Dr. Itzkowitz is Professor of Medicine, Oncological Sciences, and Medical Education, and Director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Itzkowitz is Chair of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and past Co-Chair of its Family History/Early Age Onset Task Group. He is a member of the President’s Cancer Panel Subcommittee on Colorectal Cancer Screening. He is a former Chair of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Section of the American Gastroenterological Association, and past Co-Chair of the New York Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition (“C5 Coalition”). His research has focused on reducing disparities in colorectal cancer screening in the general population, developing new non-invasive stool DNA tests to screen for colon cancer, and detecting and preventing colon cancer in high-risk individuals: inflammatory bowel disease and hereditary syndromes. His team at Mount Sinai was among the first in the nation to demonstrate the effectiveness of patient navigation to enhance screening colonoscopy adherence, proving also that patient navigation is cost effective. Since 2014 he has been an integral part of the medical school’s efforts to enhance anti-racism education and training for students, trainees and faculty.

Dr. Robert A. Smith is a cancer epidemiologist and Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening at the National Office of the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Atlanta, Georgia. He also is Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University School of Medicine, and an Honorary Professor, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine at Queen Mary University of London. His primary research interests are cancer epidemiology, evaluation of cancer prevention and early detection programs, quality assurance in the delivery of health services, and cancer rehabilitation and survivorship. He received his PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1983. Prior to joining the staff at the ACS, he held positions with the Boston University School of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control. At the ACS he leads the development of cancer screening guidelines, and special research and policy projects focused on cancer prevention and control. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles, reports, and book chapters, and a frequent lecturer on cancer screening issues. He serves on many international and national government and professional advisory committees and working groups, and in 2017 was a member of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Handbooks Working Group for volume 17 on Colorectal Cancer Screening. Dr. Smith was one of the founding members of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, and has served as its Co-Director for 20 years. He also is a founding member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable and the Principle Investigator of the first 3-year supporting grant. Among his honors, Dr. Smith is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Breast Imaging; in 2004 he received the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Outstanding National Leadership from the Prevent Cancer Foundation; and in 2011 he received the Medal of Honor from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Dr. Cecelia Brewington is a professor and Vice Chairman of the Radiology department at UT Southwestern hospital in Dallas, TX. She has both administrative responsibilities and clinical responsibilities. Administrative roles include strategic planning and oversight of expansion of community imaging locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Dr. Brewington is the director of the UTSW CT Colon Cancer Screening Program. She has been a longtime advocate of CT Colonography Imaging, and has served as an international and national instructor and speaker in CT Colonography imaging. Dr. Brewington served as a national spokeswomen for the American Cancer Society creating a public education video on CT Colonography. She advocated for the use of CT Colonography screening imaging for colon cancer detection. She has also been a spokesperson on National Public Radio and various local television/newspaper media on the topic of CT Colonography as well as an invited lecturer within the national and international arena on numerous imaging topics. Dr. Brewington currently serves on the American College of Radiology Colon Cancer Committee and on the ACR National Radiology Data Registry sub-committee for CTC.

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, is Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC), where she provides strategic leadership for DCPC’s four flagship programs: the Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP), the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP), and the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). She is cultivating a data-informed culture within the Division and has championed initiatives to modernize cancer surveillance data collection. She provides guidance for DCPC’s research agenda which includes the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN). Dr. Richardson is a medical oncologist by training and does research on breast cancer treatment delivery, health disparities, and access to cancer care. She has authored and co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed journal articles on breast cancer treatment patterns of care, skin cancer, health policy, access to cancer care, systems of care, and health disparities.

Jessica Star, MA, MPH, is an associate scientist II in the Risk Factors & Screening Surveillance Research team within the Surveillance & Health Equity Science department at the American Cancer Society (ACS). She focuses on disparities in cancer screening research using nationally representative complex survey data. She also has an interest in cancer screening within Community Health Centers.

Dr. Mary Barton, MD oversees the development, use and maintenance of techniques NCQA uses to evaluate health care quality. She ensures the scientific integrity of NCQA measurement and research. She also leads NCQA in winning and executing health care quality measurement contracts for federal and state governments.

Prior to NCQA, Barton worked for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), where she was the scientific director of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). She supported and provided oversight for the methodological, evidence review and recommendation-making work of the USPSTF.

Before joining AHRQ, Barton was an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, where she performed clinical epidemiology and health services research related to cancer screening and prevention in terms of access, test performance and outcomes.

Barton trained in primary care internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and completed a general medicine research fellowship at Harvard. She has a clinical interest in and has presented widely about the performance of the clinical breast examination. She is a member of the American College of Physicians and the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Amelia Khalil serves as the Team Lead in the Quality Division of the Office of Quality Improvement in the Bureau of Primary Health Care within the Health Resources and Services Administration. Amelia’s team is focuses on improving health outcomes and increasing health equity in the Health Center program. Amelia has over 25 years of experience managing public health programs specializing in behavioral health, HIV and chronic disease management. She is a native of Pennsylvania where she received a Master’s Degree in Addictions Counseling from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Government Administration.

