Roster of the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women

Executive Secretary

Kimberly E. Smith, MBA, MHA

Designated Federal Official

Office of Policy, Partnerships, and Communication
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Phone: 404-498-0073
Fax: 770-488-4760
Email: hro2@cdc.gov

Committee Management Specialist

Carolyn P.R. Headley, MSPH, CGMP

Public Health Analyst

Office of Policy, Partnerships, and Communication
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Phone: 770-488-4237
Fax: 770-488-4760
Email: ihg6@cdc.gov

Chair

Vacant

Members

Anne H. Blaes, MD, MS

Professor, Department of Medicine, Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Email: blaes004@umn.edu

Term: November 26, 2023 to November 30, 2026

Dr. Anne Blaes is a professor in hematology and oncology at the University of Minnesota, where she also serves as the division director of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation. She is the director of Cancer Survivorship Services and Translational Research and co-director of the Screening, Prevention, Etiology, and Cancer Survivorship Program in the Masonic Cancer Center. She is an active hematologist and medical oncologist with a special interest in breast cancer, cardio-oncology and cancer survivorship. She is a past chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Survivorship Committee. She serves on the planning committee for the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the International Cardio-Oncology Society leadership teams, and the American Heart Association Cardio-Oncology Council.

Joan M. Blakey, PhD, MSW, LMSW

Director, School of Social Work and Gamble Skogmo Endowed Chair
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Saint Paul, MN
Email: blak0014@umn.edu

Term: March 18, 2024 to November 30, 2027

Dr. Blakey was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at ages 36 and 44. She is a university professor and researcher in social work. She is responsible for programs, resources, personnel, budget development, oversight, fundraising, and administrative planning. Her areas of expertise include child advocacy, protection, and welfare; diversity, equity, and inclusion; justice and corrections; substance use and substance use treatment; and trauma and trauma-informed care. She also focuses on anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice within the social work profession. Because of her lived experience, Dr. Blakey is committed to helping young women navigate this disease, serve as a source of hope and inspiration, and provide them with the resources they need to deal with early-onset breast cancer. Dr. Blakey holds bachelor's and master's degrees in social work from the University of Minnesota. She completed her doctorate in social work at the University of Chicago.

Jennifer Rose Klemp, PhD, MPH, MA

Director of Cancer Survivorship
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Westwood, KS
Email: jklemp@kumc.edu

Term: November 27, 2023 to November 30, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Rose Klemp is a professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology, the director of cancer survivorship, and the co-program leader for cancer prevention and control at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Her clinical research practice focuses on cancer genetics and cancer survivorship. Dr. Klemp serves on several national boards, is a subject matter expert in cancer genetics and survivorship, and has peer-reviewed funding. She has presented nationally on cancer genetics, shared decision-making regarding options to manage cancer risk and survivorship issues (including lifestyle modification), and the development and implementation of cancer genetics, survivorship, and navigation programming. In addition to her roles at The University of Kansas Medical Center, she is the Vice President of Global Biopharma Business Development Lead, Biopharma Trials and Networks, at Caris Life Sciences.

Jasmine Dionne Souers

President and Chief Executive Officer
The Missing Pink
Jacksonville, FL
Email: jasmines@themissingpink.org

Term: November 27, 2023 to November 30, 2026

Ms. Jasmine Souers is a passionate advocate for young women and people of color affected by breast cancer. Diagnosed with breast cancer at age 26 in 2016, Ms. Souers turned her pain into purpose through volunteerism and advocacy. She co-founded For the Breast of Us, the first inclusive breast cancer community for all women of color. Today, she is the CEO of The Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance, connecting change agents to improve the lives of people of color affected by breast cancer. She is a board member for GRASP and lends her experiences and expertise to organizations such as Young Survival Coalition, Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the Black Women's Health Imperative, and the American Cancer Society's National Breast Cancer Roundtable.

