Sara Ahola Kohut, PhD, CPsych

Pediatric Psychologist, IBD Centre Associate Scientist, SickKids Research Institute; Assistant Professor

The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Dr. Sara Ahola Kohut has trained and worked in hospitals, community mental health centres, school boards and private practice providing psychological consultation, assessment and treatment to children and families. Since 2014, Dr. Ahola Kohut has been a psychologist primarily with the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Program at SickKids. She provides psychological treatment to support children, adolescents and their families as they manage physical, emotional and social challenges related to living with chronic health conditions. As an Associate Scientist with the SickKids Research Institute, Dr. Ahola Kohut’s program of research focuses on building resilience in youth with chronic disease and covers two main foci: building meaningful peer and social supports and mindfulness-based approaches to living with chronic disease (exploring both mechanisms and interventions). Her research capitalizes on innovative approaches via the internet to improve access to resources and treatments. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara-Ahola-Kohut-2

Matthew Ehrhardt, MD, MS

Assistant Member, Division of Cancer Survivorship

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Dr. Matthew Ehrhardt is an Assistant Member in the Division of Cancer Survivorship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Ehrhardt received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and completed training in pediatrics, internal medicine, and pediatric hematology/oncology/blood and marrow transplantation at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed an additional year of training in childhood cancer survivorship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where he currently specializes in the care of children newly diagnosed with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and long-term childhood cancer survivors. Dr. Ehrhardt’s clinical research is focused on the long-term effects of childhood cancer therapy and surveillance guideline development, dissemination and utilization. He is currently co-chair of the Cardiac Task Force and member of the Expert Panel for the Children’s Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers.

Carly Fleming, MEd, RP

Registered Psychotherapist, Owner

everwell Integrated Health Professionals

Carly Fleming is a registered psychotherapist and owner of everwell Integrated Health Professionals. Carly has worked in the field of childhood cancer throughout her career, in a variety of capacities, including as a counsellor at The Hospital for Sick Children, the BC Cancer Agency and POGO. She now runs a virtual group psychotherapy practice where her own areas of practice are grief, loss, coping with illness, parenting and childhood cancer survivorship. Carly is committed to increasing awareness about the impact of cancer on the emotional and mental health of survivors, and participates in advocacy and awareness at the community level whenever possible.

Clarisa R. Gracia, MD, MSCE

Nancy Wolfson Professor and Division Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Clarisa Gracia is the Nancy Wolfson Professor and Division Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo, and completed her residency and fellowship at and received a Master of Science degree in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gracia has practiced as a reproductive endocrinologist at Penn Fertility Care since 2004. She established the Fertility Preservation Program at Penn and her research has been focused on studying the reproductive and endocrine complications associated with cancer treatments. https://www.pennmedicine.org/providers/profile/clarisa-gracia

Anne Katz, PhD, RN, FAAN

Certified Sexuality Counselor and Clinical Nurse Specialist

CancerCare Manitoba

Dr. Anne Katz is the certified sexuality counsellor and Clinical Nurse Specialist at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. Dr. Katz is the immediate past editor of the Oncology Nursing Forum, the premier research journal of the Oncology Nursing Society. She was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2014. She is the author of 14 books for healthcare providers and healthcare consumers on the topics of illness and sexuality as well as cancer survivorship. Two of these books are about young adults with cancer, a topic that she is passionate about.

S. Marjerrison

Michael Neal, BSc (Hons), MSc

Scientific Director and Co-Founder

ONE Fertility

Michael Neal’s experience in clinical assisted reproductive technologies and his keen research interests have gained him an international reputation for innovation and excellence. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent reviewer for many major scientific journals related to reproduction. Mike is a recipient of the prestigious Laboratory Innovation in Fertility and Embryology (LIFE) Award. Recent honours include: Best Basic Science Paper, Best Clinical Paper, Alpha Exchange and the R.T. Weaver Award, among other acknowledgments. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Mike has research interests in the following areas: the effect of environmental contaminants on fertility; non-invasive measurements of embryo quality; and fertility preservation for male and female oncology patients. Mike is an active member of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS). He sits on the CSA Technical Subcommittee for Reproductive Tissues and has participated on the Advisory Board of Fertile Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cancer patients preserve their fertility.

