YOUNG SURVIVAL COALITION - Key Persons

Amanda Nixon

an..@youngsurvival.org

Job Titles:

Director of Community Engagement & Empowerment

Amanda Nixon is the Director of Community Engagement & Empowerment. She leads the virtual community of volunteer networks and global ambassadors by outreaching, engaging and empowering diverse young adults affected by breast cancer. Amanda knows all too well the challenges of facing breast cancer at a young age. Diagnosed with (stage IIIb) Inflammatory Breast Cancer at age 27, she endured neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, Herceptin® infusions for one year, a mastectomy, additional chemotherapy, radiation, reconstructive surgeries, and lymphedema. Amanda brings over a decade of cancer-specific nonprofit experience spanning programming, education, philanthropy, and international volunteer management. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is a National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project LEAD® graduate. Amanda serves on the Board of Directors for Be Well Therapy. She is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a 55-hour Yoga for Cancer Recovery RYT, and a certified Global Educator for Know Your Lemons. When she's not advocating for patients, you can find her in San Francisco practicing green witchery.

Amy Wu

Job Titles:

Professional

Amy Wu is a professional journalist and a young breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with aggressive DCIS at age 37 and treated. She is a state leader for YSC in California, and created and participated in a panel on increasing awareness for underserved communities and women of color at YSC's 2015 conference in Houston. She is the social media manager for National Asian Breast Cancer Initiative. She is a young advocate with Living Beyond Breast Cancer and sits on the XRAYS panel - a project that examines breast cancer media coverage - for Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE). She hopes to use media and social media as a platform in increasing awareness and advocacy for young women and breast cancer, especially those in underserved communities. Amy is a first generation Chinese American and is a native New Yorker. She works for Gannett Co. and has reported for Time magazine, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and written for The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. She majored in history at NYU and earned her masters' degree in journalism from Columbia University. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. She is also an avid swimmer and completed the 28.5 mile Manhattan Island Marathon Swim as a relay in 2010. (Twitter: @amyhwu)

Andrea Marz

Job Titles:

Operations System Manager

Annie Hiller - CFO

ah..@youngsurvival.org

Job Titles:

Director of Finance & Operations

Annie leads YSC's budgeting, database configurations, metrics, and operations. Her work allows YSC to be strategic in our programs and provides insights into who we're serving. Since being at YSC, Annie has centralized data collection, budgeting, and forecasting which streamlines the work and process, allowing for greater understanding and analysis. She considers the best part of her job the ability to work with everyone in the organization, allowing her to build trusting relationships. Annie has spent her entire professional career in the nonprofit cancer industry, where she started in development but quickly found a passion for numbers and systems and moved to operations. When she's not working, you can find her on a field, whether it be for her children or cheering for her beloved Clemson Tigers. She lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughter, son, and the best rescue dog.

Brianna Osofisan

bo..@youngsurvival.org

Job Titles:

Program Associate

Brianna Osofisan is a Program Associate at YSC and supports YSC's Mission department with implementing the many programs offered to support young adults affected by breast cancer. She also facilitates outreach initiatives for the advancement of Project 528, YSC's global needs assessment. Diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at twenty-one-years old, Brianna has experienced firsthand the various challenges young adults face throughout a breast cancer diagnosis. She's passionate about using her experience to educate and empower other young people to navigate their diagnosis, and to ensure that they have access to the necessary resources to do so. Brianna comes to YSC from a diverse background in healthcare and education, where she developed a passion for using education to improve health outcomes. She's also a travel enthusiast and has visited 29 countries and counting. When she's not working, you can find her trying a new restaurant in Atlanta, writing a blog, or catching a flight somewhere.

Christine Duffy

Christine has been a primary care provider with research and clinical interest in the care of young adult survivors of cancer. Christine received her MD from Weill College of Medicine at Cornell University and completed a primary care residency, women's health fellowship and a MPH at Brown University. She is the Director of Adult Cancer Survivorship services at the Lifespan Cancer Institute in Providence, RI, and created the OWLS clinic (Oncology, Wellness Lifestyle and Survivorship) to help serve the needs of cancer survivors and thrivers in the Providence area. She is also the Medical Director of the Miriam Primary Care Clinic which trains Brown Internal Medicine residents in primary care. Christine has been a women's health primary care provider for over 20 years. Christine is a breast cancer survivor herself, diagnosed in her early 30s, as were several members of her family. She remembers how crucial it was to connect with other young adults diagnosed with breast cancer and is excited to be part of the YSC mission. She lives in Barrington, RI, with her husband Paul (also a physician), two children (Matty and Ian) and her two dogs (Maple and Moxie).

