OUR TEAM

Pamela Ahl is the CoFounder/Director of Learn

Pamela Ahl
Live Love Cancer Outreach
Stakeholder Panel
Organization, a 100%
Cancer Survivor & Co-Founder/Director,
volunteer based non-profit
Learn Live Love Cancer Outreach Organization
501(c)3, whose Mission is to
Email: pam@learnlivelove.org
provide confidential financial
www.learnlivelove.org
assistance to women cancer
patients in the state of
Massachusetts. A firm
believer that, Shared knowledge is power, and shared experience is healing, Pam strives to open doors
of networking and resources on behalf of women cancer patients, their patient-care advocates,
caregivers and nurse case managers. A truly effective collaborator, Pam brings a dynamic and
refreshing approach to the cancer arena, communicating openly and without bias her views on the need
for a more integrated networking approach for meeting the varied needs of all cancer patients. Pam is
the recipient of the 2016 OOSO Strong Award/ OOFOS Shoes, and is a 2015 Women of Influence
Honoree of South Shore Living Magazine. Her organization Learn Live Love Cancer Outreach won the
2014 Cancer Support Community Massachusetts South Shore's Community in Action Award. Pam was
also honored by the 2012 Pink Tulip Good Women Good Works recognition, as well as the one hundred
by Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in 2011 for her work as a playwright in
MOMologues: Pink Ribbon Overdose in 2010. Pam looks forward to expanding her volunteer horizons
in helping women cancer patients and their families maintain the sanctity of ordinary life through their
cancer journeys.