Danielle Novetsky Friedman, MD, MS

Assistant Member, Division of General Oncology, Pediatric Long-Term Follow-Up Program

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Danielle Friedman is an Attending Physician in the Pediatric Long-Term Follow-Up Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where she divides her time between the clinical care of survivors of childhood cancer and clinical research on radiation-related late effects, focusing specifically on second cancers and cardiometabolic disease. She is the co-chair of the Children’s Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines Second Malignancy & Cancer Screening Committee and, as member of the International Harmonization Guidelines Group, sits on the panels for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and metabolic syndrome.

Gwendolyn Quinn, PhD

Endowed Chair and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vice-Chair Research and Professor, Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics

NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Dr. Gwendolyn Quinn is the Livia Wan Endowed Chair and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor in Population Health and the Division of Medical Ethics in the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. She is a member of the NYU faculty senate and chairs the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) committee. Her research focuses on patient-provider communication primarily in reproductive health and cancer in adolescent and young adults, LGBTQ health issues, uptake of genetic technologies, clinical trials and access to care for minority and underserved populations. Prior to joining NYU in 2017, she was at Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida for 17 years. She is the author of over 300 peer reviewed papers and book chapters and has received more than 10 million dollars in federal and foundation grant funding.

Rabi Qureshi

Three-time cancer survivor; mental health advocate; author/writer; special events manager; professionally attending her own existential crisis since the mid 90s

Childhood Cancer Survivor

Rabi Qureshi is an author, advocate, and three-time cancer survivor. She is also a special events manager and an artist who is outspoken in matters of mental-health care and holistic and preventative medicine. Rabi will also tell you your future for a fee, however, it will change as soon as you hear it. You could pay to hear what it changed to, but that's just the start of a vicious cycle.

Vinesha Ramasamy

Childhood Cancer Survivor

Vinesha is blessed to say she is a multiple-time cancer survivor. Her primary diagnosis of high-grade osteogenic sarcoma in her leg came when she was 15 years old. Several years later, while in university, she was diagnosed with a very large metastatic recurrence in her lungs with poor prognosis and given months to live. After chemotherapy, hundreds of blood transfusions, reconstructive surgeries, and clinical trials, Vinesha unexpectedly reached remission in her young adult years. From kidney failure to mobility challenges to late effects, she still deals with many long-term, chronic side effects due to the treatments and complications, however she is happy to be alive! Despite the challenges in her young life, she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto at the top of her class, which led her to work in finance and investment banking. She is now passionate about her role in corporate citizenship and sustainability at a major bank, which combines her education with her love for people and community development. Outside of work, she holds advisory roles to aid in health care and cancer care system policy improvements, as well as diversity- and patient-centred care education and program initiatives. She is also a public speaker and committed to advocacy for adolescent and young adult survivorship needs.

Elaine Stasilius, BSc, MA, PhD (c)

Research Associate

Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences

Elaine Stasiulis is a community-based qualitative social science health researcher. Her area of research has largely focused on children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties and other health challenges. Recently, in her role as Research Associate at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, her research has expanded to include people living with dementia. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto.

Marell Tomeh

Public speaker, young adult cancer survivor and advisor

Young Adult Cancer Survivor

Marell was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2013 at age 19, while in her first year of university exams. Following the two-year Dana Farber protocol, Marell was in remission for three years before relapsing in September 2018 at age 24, while entering her final year of university. After a challenging and eventful journey to remission, in April 2019, Marell was able to receive a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, and she now continues in her journey of healing, adjusting and working through challenges that life with cancer introduces. Since her initial diagnosis, Marell has become an active speaker and advocate for cancer-related issues, some of which include the importance of addressing mental health, fertility screening, cancer aftercare and the AYA experience. She hopes that in sharing her lived experience she can both empower and support patients through treatment and survivorship, as well as aid in the initiatives currently working towards a brighter future in patient-centered care.