Dr. Robert A. Smith is a cancer epidemiologist and Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening at the National Office of the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Atlanta, Georgia. He also is Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University School of Medicine, and an Honorary Professor, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine at Queen Mary University of London. His primary research interests are cancer epidemiology, evaluation of cancer prevention and early detection programs, quality assurance in the delivery of health services, and cancer rehabilitation and survivorship. He received his PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1983. Prior to joining the staff at the ACS, he held positions with the Boston University School of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control. At the ACS he leads the development of cancer screening guidelines, and special research and policy projects focused on cancer prevention and control. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles, reports, and book chapters, and a frequent lecturer on cancer screening issues. He serves on many international and national government and professional advisory committees and working groups, and in 2017 was a member of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Handbooks Working Group for volume 17 on Colorectal Cancer Screening. Dr. Smith was one of the founding members of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, and has served as its Co-Director for 20 years. He also is a founding member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable and the Principle Investigator of the first 3-year supporting grant. Among his honors, Dr. Smith is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Breast Imaging; in 2004 he received the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Outstanding National Leadership from the Prevent Cancer Foundation; and in 2011 he received the Medal of Honor from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Dr. Itzkowitz is Professor of Medicine, Oncological Sciences, and Medical Education, and Director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Itzkowitz is Chair of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and past Co-Chair of its Family History/Early Age Onset Task Group. He is a member of the President’s Cancer Panel Subcommittee on Colorectal Cancer Screening. He is a former Chair of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Section of the American Gastroenterological Association, and past Co-Chair of the New York Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition (“C5 Coalition”). His research has focused on reducing disparities in colorectal cancer screening in the general population, developing new non-invasive stool DNA tests to screen for colon cancer, and detecting and preventing colon cancer in high-risk individuals: inflammatory bowel disease and hereditary syndromes. His team at Mount Sinai was among the first in the nation to demonstrate the effectiveness of patient navigation to enhance screening colonoscopy adherence, proving also that patient navigation is cost effective. Since 2014 he has been an integral part of the medical school’s efforts to enhance anti-racism education and training for students, trainees and faculty.

Jessica Star, MA, MPH, is an associate scientist II in the Risk Factors & Screening Surveillance Research team within the Surveillance & Health Equity Science department at the American Cancer Society (ACS). She focuses on disparities in cancer screening research using nationally representative complex survey data. She also has an interest in cancer screening within Community Health Centers.

Professor of Medicine, Senior Vice Chief; Director, Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Keith Winfrey is the Chief Medical Officer for the New Orleans East Louisiana Community Health Center (NOELA CHC). He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Preventive Medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine. He also holds a Masters’ Degree in Health System Management from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Winfrey has been with NOELA since 2009 and has served as the Chief Medical Officer since 2011. He has guided NOELA Community Health Center through the practice transformation process to become a Level III “Patient-Centered Medical Home” and to improve the health center’s efficiency and effectiveness in chronic disease management and disease prevention. Dr. Winfrey serves on the steering committee for the Louisiana Colorectal Roundtable, the clinical committee for the Taking Aim at Cancer Louisiana initiative, and is the current Clinical Branch Chairman for the Louisiana Primary Care Association.

Director, National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable – Programs & Partnerships, American Cancer Society

Francis R Colangelo, MD, MS-HQS, FACP practices as an internist and serves as Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for Premier Medical Associates, a large multispecialty group in suburban Pittsburgh, PA that is part of the larger Allegheny Health Network. Dr. Colangelo is a 1984 graduate of Jefferson Medical College, and trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He obtained a Masters of Healthcare Quality and Safety from the Thomas Jefferson College of Population Health in 2017. He is now the Assistant Program Director of the Healthcare Quality and Safety for the college. In 2021, Dr Colangelo took on the additional role of Director of the Outcomes Office for the Allegheny Health Network, with a goal of leading the change to a value-based care system across its western Pennsylvania market. Dr. Colangelo is part of the leadership team that has transformed Premier Medical Associates into a nationally recognized leader in providing high performing patient centered medical care. The practice has received recognition from the CDC’s Million Hearts Initiative as a Hypertension Control Champion, received a National Achievement Award from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable for its work in increasing colorectal cancer screening rates, and has been awarded the prestigious Acclaim Award from the American Medical Group Association, and the Optum/AMGA Award for Innovation in Population Health. Dr Colangelo serves on the board of the AMGA Foundation, and the steering committee for the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.