Cindy Jeffers - CEO

Job Titles:

CEO
Member of the Advisory Board
Member of the Board

Cindy Jeffers' mom is a 37-year breast cancer survivor who has found community in cancer doctors' waiting rooms. Cindy's mom continues to gather new friends, and invaluable information and strategies for combatting cancer in these spaces. Because of Cindy's experiences in waiting rooms, Cindy is drawn to and loves the communities YSC fosters. Cindy is deeply honored to support those impacted by breast cancer to live their fullest lives. Cindy Jeffers is a CEO, Board Member and Advisory Board Member with 24 years of experience in software and hardware, women's wellness, cultural institutions, online media, robotics and emerging technology platforms, and web2 and web3 internet startups. In addition to serving on the board of YSC, Cindy is on the advisory board of Emme, a women's wellness startup improving women's medication adherence. Previously, Cindy served on the advisory board of Our.News, a fact-checking platform for news. Cindy was COO at UZE Mobility US, an enterprise mobility data services startup. Before that, Cindy was Board Director, CEO, CTO and cofounder of Daro, a data services startup that converted construction site data into business insights. As Board Director, CEO and CTO of Salon Media Group, Cindy led the company through its biggest period of growth in audience and revenue. While VP of Technology at The Huffington Post, Cindy led the engineering and product teams from a startup to an industry leader, surpassing the New York Times and CNN in audience size, and an acquisition by AOL. Previously, Cindy was a technology researcher at Distance Lab in northern Scotland, created interactive exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History and built robot actors for Heddatron, an off-Broadway musical in New York City. Cindy holds a master's degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University and a Bachelor's degree from Barnard College. Cindy is also an artist and makes interactive sculptures and paintings addressing the impact technology, medical illustration and globalization have on gender. Cindy's work has been exhibited at CTRL CP + J, artspring Berlin, Berlin Art Institute, Monte Vista Projects in Los Angeles, distance lab in Forres, The Lighthouse in Glasgow, ISEA in Belfast, Dupree Gallery in Philadelphia, Schenectady Museum, Siggraph, Cannes, Ars Nova's Automatic Vaudeville in New York City, Cabaret Scientifique in New York City and HERE Theater in New York City, The Human Computer Interaction Conference in Florence and Ensemble Studio in New York City.

Courtney Hagen

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Secretary / past President

Courtney Hagen joined YSC after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2006 at the age of 33. She brings to the YSC Board of Directors a passion for supporting young women diagnosed with breast cancer, plus more than 15 years of strategy, marketing and human resources experience through her career in executive search and management consulting. She is currently Chief Talent Officer for Littlejohn, a private equity firm that invests in middle market companies. In this role, she partners with the investors and management teams of companies across the portfolio to acquire, coach and develop high-performing talent. Previously, as SVP of Human Resources for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc., Courtney worked across LVMH's portfolio of 70+ luxury brands to create and execute strategic HR programs to support talent needs for LVMH in North America. Prior to this, Courtney led global executive talent acquisition for PepsiCo across sectors, functions and geographies. Courtney joined PepsiCo from a career in executive search and management consulting, with roles at Russell Reynolds Associates, where she led searches for marketing, sales and HR executives, and Bridge Strategy Group/Renaissance Worldwide, where she led strategy consulting engagements for Fortune 1000 companies in the US, Europe and South Africa. Courtney holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. Courtney participated in her first YSC Tour de Pink bike ride just six months after her treatment ended to celebrate being cancer-free and has continued to volunteer and fundraise for YSC through Tour de Pink and the In Living Pink gala committee. She joined the Board of YSC in 2012 and served as President 2016-2017.