During Pauline's 40-year career as a

Flight Attendant, she made many lasting
Pauline Alighieri
friendships. The most significant was
Stakeholder Panel
Mel Simmons, a woman who would
Founder & Executive Director
unknowingly change her future
Friends of Mel Foundation, Inc.
forever. The year 2005 was a turning
Email: pauline@friendsofmel.org
point for Pauline. She graduated from
Emmanuel College with a Bachelors
Degree in Psychology, fulfilling a
lifelong dream. The same year, her world
changed dramatically when Mel passed away from metastatic breast cancer. In 2006, as a tribute to
her late friend, Pauline founded the Friends of Mel Foundation, a non-profit charity. As the
Executive Director of the Rockland based organization, she used a simple colorful, beaded bracelet
to raise money to fund programs across the country that are dedicated to cancer research, education
and patient support. Using proceeds from Mel's Bracelet, the Friends of Mel Foundation has been
able to donate $3 million to programs that mirror the organizations mission. In 2011, in an effort
empower individuals who have been touched by cancer, the organization created The Art of Living Life Beyond Cancer conference for survivors and their caregivers. To date, the conference has
hosted over 1300 individuals. Pauline is the recipient of the Life Spirit Award from the Deborah
Winters Foundation, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the New England Coalition of
Cancer Survivorship and is an honoree of the one hundred from Massachusetts General Hospital
Cancer Center. In 2011, she was chosen for the Exceptional Woman Award by Magic 106.7.
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Featured in People magazine and the Wall Street Journal, Pauline was also recognized on
Hometown Heroes
hosted by Joan
Lunden, former co-host
of ABCs Good
Morning America.
Jennifer Allen, Sc.D., MPH, MSN, RN
Project Co-Leader
Jennifer Allen has
Professor & Director, Department of Community Health
focused her research on
School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University
the development,
Email: Jennifer.allen@tufts.edu
implementation, and
evaluation of
community-based
interventions to promote
cancer prevention and control in underserved populations, with an ultimate goal of reducing health
disparities. Her work emphasizes community-based participatory approaches to identify community
needs and build capacity to implement community-driven solutions. She has developed and evaluated
peer-led and e-health interventions to promote cancer screening in a variety of settings, including
worksites, churches, and public housing. More recently, she has studied strategies for ensuring widescale and equitable dissemination of evidence-based interventions to address health disparities. For
example, she has worked with faith-based organizations, worksites, and public housing sites to
disseminate the use of evidence-based cancer control interventions among audiences that may not be
well-served by health care systems. Currently, Dr. Allen is the PI of a study funded by the National
Cancer Institute to develop and test an interactive, web-based decision aid to promote informed
decision-making for prostate cancer screening among African American men.
Magnolia Contreras joined
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in
2007 and is the current Director
Magnolia Contreras, MSW, MBA
of Community Benefits. In this
Stakeholder Panel
role, she is charged with helping
Director of Community Benefits
the Institute carry out its
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
community benefits mission
Email:
through the delivery of evidenceMagnolia_Contreras@dfci.harvard.edu
based cancer prevention,
screening and early detection
programs. Magnolia is a also a
Breast Cancer Survivor.
Prior to joining Dana-Farber,
Magnolia was employed by AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts where she served in senior
executive roles as the Director of External Affairs and Director of Public Policy and Community
Relations. Additionally, she had a consulting services practice in non-profit management and political
coaching and research.
Ms. Contreras has a strong record of community service through her philanthropic and volunteer
efforts. Presently she serves on the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Industrial
Corporation of Lynn as appointed by the Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy. In this role, she is able to
increase access to low interest loans to small business owners including minority business owners. For
over a decade, she served on the Board of Directors of the Lynn Community Health Center and chaired
the Centers Capital Campaign Committee. She also serves on Salem State University Trustees
Academic and Student Life Committee. Ms. Contreras efforts have been widely recognized through
numerous awards and recognitions for her professional and volunteer endeavors. She lives in Lynn,
Massachusetts where she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Ms. Contreras is a graduate
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of Boston College, Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work and Suffolk University Sawyer
Business School. She has been an Adjunct Faculty member in the Graduate School of Social Work at
Salem State University, Simmons College and Boston College.
Ulrike Gorgens is a
Nurse Practitioner
Ulrike Gorgens, MS, APRN, NP-C
who works in the
Stakeholder Panel
Breast Health Center
Nurse Practitioner
of Tufts Medical
Breast Health Center
Center. Before joining
Tufts Medical Center
the Tufts-team she
Email: ugorgens@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
was working in the
Winship Cancer
Institute of Emory
University, Atlanta. She earned her Master in Science of Nursing at the Nell Woodruff School of
Nursing of Emory University, Atlanta. Ulrike is a 17-year metastatic Melanoma survivor and credits
nutrition and daily exercise for her success in beating this disease. She ran 2 Boston Marathons in honor
of pediatric cancer patients and continues to support cancer fundraisers.
Lisa Gualtieri directs the certificate
Lisa Gualtieri, PhD, ScM
program in Digital Health
Project Co-Leader
Communication in the Department of
Assistant Professor
Public Health and Community
School of Medicine
Medicine at Tufts University School
Tufts University
of Medicine. Lisas research is on use
Email: lisa.gualtieri@tufts.edu
of wearable activity trackers in
underserved populations; barriers to utilization of preventive care in Asian
Americans in Massachusetts; patient activism; and the use of social media for
participant recruitment in clinical trials. In addition to her teaching and research, Lisa is founder of
RecycleHealth.com, a non-profit that collects donations of Fitbits and other activity trackers and
provides the refurbished ones to participants in studies to learn more about their effectiveness with
people who are unlikely to know about or afford them. She is a member of the FDA General Hospital
and Personal Use Devices Panel. Lisa earned a PhD in computer science from Harvard University. For
fun, Lisa is a runner and swing dancer, and has mastered two types of aerials.

Chien-Chi Huang is a skilled

Chien-Chi Huang
and passionate community
Community Leader
advocate. She was the Asian
Cancer Survivor
Community Program Manager at
Founder, Asian Breast Cancer Project
the Massachusetts Council on
Executive Director, Asian Women for Health
Compulsive Gambling from
Email: cch@asianwomenforhealth.org
2006 to 2011 and she
http://www.asianwomenforhealth.org/
spearheaded several new health
initiatives addressing the unique
issues and challenges facing the Asian American community. These initiatives included Asian American
Problem Gambling Outreach efforts, Asian American Womens Mental Health Symposium, Asian
American Mental Health Forum, and Immigrants and Refugees Mental Health Network. A deft
community organizer and trainer, Chien-Chi has provided capacity building, technical guidance and
network enhancement to community-based organizations and providers serving Asian Americans in the
Commonwealth. Chien-Chi is the recipient for the Cheryl Kramer Passion Award in 2011, the Trail
Blazer award in 2012, the Janice McGrath Survivor of the Year Award in 2013, and the 2014 honoree of
the one hundred by Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
Ligaya King is a stage IV
non-hodgkin
lymphoma survivor active in
the young adult cancer
community. She is a recent
Boston transplant from
Southern California where
she founded the San Diego
chapter of Stupid Cancer in 2011 and served on the outreach committee for Stupid Cancers annual
young adult cancer conference in 2012. She also worked at the San Diego chapter of the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society assisting with programs and donor development, managing volunteers, and
engaging the community through the Honored Heroes program. Currently, she is a graduate student at
the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University studying biochemical and
molecular nutrition. Her research interest is in nutrition during chemotherapy and survivorship in order
to improve short and long term side effects and quality of life.
Ligaya King
Stakeholder Panel
Cancer Survivor & Graduate Student
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Tufts University
Email: ligaya.king@tufts.edu