Molly McDonnell joined Fight Colorectal Cancer in October of 2019 as the Director of Advocacy. In that role, Molly oversees Fight CRC’s state and federal policy and advocacy efforts. Prior to this role, Molly was a Principal at the government relations firm, Winning Strategies Washington, where she worked with clients from across the healthcare sector, including Fight CRC, to creatively tackle their most pressing policy and advocacy challenges. Having lost her great aunt to colorectal cancer, Fight CRC’s mission has always been close to her heart. Molly spent five and a half years working on Capitol Hill for Congressman Leonard Lance of New Jersey. She served as Congressman Lance’s Senior Health Policy Advisor working on issues related to medical research, public health, drug development, and health coverage. Molly also supported the Congressman’s work with the Deadliest Cancers Caucus, helping to educate, advocate, and develop public policy to improve the lives of patients suffering from cancer.

David Lieberman MD, is Professor of Medicine and was Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Oregon Health and Science University (1997-2021) in Portland, Oregon and the Portland VA Medical Center. Dr. Lieberman is internationally recognized as an expert on colon cancer screening. He is Chairman for VA Cooperative Study # 380, which utilized colonoscopy to screen asymptomatic subjects for colorectal cancer with publications in New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Lieberman was the Chairman of the Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (2006-2012), and authored colon cancer screening recommendations in 2008 (CA and Gastroenterology) as well as colonoscopy quality indicators in 2007, review of colorectal cancer screening (JAMA 2016), and recommendations for polyp surveillance (2012 and 2020).

He was the Director of the Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative (CORI), supported by NIH 1999-2016. The project created a national endoscopic data repository for research, with more than 90 peer-reviewed publications to date. Dr. Lieberman served as a member of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases from 2006-2008, President of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) in 2001-2002, and Associate Editor of Gastroenterology (2011-2013). He was President of the AGA Institute (2018-2019) and AGA (2019-2020), and Chair of the AGA Colorectal Cancer Task Force (2021-present). He has been an advisor to the President’s Cancer Panel (2020-2021).

Elizabeth Ciemins, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A. is a health services research scientist and vice president of research and analytics at AMGA. In her role, she focuses on data-driven population health improvement through comparative and predictive clinical analytics.

Prior to AMGA, she served for 8 years as director of the Center for Clinical Translational Research at Billings Clinic where her research focused on the use of telemedicine to provide care across a large, geographically disperse service area in the areas of diabetes, hypertension, palliative care, and health IT.

Dr. Ciemins’ areas of research interest include chronic disease management, health information technology, palliative care, childhood and adult obesity, care transitions, rural health, mental health, and complexity science approaches to behavior change in health care.

Dr. Ciemins holds a Ph.D. in Health Services and Policy Analysis from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.P.H. in Population/Family Health and M.A. in African Studies from University of California Los Angeles.

Dr. Itzkowitz is Professor of Medicine, Oncological Sciences, and Medical Education, and Director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Itzkowitz is Chair of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and past Co-Chair of its Family History/Early Age Onset Task Group. He is a member of the President’s Cancer Panel Subcommittee on Colorectal Cancer Screening. He is a former Chair of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Section of the American Gastroenterological Association, and past Co-Chair of the New York Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition (“C5 Coalition”). His research has focused on reducing disparities in colorectal cancer screening in the general population, developing new non-invasive stool DNA tests to screen for colon cancer, and detecting and preventing colon cancer in high-risk individuals: inflammatory bowel disease and hereditary syndromes. His team at Mount Sinai was among the first in the nation to demonstrate the effectiveness of patient navigation to enhance screening colonoscopy adherence, proving also that patient navigation is cost effective. Since 2014 he has been an integral part of the medical school’s efforts to enhance anti-racism education and training for students, trainees and faculty.

Dr. Shana O. Ntiri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She serves as the Medical Director for the Baltimore City Cancer Program and the Senior Medical Advisor for Community Outreach and Engagement at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. She divides her time between direct patient care, teaching, community-based cancer control efforts and research. Her research interests include health disparities—particularly in relation to cancer screening—and the impact of community and primary care-based cancer screening initiatives upon health outcomes for urban, under resourced patient populations. Dr. Ntiri is the current president of the Maryland Academy Family Physicians and also serves as a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness in Family Medicine.