Brooke Vuong, MD, MHA, FACS

Surgical Oncologist
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center
Sacramento, CA
Email: brooke.vuong@kp.org

Term: March 19, 2024 to November 30, 2027

Dr. Brooke Vuong is board-certified in general surgery and complex general surgical oncology. She has a dual appointment as the lead breast surgeon at Kaiser Permanente (KP) South Sacramento Medical Center and a hepatobiliary surgeon at KP Sacramento Medical Center. She serves on the KP Oncology Clinical Trials Steering Committee to increase patient access to important clinical trials. Dr. Vuong also conducts outcomes and large database research. Her current research focuses on outcomes for young women with breast cancer. She and her colleagues are developing a database of more than 1,600 ethnically diverse women younger than 40, detailing their treatment patterns and oncologic outcomes. Her previous research focused on safe, same-day discharge for women undergoing mastectomy. She is a graduate of Occidental College and the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. She completed her residency at KP Los Angeles Medical Center and surgical oncology fellowship at John Wayne Cancer Institute.

Ex-officio members

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Kisha I. Coa, PhD

Dr. Kisha I. Coa is the director of the Division of Priority Populations in the Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Prior to joining AHRQ, Dr. Coa was a program officer at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, where she oversaw a portfolio of comparative clinical effectiveness research studies focused on health disparities and health systems. Previously, she conducted research in the areas of digital health, cancer control, health behavior change, and health communications. Dr. Coa earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh, an MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, and a PhD in social and behavioral sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

Vacant

Health Resources and Services Administration

Vacant

Indian Health Service

Vacant

National Institutes of Health

Vacant

Liaison representatives

American Cancer Society

Vacant

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Myrlene Jeudy, MD

Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
1250 East Marshall Street, 6th Floor
PO Box 980034
Richmond, VA 23298
Phone: 804-828-7877
Fax: 804-628-3585
Email: myjeudy@gmail.com

Black Women's Health Imperative

Vacant

Breastcancer.org

Lisa N. Kline

Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Breastcancer.org
40 E. Montgomery Avenue, 4^th Floor
Ardmore, PA 19003
Phone: 610-642-6550
Fax: 610-642-6559
Email: lkline@breastcancer.org

FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered

Verinda Hobbs

Partnership Strategy Manager
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
16057 Tampa Palms Boulevard W., PMB #373
Tampa, FL 33647
Phone: 954-255-8732
Email: verindah@facingourrisk.org

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Ashley Dedmon, MPH, CHES®, CHW

Vice President, Outreach and Educational Programs
Living Beyond Breast Cancer
40 Monument Rd #104
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Phone: 484-284-9566
Email: adedmon@lbbc.org

The National Patient Advocate Foundation

Shonta Chambers, MSW

Executive Vice President, Health Equity Initiatives and Programs
Patient Advocate Foundation
421 Butler Farm Road
Hampton, VA 72366
Phone: 757-952-2544
Fax: 757-952-2533
Email: Shonta.Chambers@patientadvocate.org

Sharsheret

Adina Fleischmann, LSW, OSW-C

Chief Services Officer
Sharsheret
1086 Teaneck Road, Site 2G
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: 201-833-2341
Fax: 201-837-5025
Email: afleischmann@sharsheret.org

Sisters Network, Inc.

Vacant

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Erica Silver Kuhn, MPH

Director of Health Information & Publications
Susan G. Komen
PO Box 801889
Dallas, TX 75380
Phone: 972-855-4324
Email: ekuhn@komen.org

Tigerlily Foundation

Maimah S. Karmo

Chief Executive Officer
Tigerlily Foundation
11654 Plaza America Drive, #725
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: 888-580-6253
Fax: 703-663-9844
Email: maimah@tigerlilyfoundation.org

TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance

Ricki Fairley

Chief Executive Officer
TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance
1011 Bay Ridge Avenue
Suite 200
Annapolis, MD 21403
Phone: 443-758-1924
Email: ricki@touchbbca.org

Young Survival Coalition

Jennifer Merschdorf, MBA

Chief Executive Officer
Young Survival Coalition
80 Broad Street, Suite 1700
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 646-257-3001
Fax: 646-257-3030
Email: jmerschdorf@youngsurvival.org