Susan Chaityn Lebovits is

Susan Chaityn Lebovits
the founder and Executive
Stakeholder Panel
Director of Boston Cancer
Executive Director
Support. Passionate about
Boston Cancer Support
community collaboration,
Email: Susan@BostonCancerSupport.org
Susan wrote for The Boston
www.bostoncancersupport.org
Globe covering personal
narratives, lifestyle and
business stories. She left the
Globe in 2009 for a staff position at Boston University as co-founder of the Office of Sustainability,
which aims to reduce the environmental footprint in terms of energy and waste. Susan created numerous
student, faculty, and staff programs. In 2011 she moved to Brandeis University as their senior news and
communications officer and science writer. Soon after, Susan lost her childhood friend to Leukemia, and
her neighbor was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Susan spent a lot of time online researching
resources for her, but each search took her to a different location. There was no single portal in the state
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of Massachusetts that housed everything from financial aid options to support groups to clinical trials.
Susan left her staff position at Brandeis University, and spent the next year building Boston Cancer
Support.
Boston Cancer Support now functions both online and within communities. The web
presence provides resources for cancer patients and their families at the state, region, and town level.
Boston Cancer Support also runs two Collective Impact Programs. The Cancer Collaborative provides
healthcare professionals with development and networking opportunities along with resources and tools
to maintain partnerships. The Treatment Transport program provides patients with rides to medical
treatments and/or support groups. Boston Cancer Support is a recipient of the 2016 Myra Kraft
Community MVP Award presented by the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Charitable
Foundation. The award places a spotlight on those who give their time to help others and exemplify
leadership, dedication and a commitment to improving their communities through volunteerism; The
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) selected Boston Cancer Support to receive one of
two 2016 ASTRO Survivor Circle grants for their work supporting those who have been touched by
cancer, including patients, caregivers and health care professionals. Boston Cancer support is a 2016
honoree of the one hundred by the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
Lynne Graziano
childhood cancer
Diagnosed with
neuroblastoma at
months and
osteosarcoma at
has lived with
late-affects her

Lynne Graziano Morin

Stakeholder Panel
Co-Chair, Survivorship Workgroup
Massachusetts Comprehensive
Cancer Control Network
Email: lgraz68@verizon.net

Morin is a
survivor.
a
age 16
age 15, she
cancer and
entire life.

A long-time advocate in the cancer community Lynne has served in variety of roles. She is a founding
member of the Mass General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center's Patient and Family Advisory Council, a
member of the MGH Cancer Center's Network for Patients and Families and serves on the medical
advisory board for Boston Cancer Support. Lynne currently co-chairs the Mass Comp Cancer Control
Network's Survivorship Workgroup and is a member of the steering committee. Over the years she has
testified and advocated for legislation related to access issues for cancer patients including the
Massachusetts oral parity law.
Recently retired, Lynne also worked in the cancer field for 25 years. She was the Director of
Survivorship for the American Cancer Society, New England until 2003 then served as Senior Patient
Services Manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Massachusetts until 2015.