Courtney Preusse

Job Titles:

Research Administrator for the Pathology Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Courtney Preusse is a patient advocate and Research Administrator for the Pathology Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where she works closely with the breast cancer program. Her experience as a patient partner in research began as a very personal decision point in her own clinical care. She works and volunteers for the Fred Hutch and other local, national and international organizations to help shape, broaden and strengthen discussions on prevention, detection, treatment and care of women who have, or are at risk for, the disease. As an engaged patient partner, she serves as liaison between scientists and cancer communities to ensure that a patient perspective is present in research as it is only via open dialogue and partnership that, in medicine, we will be able to properly ask the right questions, improve upon quality and relevance of research, and better inform clinical healthcare decisions. Courtney has contributed to numerous breast studies, clinical trials and pilot projects in development that promote awareness of and advances in cancer research. Most notably, she served as a stakeholder reviewer for the US Department of Defense and the New York Academy of Medicine; as a member of the European School of Oncology breast cancer program; an integral member of the West Coast Affiliate of the Young Survival Coalition; a Patient Ambassador for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI); a chairperson for the YSC's Research Think Tank Committee; and a State Leader for the American Cancer Society. Recently she organized and co-led the Pregnancy and Breast Cancer Symposium at the Fred Hutch which brought together thought-leaders nationwide in this field. Courtney has presented numerous posters at scientific meetings and is now working on manuscripts with colleagues at the Hutch. She is a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project LEAD training program and AACR's Scientist-Survivor Program.

Desirée A.H. Walker

Job Titles:

President of the Board of Directors

Dr. Carole Baas

Dr. Carole Baas became a cancer advocate following her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2004 after the birth of her second child. Carole is a YSC RISE Legacy Advocate and participated in YSC's Research Think Tank, serving on the Pregnancy Associated Breast Cancer Working Group. She is also an Advocate in Science with Susan G. Komen; a member of the External Advisory Board for the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern; a patient advocate for the Breast and the Experimental Imaging Sciences Committees for ECOG-ACRIN, which is part of the National Clinical Trials Network; and a member of the Institutional Review Board at Baylor Research Institute in Dallas, Texas. Carole also represents the patient voice as one of the four founding editors of the scientific journal Convergent Science Physical Oncology, which focuses on how experimental and theoretical science contributes to a better understanding of cancer complexity and to the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. Previously Carole served as the national advocate for the NCI's Physical Sciences-Oncology program, an innovative effort to encourage collaboration between physical scientists/engineers and cancer biologists/oncologists to generate novel methods to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Drawing upon her background in research and academia as well as from her personal experience with cancer-Carole has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University-she worked with cross-disciplinary teams at 12 different Centers across the U.S. to develop a comprehensive advocacy program. Currently, in the second phase of the NCI program, she is an advocate with the Houston Methodist Research Institute Physical Sciences in Oncology Center. Carole is a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project LEAD (2008) and Project LEAD Clinical Trials (2010). She regularly participates as an advocate reviewer for the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, PCORI and Komen.

Dr. Constance M. Chen

Job Titles:

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Constance M. Chen is a board-certified plastic surgeon with special expertise in the use of innovative natural techniques to optimize medical and aesthetic outcomes for young women undergoing breast reconstruction. Dr. Chen received her BA from Harvard College, MD from Stanford University School of Medicine, and MPH from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. After surgical residencies at the University of Washington Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital Cornell-Columbia, she completed fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York University Langone Medical Center Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. She is currently Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) at Weill Cornell Medical College and Tulane University School of Medicine. She is also the Chief of Microsurgery at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Dr. Chen pioneered perforator flap breast reconstruction at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and recently co-edited a microsurgical textbook published by Thieme, Perforator Flaps for Breast Reconstruction. Dr. Chen is frequently invited to lecture nationally and internationally on new advancements in breast reconstruction and the surgical treatment of lymphedema. She is the author of three books, five book chapters, and fifty journal articles. She has also won numerous awards for her work in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the local, regional, and national levels.

Dr. Corinne D. Menn

Dr. Corinne D. Menn is a board certified gynecologist with a private practice in Chappaqua NY. Her practice includes preventative care and wellness for women of all ages, from adolescence through menopause. Dr. Menn is also a 16 year young survivor of breast cancer, diagnosed during her medical training at the age of 28. Her personal experience has led her to also focus her practice on the unique female health care needs of fellow cancer survivors. Dr. Menn has a long history with the YSC, with their support during her treatment and after, riding the Tour de Pink, planning In Living Pink Galas, and running a YSC Face 2 Face group. Dr. Menn is also an active member inthe North American Menopause Society, The North American Society for Pediatric& Adolescent Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics& Gynecology.