FightCRC.org Colorectal Cancer Hope Coordinator, Survivor/Thriver

Dr. Williams is a breast cancer surgeon and patient education advocate. He has served two administrations as chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, which issued its report, “Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening” to the President of the United States in February 2022. His policy interests focus on improving cancer outcomes and disparities by promoting a transparent and patient-focused healthcare system. He also co-chairs the new created National Breast Cancer Roundtable with the American Cancer Society. He founded and is medical director of the Breast Cancer School for Patients, an online video-based cancer education platform. He received an undergraduate degree in psychology with distinction from Duke University and his medical degree from UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Williams then completed his surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine with Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. He is a clinical faculty member at the Institute for Biohealth Innovation at George Mason University and founded the UVA Community Health Breast Center in 2009. Dr. Williams practices breast cancer surgery in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Robert A. Smith is a cancer epidemiologist and Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening at the National Office of the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Atlanta, Georgia. He also is Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University School of Medicine, and an Honorary Professor, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine at Queen Mary University of London. His primary research interests are cancer epidemiology, evaluation of cancer prevention and early detection programs, quality assurance in the delivery of health services, and cancer rehabilitation and survivorship. He received his PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1983. Prior to joining the staff at the ACS, he held positions with the Boston University School of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control. At the ACS he leads the development of cancer screening guidelines, and special research and policy projects focused on cancer prevention and control. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles, reports, and book chapters, and a frequent lecturer on cancer screening issues. He serves on many international and national government and professional advisory committees and working groups, and in 2017 was a member of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Handbooks Working Group for volume 17 on Colorectal Cancer Screening. Dr. Smith was one of the founding members of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, and has served as its Co-Director for 20 years. He also is a founding member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable and the Principle Investigator of the first 3-year supporting grant. Among his honors, Dr. Smith is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Breast Imaging; in 2004 he received the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Outstanding National Leadership from the Prevent Cancer Foundation; and in 2011 he received the Medal of Honor from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Theodore Levin, MD is the Interim Associate Director for Cancer Research at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, the Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer Screening for The Permanente Medical Group and a practicing gastroenterologist at the Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center. He has conducted research evaluating colorectal cancer screening tests for 25 years and has led the operational implementation of colorectal cancer screening for Kaiser Permanente Northern California members since 2004.

Dr. Aasma Shaukat is the  Professor of Gastroenterology and Medicine, Director of GI outcomes Research and co-director of the K to R program for the CTSI at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She is also a staff physician at the Harbor NY VHA Medical Center. Her area of research is screening and long-term outcomes for colorectal cancer, noninvasive colorectal cancer screening, and quality indicators for colonoscopy.

Strategic Director, National Partnerships & Roundtables, American Cancer Society

Tamara Robinson, M.S. is a healthcare professional with over 20 years of experience in both the clinical and public health field. She grew up on a farm in a small rural town in Nebraska and is passionate about working with disparate populations. Ms. Robinson received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, followed by her Master of Science degree in Healthcare Business Leadership, with a special emphasis on Project Management from Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska. She has also received training in behavioral health and facilitation methods. She began her career in oncology working for 11 years in the clinical setting of cancer care at a local Nebraska hospital cancer center & then worked for 5 years as the American Cancer Society Health Systems Manager for State Based Systems for Nebraska. She currently works as the Program Director for the Nebraska Cancer Coalition Ms. Robinson has implemented quality improvement programs focused on implementing evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention & screenings (breast, HPV, CRC), as well as cancer survivorship and quality of life issues. She has also led the development and implementation of cancer-related statewide workgroups, educational events/webinars, and public awareness campaigns. Her strong relationship building skills have allowed her to facilitate an extensive network of healthcare partners on both a statewide and national level.

Anne Escaron is a health services researcher embedded within a large independent federally qualified health center (FQHC). Since 2016, she has collaborated with faculty, FQHC staff, and patients to improve colorectal cancer screening rates through direct mailing of fecal tests and follow up after abnormal screening result. She champions quality improvement and innovation through the lens of building health equity alongside FQHC patients and communities.

Esmeralda Ruiz is a Research and Evaluation Analyst at AltaMed Health Services, a large Federally Qualified Health Center in Southern California. Esmeralda focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and abnormal FIT follow-up rates as part of her work with the CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Project Manager, KS&R

Project Manager, KS&R

Dr. Petrik is an Affiliate Investigator at the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. She has been at the Center for 21 years. Her work focuses on the use of novel data analytic approaches in research and program implementation to understand and increase health and wellness among disparate populations. Through her current K12 award, Dr. Petrik is uniquely applying predictive methods to guide decision-making toward the optimal delivery of colonoscopy services for patients with low-risk adenomas who are at average risk for colorectal cancer.

Dr. Corley is a cancer epidemiologist and practicing gastroenterologist with an interest in patient, physician and health care system levels factors that can be optimized to improve outcomes with particularly relevant research in colorectal cancer screening and colorectal neoplasia. In addition, he directs the Delivery Science and Applied Research program for The Permanente Medical Group. His research group has led multiple epidemiological studies related to colorectal cancer and colorectal adenomas/polyps including as: the national steering committee chair for the NCI Population-based Research Optimizing Screening Through Personalized Regimens (PROSPR) multi-center consortium; co-lead of the Screening and Prevention Working Group for the NCI’s Cancer Research Network; co-founder of the NCI upper gastrointestinal consortium (BEACON); co-PI on a current large pragmatic trial that is collecting and acting on family cancer history data (PCORI); and scientific officer for the ongoing national NCI five-or-ten year surveillance interval randomized trial for small adenomas (FORTE).