Neil Maniar
is the vice
Neil Maniar, PhD, MPH
president,
Health Systems,
Stakeholder Panel
of the
American
Vice President, Health Systems
Cancer
Societys New
American Cancer Society
England
Division, which
New England Division
serves
Connecticut,
Email: neil.maniar@cancer.org
Maine,
Massachusetts,
http://www.cancer.org/myacs/neweng
New
Hampshire,
land/
Rhode Island,
and Vermont. As
the Divisions Health Systems leader, Dr. Maniar oversees the Divisions work with health systems
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across New England. He leads a team of more than 35 staff to work with state-based, hospital, and
primary-care health systems to further the Societys mission to save lives from cancer. His team works
within health care systems to increase utilization of cancer prevention strategies and cancer screening
tests; to reduce barriers to care for cancer patients; and to engage health care organizations in fighting
cancer through the Societys advocacy, corporate, community, and fundraising initiatives. Dr. Maniar
also serves on the Senior Leadership Team, which comprises the New England Divisions senior-most
staff.
Dr. Maniar is also an adjunct faculty member at the Bouv College of Health Sciences at Northeastern
University where he teaches Health Education, Program Planning, and Urban Community Health
Assessment. Prior to joining the Society, Dr. Maniar served as the director of Health Equity Programs in
the Brigham and Womens Hospital Center for Community Health and Health Equity and he was also
the founding director of the Massachusetts Youth Violence Prevention Program at the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Public
Health Association. Dr. Maniar received his Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg
School of Public Health in 2005 and his Masters in Public Health (MPH) with distinction from the Yale
University School of Public Health in 1998. He received his Bachelors degree in 1994 from
Connecticut College with a double major in English and Zoology.
Carl Nickerson, registered
representative with New York
Carl Nickerson
Life Securities, is a financial
Stakeholder Panel
services professional with over 15
Cancer Survivor & Financial Service
years of experience in accounting,
Professional
financial operations, retirement
Email: cnickerson@ft.newyorklife.com
planning, life insurance and
wealth management. Carl was
born and raised in Jamaica Plain
MA and has strong ties to the
local community. Carl is a cancer survivor. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2014 and
undergoing successful treatment at Dana Farber Carl developed a strong sense of purpose and giving
back. Carl is actively involved in raising awareness of importance of self-examination and fund raising
in collaboration with the Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber and Boston Department of Public Health, Recipient
of the Wittier Street Health Centers 2016 Mens Health Champion Award for his cancer awareness and
community outreach in helping build healthier families One Man at a Time!
Christina Nordstrom leads the Massachusetts
Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity
Prevention Program. Supporting the
Commonwealths multi-faceted obesity
prevention initiative, this work focuses on
promoting population level policy, systems and
environmental change strategies that support
healthy eating and increase opportunities for
physical activity for Massachusetts residents.

Christina Nordstrom, MED, PAPHS

Stakeholder Panel
Director, the Massachusetts Nutrition, Physical
Activity and Obesity Prevention Program
Cancer Survivor, Massachusetts Comprehensive
Cancer Control and Prevention Program
Email: Christina.nordstrom@state.ma.us

A breast cancer survivor, she serves on the Cancer Survivorship Work Group of the states
Comprehensive Cancer Control and Prevention Program, which recently published the Wellness Guide
for Cancer Survivors (www.mass.gov/cancersurvivor), and also contributed to the development of the
2012-2016 and 2017-2021 CCCPP state plans. Her prior work included serving as Community Health
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Education Director for Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and, as a pioneer in the field of
worksite health promotion, she created and implemented the award-winning employee wellness program
for John Hancock Financial Services, Boston, Massachusetts. She received her Master of Education in
Instructional Systems Design and the Graduate College of Educations Academic Award for Excellence
in Instructional Design from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She also received certification as
a Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Alicia Romano is a Registered
Dietitian at the Frances Stern
Alicia Romano, MS, RD, LDN
Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical
Stakeholder Panel
Center. She earned a bachelors
Registered Dietitian
degree in Dietetics from the
Frances Stern Nutrition Center
James Madison University and
Tufts Medical Center
went on to completely a
Email: aromano@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
combined dietetic internship and
masters program at the Tufts
Friedman School of Nutrition
Science and Policy and Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center. She currently practices
as an outpatient dietitian, specializing in hematology/oncology, gastrointestinal diseases, weight
management and nutritional support.
Carolyn Rooney is a Nurse
Practitioner in the Breast Health
Center of the Department of
Hematology and Oncology at Tufts
Medical Center. She earned Master
of Science in Nursing at the
Massachusetts College of
Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Carolyn is a member of the
Oncology Nursing Society and
Massachusetts Nursing
Association.

