to increase uptake among Latinos. Prior to the Hispanic Federation, Ms. Morales-Reid led various programs within the Research and Evaluation Department, at the Latino Commission on AIDS. Bethsy is an experienced trainer/facilitator and has vast experience in working with non-traditional partners, type 2 diabetes, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, advocacy, program design and evaluation, curriculum development, coalition building and capacity building. She has been published in the AIDS Education and Prevention Journal for her work on behavioral interventions. Bethsy has also consulted for UNAIDS, Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Work, and the International Rescue Committee. Bethsy is a native New Yorker who received her BA in Political Science at Fordham University, and her MA in International Affairs at the New School University. Ms. Morales-Reid has worked her entire professional life as a passionate advocate for social and economic justice, which is fundamental to combating societal barriers impacting public health in our various communities through public education, advocacy, and increased visibility.
Tobi Ash is the Editor-in-Chief and a major contributor to PIE: Vaccine Information for Parents Informed and Educated, a project of the EMES Initiative, in conjunction with the CDC Foundation and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. EMES started in response to the measles epidemic in the Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox communities in New York City and New York state. Tobi’s expertise is in women’s health, midwifery, health promotion, and health policy. She received her Bachelors in Nursing and a Registered Nurse degree from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. She then received her MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. She is completing her doctoral studies in health promotion. After completing her MBA, she was a medical director of women’s health for a clinic in Miami Beach for several years. During this time, she wrote the health column for the women’s magazine, Nashim. She continues to edit and write for the OJNA nursing journal and several medical and nursing journals including the Internal Journal of Emergency and Trauma Nursing and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. She was recently featured by the American Nurses Association and Johnson & Johnson for her work on public health for Nurses Week 2023. For more than 25 years she taught thousands of girls and women about their bodies and their health. Her book “Growing Up: Girls Edition” on puberty for special needs girls and their caregivers is under contract to be published by Mosaica Press.
Dr. Jana Shaw is a practicing pediatrician who specializes in infectious diseases and is recognized as an expert in vaccine-preventable infections. She holds the position of professor in the Department of Pediatrics and also serves as a professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Additionally, she fulfills the role of hospital epidemiologist at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Furthermore, Dr. Shaw holds the position of Chief Medical Officer at the North Country Family Health Center in Watertown, New York. Her ongoing work involves research, advocacy, and leadership efforts aimed at improving vaccination coverage for both childhood and adult vaccines.
Dr. Robert A. Bednarczyk, Ph.D is an Associate Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. He is also a faculty member of the Emory Vaccine Center and the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Winship Cancer Institute. Dr. Bednarczyk’s research interests are in the area of vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitance, with a particular focus on HPV vaccination. Since receiving his PhD in Epidemiology from SUNY, University at Albany School of Public Health, he has been very active in research and public health outreach related to vaccine uptake, including serving on both the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable and the HPV Roundtable of the Southeast.
Michael Davoli has been a passionate advocate For more than 25 years, working on a variety of national, state and local policy campaigns across issues—from education to health care reform. A native of Syracuse, he studied political science at the University at Albany before embarking on a career in advocacy. Michael arrived at the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in 2011 to manage their statewide grassroots network and eventually heading up legislative efforts in New York State, New York City and New Jersey aimed at limiting the impact of cancer for all residents. Ensuring equitable access to cancer prevention and care has been a defining feature in 2022 and 2023. In the last year, he has built multiple coalitions of patient and provider groups, working to improve access to precision medicine through biomarker testing and expand access to cancer screening. Michael has mobilized stakeholders across the state and captured the attention of the media, resulting in bipartisan support for legislation to improve access to biomarker testing and cancer screening, help patients pay for prescription drugs, and curb tobacco use.
When Lillian Kreppel was diagnosed with stage II anal cancer in 2017, her response reflected her personality: “I don’t have time for this cancer. Let’s take care of this. Let’s get it done.” Lillian and her doctors immediately identified her rigorous treatment program of chemoradiation therapy, and she assembled a huge support team of friends that was with her every step of the way. Her determination, positive attitude, and relentless spirit got her through the ordeal with her critical organs (and sense of humor!) intact. Lillian’s personal experience with HPV related anal cancer profoundly influenced her to become an activist and a tireless advocate, and in the end a new mission and vision in life was born. She knew that she had a responsibility to empower the public and the medical communities through education, awareness, and advocacy, and that the time was, and is, NOW. Together with actress, Marcia Cross and businessman, Dan Lifton, they founded HPV Cancers Alliance in 2019. Lillian/HPVCA is motivated, driven and committed to spreading knowledge and saving lives, in Lillian’s own words, “although HPV impacts nearly everyone, no one should die from this preventable virus”. She is a woman with an iron-sharp mission and vision, and the endless energy and dedication to achieve it. Lillian is funny, outgoing, and a lover of life. She just hit her 5-year cancer free mark & considers herself now, an anal cancer thriver.