From being an early digital content creator before the term was even coined to being an award-winning leader in the social media team at the Dalton Agency, Hanne Volkaerts has a wealth of experience leading strategic social media and communication efforts for a variety of industries. She specializes in strategy and content development, as well as the analytical aspects of social media, including strategic advertising and targeting, measuring ROI with social/web analytics and social media monitoring and listening.  Hanne is proficient in several languages, having earned a Master’s Degree in Multilingual Communications in Dutch, English and Italian, after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Linguistics in the same languages. In addition to those three languages, Hanne also has knowledge of French and German. Before moving to the United States, Hanne was born and raised in Belgium, where she had the opportunity to build up a diverse background that included editorial, communications

Ronit Dalmat, PhD, MPH, is a research scientist at the University of Washington. She is a co-investigator in the Optimizing Colorectal Cancer Screening PREcision and Outcomes in CommunIty-baSEd Populations (PRECISE) Research Center, which is part of the National Cancer Institute-funded Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process (PROSPR II) consortium. Dr. Dalmat’s research focuses on the benefits and burdens of colorectal cancer screening in older adults, as well as epidemiologic methods for the study of screening and diagnostic tests and tools. She received both her MPH and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington.

Dr. Doubeni is the Chief Health Equity Officer for The Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center and the director for the Center for Health Equity at the OSU. He is also associate director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Doubeni is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. He is a family physician and clinical epidemiologist whose research concerns the effectiveness and delivery of cancer screening with a primary focus on colorectal cancer and a particular interest in addressing inequities in the delivery and outcomes across the care continuum. He has published numerous articles, many in high-impact journals. His research demonstrated that coordinated uniform delivery of evidence-based care across the care continuum can eliminate colorectal cancer health disparities. He authors topics on UpToDate. Dr. Doubeni served on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and chaired its Race and Racism Workgroup to help transform the USPSTF recommendation development through a health equity framework. He also served as Associate Editor and Section Editor for DEI for the premier GI journal, Gastroenterology. He currently serves on the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and Co-Chairs the National Cancer Advisory Board’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Strategic Approaches and Opportunities for Research on Cancer Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Underserved Populations.

Allison Rosen has deliberately and consciously chosen to dedicate her life – in and outside of her employment – to use her voice and platform to educate, advocate, and continuously learn how best to represent the collective cancer community. She recently joined the American Cancer Society as the Director of Project ECHO. She serves as an NCCRT Steering Committee member and is a 10-year early age onset colorectal cancer survivor. Prior to joining ACS, Allison had a combined 16 years of experience in the oncology space, 12 years in basic cancer research and four years in public health and cancer health disparities, with much of her work focusing on designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs and initiatives, to address cancer awareness and care disparities among medically underserved populations. Through her own experience at surviving Stage II colorectal cancer, Allison has experience on both sides of the fence, and works to bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the communities that it serves.

Dr. Kimmie Ng is Associate Chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She also serves as the Founding Director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center, Co-Director of the Colon and Rectal Cancer Center, and Director of Translational Research in the division. Her research focuses on identifying dietary, plasma, and molecular predictors of improved survival in patients with colorectal cancer, with a special interest in the vitamin D pathway and the microbiome. She is the recipient of numerous NIH, foundation, and industry grants, and is currently Chair of the ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee. She has been featured in multiple national media outlets, including the TODAY Show, ABC News, The New York Times, CNN, and The Washington Post, to raise awareness of young-onset colorectal cancer and the importance of cancer screening. Dr. Ng obtained her Bachelor of Science degree with Distinction from Yale University and her Doctor of Medicine degree from University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She completed a residency in internal medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a medical oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care. She subsequently received a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Yi-Qian Nancy You, MD, MHSc, FACS is a Professor in the Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery and the Associate Medical Director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She performs both open and minimally-invasive surgery and directs the Familial High-risk Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinic.

She has a special interest in patients with hereditary cancer syndromes and young age-of-onset colorectal cancer.

She received her college degree from Harvard University and her medical degree from Mayo Clinic, where she also completed her General Surgery Residency and Colorectal Surgery Fellowship. She holds a Masters Degree in Health Sciences from Duke University, where she was a T32 fellow in Clinical Surgical Oncology with the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG, now ALLIANCE). She is a member of the NCI Colon Cancer Task Force, and co-leads the education committee of the ALLIANCE for Clinical Trials in Oncology. She serves on the colorectal disease committees of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Track (SSAT), and the clinical practice guideline committee of the American Society of Colorectal Surgeons (ASCRS).

Andrea Cercek is a board-certified medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC), appendix cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma. Dr. Cercek’s research is focused on the development of novel systemic and regional therapies, including approaches based on tumor genomics, with the goal of improving outcomes while minimizing treatment-related toxicities.

Dr. Cercek is the founder and co-director of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer. This clinic — the first of its kind in the world — is dedicated solely to the specific needs of people under 50 who have CRC or other GI cancers.