Carolyn Rooney, MS, APRN, OCN, NP-C

Stakeholder Panel
Breast Health Center
Tufts Medical Center
Email: CRooney2@tuftsmedicalcenter.org

Sandra Rosenbluth is a
recent grad from Tufts
University. In the past few
years, she has received her
Sandra Rosenbluth, MS
Masters in Nutrition
Communication from the
Project Coordinator
Friedman School of
Nutrition and a certificate in
Communication Specialist
Digital Health
Tuft University School of Medicine
Communication from the
Email: sa.rosenbluth@gmail.com
Tufts School of Medicine,
and has also begun work for
RecycleHealth, a nonprofit
organization that collects used wearable activity trackers to help underserved populations. As Project
Coordinator for Project NNOCS, Ms. Rosenbluth looks forward to engaging and supporting researchers,
7

organizations, and the cancer survivor community, with the ultimate goal of improving health and
quality of life through diet and exercise.
Alicia Staley works as a patient
Alicia Staley
advocacy and product manager at
Community Leader
Cure Forward to help cancer patients
Cancer Survivor & Co-Founder
find clinical trials based on the
Breast Cancer Social Media
patients genomic data. Helping
Email: acstaley@gmail.com
cancer patients use social media and
social networks to build powerful
relationships with their care teams is
her focus. Ms. Staley is a three-time cancer survivor, first diagnosed with
Hodgkins disease as a sophomore at Syracuse University. Ms. Staley actively shares what she learned
throughout her cancer journey to improve other patients experiences. She is a member of the Tufts
Medical Center Patient & Family Advisory Council and Quality Care Committee. She regularly speaks
at conferences throughout the US. She has presented at Livestrongs Rev2014, American Society for
Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting, South by South West Interactive Conference (SXSWi), 140
Boston, and Social Media for Pharma. As an inspirational speaker, Alicia reaches many different
audiences, providing insight into life as a 25+ year cancer survivor and support in efficient, effective
ways.
Gary L. Taylor is a graduate of
Tufts University School of
Gary L. Taylor, MD
Medicine University of
Stakeholder Panel
Massachusetts at Boston. Dr.
Physician & Cancer Survivor
Taylor practiced Internal
Email: gltmedsvc@yahoo.com
Medicine and Geriatrics for over
22-years. Personally, He is no
stranger to cancer. He was
diagnosed with stomach cancer in
2005 and with prostate cancer in
2015 when He was treated with radical prostate surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. He also lost his
wife of 31-years to Breast cancer in 2010. He is currently the Prostate Cancer Survivor Group Facilitator
at the Carney Hospital in Dorchester and is involved in numerous volunteer activities including the
National Association of Mental Illness(NAMI), Center for Community Health Education Research and
Service(CHERS), Roxbury Brothers with a Purpose, Right Care Boston and the Prostate Heath
Education Network.

Samantha Watson began her

career as a health advocate at age
21 when she was diagnosed with
cancer during her senior year of
college. She is the Founder and
CEO of The Samfund, a Bostonbased nonprofit organization
uniquely designed to support
young adults in their financial
recovery from cancer treatment.

Samantha Watson
Stakeholder Panel
Cancer Survivor & Founder and CEO
The Samfund
Email: sam@thesamfund.org

Sam created The Samfund in 2003 after her own battle with cancer. Diagnosed in 1999 with Ewings
Sarcoma and in 2001 with Secondary Myelodysplastic Syndrome (with a bone marrow transplant in
August of 2001), she received all treatment in New York City. Upon returning to Boston and integrating
back into the real world, she saw how little support there was for young adults who were struggling
once treatment ended. As she quickly came to learn, cancer isnt free. Since then, Sam has evolved into a
passionate thought leader and expert in the financial aftereffects of treatment in young adult cancer
survivors.
During her career, Sam has simultaneously held the position of Adjunct Lecturer in the undergraduate
Sociology of Disability class at Brandeis University, and has been a featured speaker at cancer-related
symposiums, conferences and hospitals including Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center. She is a regular contributor of articles in the oncology space, and her story of
survival is highlighted in the Jim Rendon book Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth
(2015).
Fang Fang Zhang is a
nutrition and cancer
epidemiologist experienced in
Fang Fang Zhang, MD, PhD
conducting population-based
Project Leader
studies to investigate the role
of
Assistant Professor
nutrition in cancer prevention
and
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
control. With support from
NIH,
Tufts University
she is currently leading
studies
Email: fang_fang.zhang@tufts.edu
to evaluate dietary intake in
2,570
adult survivors of childhood cancer and its associations with treatment exposure,
chronic health conditions, and quality of life. She is also investigating the
relationships between dietary intake and all-cause mortality in more than 6,000 women diagnosed with
breast cancer. She received her PhD with distinction in Epidemiology from Columbia University, and is a
recipient of the Eileen O'Neil Citation for Excellence in Teaching and a Tisch Faculty Fellow of the
Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University. In her recreation time,
she enjoys biking, brisk walking, and helping organize Chinese story times for children at local libraries.