Managing Director, National Partnerships & Innovation

Melinda (Mindy) Conklin has worked in the health and wellness industry for 30 years. She has a master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Human Development and a master’s degree in Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. Melinda lost her husband at age 43 to colorectal cancer in 2011. After her loss, she left her career as a mental health clinician and she founded Hitting Cancer Below the Belt – a Richmond, Virgina based nonprofit organization dedicated to colon health and colorectal cancer prevention. Melinda’s personal and professional experience in the field of mental, emotional, and physical wellness has prepared her to identify community needs and has produced a strong skill set which encompasses the ability to create and bridge resources which positively impacts community health. Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (HCB2) began serving the Richmond community in 2013 and continues to expand its messages and services across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dr. Shivan Mehta is Associate Chief Innovation Officer at Penn Medicine and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine. He leads a team of managers, designers, and engineers to develop, evaluate, and implement health care delivery innovations across Penn Medicine’s health system. Current projects focus on connecting with patients outside of traditional venues through population health outreach and automated hovering. Shivan has led and evaluated 20 pragmatic trials of health care delivery that leverage behavioral science, care redesign, and information technology to improve population health outcomes in areas such as colorectal cancer screening, hypertension management, breast cancer screening, hepatitis c screening, and vaccine outreach. As a clinical gastroenterologist, Shivan is also Co-Director of Quality for Gastroenterology and Physician Lead for the Colorectal Cancer Strategy group at Penn Medicine. Shivan received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University, his medical degree and master’s in health policy research from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MBA in health care management from the Wharton School.

Dionne Christopher is the Partnerships and Programs Manager for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. In this role, she strives to provide a maximum impact on the Alliance’s screening and prevention partnerships and programs through implementation. Her work drive is to increase cancer screening rates and reduce cancer mortality rates. Before joining Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Dionne was the program manager of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable & National Lung Cancer Roundtable at the American Cancer Society. For over sixteen years, she supported roundtables in developing connections and resources toward elimination of cancer. She has served on several advisory boards through metro Atlanta. Honed by years in relationship building, business, and community service, she has the experience and the understanding of issues affecting residents and the business community. Dionne holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Saint Leo University.

Vice President, California Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C4)

Dr. Daniel S. Anderson is a Volunteer Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego. Since 1984, he has been a Gastroenterologist with Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) in San Diego. He served as the Chief of Internal Medicine for Kaiser Permanente San Diego from 1986 to 2004. From 2004-2008, he was a member of the Board of Directors of SCPMG. He was the Chair of the SCPMG’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Guideline Development Committee for SCPMG from 1993-2004. A graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology training at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. He went on to become the Chief of Gastroenterology at the Balboa Naval Hospital San Diego from 1979 to 1984.

In 2007, He was appointed the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C4) whose objective is to save lives and reduce suffering from colorectal cancer in all Californians. In 2008, he started Project Access San Diego Super Saturdays which were modeled after Operation Access San Francisco in collaboration with the San Diego Medical Society Foundation and Kaiser Health Plan. Super Saturdays provide outpatient surgical procedures and colonoscopies to the low income uninsured of San Diego County. For this work with the uninsured in San Diego, Dr. Anderson was awarded The Public Health Champion Theme Award by the County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency in 2012.

Dr. Anderson is on the Executive Committee of the California Dialogue on Cancer (CDOC). CDOC is a dynamic coalition of people and organizations concerned with comprehensive cancer control in California. From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Anderson was chair of the CDOC Executive Committee. Dr. Anderson was one of the 2017 recipients of the American Cancer Society’s St. George Award.

Dr. Williams is a breast cancer surgeon and patient education advocate. He has served two administrations as chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, which issued its report, “Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening” to the President of the United States in February 2022. His policy interests focus on improving cancer outcomes and disparities by promoting a transparent and patient-focused healthcare system. He also co-chairs the new created National Breast Cancer Roundtable with the American Cancer Society. He founded and is medical director of the Breast Cancer School for Patients, an online video-based cancer education platform. He received an undergraduate degree in psychology with distinction from Duke University and his medical degree from UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Williams then completed his surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine with Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. He is a clinical faculty member at the Institute for Biohealth Innovation at George Mason University and founded the UVA Community Health Breast Center in 2009. Dr. Williams practices breast cancer surgery in Northern Virginia.

Rodney Emery is a principal in the Washington DC office. A government affairs professional with 25 years of experience, Rodney has advised members of Congress, a Cabinet secretary, agency administrators, an under secretary for international trade and executives from Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to returning to the private sector, he served as Chief of Staff for Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV) and as a presidential appointee in the Obama administration.
As part of the Obama administration, Rodney served as the Director of Congressional Affairs for the International Trade Administration (ITA) at the United States Department of Commerce. In this role, he coordinated the bureau’s engagement with Congress on issues ranging from market access to anti-dumping cases. During his tenure, Rodney was granted the opportunity to staff Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Under Secretary of International Trade Francisco Sanchez during their bilateral negotiations in Chile. He also spearheaded the agency’s successful efforts to secure appropriations funding in support of President Obama’s National Export Initiative.
Rodney received a second appointment where he served as the Associate Administrator of the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States General Services Administration (GSA). As the lead legislative advisor for the GSA Administrator, his portfolio consisted of a variety of issues ranging from federal procurement, government-wide policy and federal real estate leasing.
Rodney has also advised Fortune 500 companies and local municipalities. Representation of these clients consisted of advocacy before the respective tax, banking, foreign affairs and appropriation committees on Capitol Hill.

Caren Street is a seasoned Capitol Hill counsel with almost 14 years of bipartisan, bicameral and leadership experience. She joined the firm in May 2021 after serving as Chief of Staff to Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) where she was chief strategist for the member’s legislative priorities, including bills related to policing reform, re-entry services, local hiring initiatives and State Department diversification.

Caren also served as Executive Director for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) under the leadership of Rep. Bass in the 116th Congress. During her tenure, she organized a National Black Leadership Summit, advised the caucus through the onset of a global pandemic that disproportionately impacted the Black community, and uplifted an historic international civil rights movement where she played a key role in the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

During the 115th Congress, Caren served as Policy Director for then-CBC Chair Cedric Richmond, current senior advisor to President Biden. In that role, she shaped the CBC’s legislative agenda with a renewed focus on economic issues, such as infrastructure development, Opportunity Zones, federal budget priorities and immigration reform. She authored “We Have a Lot to Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century,” and drafted the Jobs and Justice Act of 2018.

Prior to her service in the House of Representatives, Caren spent nearly nine years advising former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on legislative and policy matters, including business, economic development, federal grants and labor issues, such as Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act implementation, small business Affordable Care Act compliance, negotiating multiple extensions of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program, and the passage of hundreds of bills by unanimous consent. She also served on the staff of former Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

Caren obtained a B.A. from Howard University and a J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law. She is applying for bar admission in New York.

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 long time member of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, the NYS Cancer Consortium and the NYC Citywide Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C5). Prior to joining the NYSDOH, Dr. Dacus spent six years as a General Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy providing direct medical care to Sailors and Marines in Washington D.C., Okinawa and Upstate NY.

Dr Levin is the Interim Associate Director for Cancer Research at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, the Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer Screening for The Permanente Medical Group and a practicing gastroenterologist at the Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center. He has conducted research evaluating colorectal cancer screening tests for 25 years and has led the operational implementation of colorectal cancer screening for Kaiser Permanente Northern California members since 2004.

Dr. Aasma Shaukat is the professor of Gastroenterology and Medicine, Director of GI outcomes Research and co-director of the K to R program for the CTSI at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Shei also a staff physician at the Harbor NY VHA Medical Center. Her area of research is screening and long-term outcomes for colorectal cancer, noninvasive colorectal cancer screening, and quality indicators for colonoscopy

Director, National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable – Programs & Partnerships, American Cancer Society

Tamara Robinson, M.S. is a healthcare professional with over 20 years of experience in both the clinical and public health field. She grew up on a farm in a small rural town in Nebraska and is passionate about working with disparate populations. Ms. Robinson received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, followed by her Master of Science degree in Healthcare Business Leadership, with a special emphasis on Project Management from Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska. She has also received training in behavioral health and facilitation methods. She began her career in oncology working for 11 years in the clinical setting of cancer care at a local Nebraska hospital cancer center & then worked for 5 years as the American Cancer Society Health Systems Manager for State Based Systems for Nebraska. She currently works as the Program Director for the Nebraska Cancer Coalition Ms. Robinson has implemented quality improvement programs focused on implementing evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention & screenings (breast, HPV, CRC), as well as cancer survivorship and quality of life issues. She has also led the development and implementation of cancer-related statewide workgroups, educational events/webinars, and public awareness campaigns. Her strong relationship building skills have allowed her to facilitate an extensive network of healthcare partners on both a statewide and national level.

Anne Book is the Senior Manager of Quality Improvement and Compliance at HealthPartners, a Minnesota-based integrated non-profit health system and health plan. In this role she is responsible for strategic initiatives designed to improve health plan performance on publicly reported quality measures, directing initiatives to maintain NCQA Health Plan Accreditation and is leading implementation of the NCQA Health Equity Accreditation requirements. Prior to this role, Anne held positions in Marketing Communications and Product Management. Anne earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Organizational Leadership degree from Concordia University.

Anne Escaron is a health services researcher embedded within a large independent federally qualified health center (FQHC). Since 2016, she has collaborated with faculty, FQHC staff, and patients to improve colorectal cancer screening rates through direct mailing of fecal tests and follow up after abnormal screening result. She champions quality improvement and innovation through the lens of building health equity alongside FQHC patients and communities.

Project Manager, KS&R

Allison Rosen has deliberately and consciously chosen to dedicate her life – in and outside of her employment – to use her voice and platform to educate, advocate, and continuously learn how best to represent the collective cancer community. She recently joined the American Cancer Society as the Director of Project ECHO. She serves as an NCCRT Steering Committee member and is a 10-year early age onset colorectal cancer survivor. Prior to joining ACS, Allison had a combined 16 years of experience in the oncology space, 12 years in basic cancer research and four years in public health and cancer health disparities, with much of her work focusing on designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs and initiatives, to address cancer awareness and care disparities among medically underserved populations. Through her own experience at surviving Stage II colorectal cancer, Allison has experience on both sides of the fence, and works to bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the communities that it serves.

Dr. Austin Chiang is the first Chief Medical Officer for the gastrointestinal business of Medtronic, the global leader in health technology. He is also a interventional gastroenterologist, an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director of the Endoscopic Weight Loss Program at Jefferson Health (Philadelphia, PA). He completed his undergraduate studies at Duke University before earning his MD at Columbia University. He stayed for Internal Medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital and completed his GI and bariatric endoscopy fellowships at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He obtained his MPH from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health before completing an advanced endoscopy fellowship at Jefferson. He is founding president of the Association for Healthcare Social Media (AHSM) and has been featured by The New York Times, CNBC, Insider, and BBC News and is part of the White House Healthcare Leaders in Social Media Roundtable.

Marcie Klein, Vice President of Prevention, and Michael Sapienza, Chief Executive Officer, Colorectal Cancer Alliance

From being an early digital content creator before the term was even coined to being an award-winning leader in the social media team at the Dalton Agency, Hanne Volkaerts has a wealth of experience leading strategic social media and communication efforts for a variety of industries. She specializes in strategy and content development, as well as the analytical aspects of social media, including strategic advertising and targeting, measuring ROI with social/web analytics and social media monitoring and listening.  Hanne is proficient in several languages, having earned a Master’s Degree in Multilingual Communications in Dutch, English and Italian, after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Linguistics in the same languages. In addition to those three languages, Hanne also has knowledge of French and German. Before moving to the United States, Hanne was born and raised in Belgium, where she had the opportunity to build up a diverse background that included editorial, communications and social media work for national entertainment, sports and cultural organizations.

Director, Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network, NCCRT Steering Committee

Tiffany Taylor currently is the Ambulatory Services Director for Charleston Area Medical Center and West Virginia University for the Department of Family Medicine. She has a distinguished 20+ year healthcare management career in academic medicine, multiple specialties, private practices, and large health systems. She has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Chief Resident Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine – PGY 4, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York

Dr. Desai is board certified in internal medicine and works in rural Georgia. He’s multi-talented clinician, educator and community leader. Koosh Desai completed his medical school and residency at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and has a passion for ending population health disparities especially from preventable diseases. He serves as a regional Medical Director of the CDC funded Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program and oversees interventions at 9 clinics in the state. He is also the co-founder and project leader of a non-profit, Georgia Colon Cancer Prevention Project. He created a novel educational intervention to increase screening rates at numerous FQHCs. He has published in peer review journals, given national talks and won the prestigious American College of Gastroenterology’s “SCOPY Award” for his work in CRC screening. He also the Director of the CRC Prevention Project ECHO. He developed this monthly online curriculum which emphasizes expert content to ‘democratize’ knowledge. This has proven to be a successful platform to improve CRC screening at clinics around the country. In addition to his work in cancer prevention, he was recruited as MCG Curriculum Director in 2019 to develop and run a medical school curriculum track (Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum) which emphasizes providing continuity of care to rural populations in South Georgia. His success with this program lead to him being named Assistant Dean of MCG, SW Campus. He has won several awards for his efforts including Albany Under 40 Young Professional of the Year 2022, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital-Inpatient Faculty of the Year 2021, Medical College of Georgia Young Alumni of Year 2020, American College of Physicians Volunteerism and Advocacy Award 2020.

Chief, Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Katie Bathje, MA, Strategic Director, National Partnerships and Innovation, Comprehensive Cancer Control Initiatives, American Cancer Society

Richard Wender, MD has dedicated his career to leading medical and public health efforts that strive to improve the quality of primary care, implement population health, and address social determinants of health in the continuous pursuit of equity for all people. He was recently appointed as the Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Wender spent the first 33 years of his career in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, including 12 years as the Alumni Professor and Chair of the Department. At Jefferson, Dr. Wender and his team spearheaded innovative programs in geriatric medicine, palliative care, the patient-centered medical home, quality-based payment, refugee health, and community partnership. From 2013 to 2020, Dr. Wender served as the first Chief Cancer Control Officer of the American Cancer Society. He helped to build a cancer control team that launched a transformative national initiative to achieve 80% colorectal cancer screening rates in every community, a national and global campaign to increase HPV vaccination rates, and an enterprise-wide effort to help build healthier communities.

Dr. Wender has continuously advocated for the importance of preventive care and for the creation of an effective bridge between primary care and public health. This includes providing 100s of keynote addresses, at least one in all 50 states, and authoring numerous publications. As Chair of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and a member of the steering committee for the President’s Cancer Panel cancer screening initiative, Dr. Wender is helping to lead efforts to promote the safe provision of cancer screening services during the COVID-19 pandemic.