Dr. Caitlin M. Burk is a physician-scientist at the Food Allergy Center in the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children. She performs research in the laboratory of Wayne G. Shreffler, MD PhD focusing on the role of T cells in eosinophilic esophagitis and food allergy.

Dr. Book has been involved in a volunteer capacity on the executive board of APFED, serving as the board’s President since 2009. She has led education, advocacy, research, and awareness efforts leading to the creation of National Eosinophil Awareness Week, NIH report language, the NIH Task Force on the Research Needs of Eosinophil-Associated Diseases (TREAD) document, insurance coverage of medical foods, and development of ICD-9-CM codes for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases. She assisted in development of APFED’s HOPE on the Horizon Research Grant Program which has directed more than $2.3 million to research efforts to date. Her efforts have led to collaborations with other patient advocacy groups, physicians, medical societies, and federal agencies. Her experience as a parent of a chronically ill child, and as a physician, provides a unique perspective on the patient experience and challenges involved in navigating the medical system. 

Sara B. Bluestein, M.D. completed her Allergy and Immunology fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she received the Sam Marney Award for Excellence in Allergy & Immunology Training. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, and then completed her residency in Pediatrics at Levine Children’s Hospital (Carolinas Medical Center) in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Bluestein grew up in Marietta, GA and graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Biology & Psychology. Dr. Bluestein is board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. She is a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, and American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Dr. Bluestein treats patients of all ages with allergic and immunologic conditions, and asthma. Her special areas of interest include food and drug allergies, eczema, and hives. In her free time, Dr. Bluestein enjoys visiting farmer’s markets, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her husband and two young children.

William W. Busse, MD is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin Medical School. Before his retirement in 2021, had been a faculty member of the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Wisconsin. He has served as head of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Section and as the George R. and Elaine Love Professor and Chair of Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Dr. Busse’s research focuses on the mechanism of asthma, with particular interest in eosinophilic inflammation and rhinovirus-induced asthma, as well as in lung-brain interactions in asthma. He has been the principal investigator for the NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Inner-City Asthma Consortium and previously served on the Advisory Council and as a member of the Board of External Experts for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Busse has also served as President and member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He is co-editor of the book “Allergy: Principles and Practice and Asthma and Rhinitis” and was associate editor of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In 2001, Dr. Busse was elected to the Association of American Physicians. He received the Folkert Belzer Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, the American Thoracic Society Award for Scientific Accomplishments in 2005, the Citation Award for Achievement from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in 2008, and the American Thoracic Society Foundation Breathing for Life Award in 2014. He is a member of APFED’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Mirna Chehade is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. She is the founding director of the Mount Sinai Center for Eosinophilic Disorders (MSCED). The Center provides cutting edge clinical care, research, and support for patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) and their families, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Dr. Chehade has been repeatedly voted as a Castle Connolly top doctor in Pediatric Gastroenterology. She runs several clinical and translational research studies on EoE. She is also a site Principal Investigator in multi-center clinical trials on EoE, and a site principal investigator in the NIH-funded Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR). Dr. Chehade has several publications on gastrointestinal food allergies and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders. She is an active member in national and international organizations, including AAAAI, EAACI, NASPGHAN and AGA. She also volunteers as a member of the medical advisory board of the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED). Dr. Chehade is a frequently invited speaker at national and international meetings, and an invited reviewer for a number of gastroenterology and allergy journals.

Raquel Durban, MS, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian specializing in the dietary management of families with food allergies. She received her master of science degree in nutrition from the University of Maryland and completed a nutrition internship at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As a recognized authority on the dietary and nutritional management of food allergies, she is a frequently invited speaker at allergy and immunology conferences and has the pleasure of precepting dietetic interns. Ms. Durban has contributed her expertise to peer-reviewed publications and continuing education programs.

Ms. Durban is a steering committee member and cochairs the internship program of the International Network of Dietitians and Nutritionists in Allergy and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis. She plays an active role in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). She serves on the organizations’ numerous committees, collaborating with other health care professionals and patient advocacy groups to improve quality of life and advance understanding for families living with the challenges of food allergies.

From pediatric weight gains and losses to restricted diets for food allergy and disease management, she does not believe there is a one-size-fits- all answer for success. She will work to find the best balance of meeting nutritional needs with lifestyle demands and ensure collaboration with other members of the care team.

Dr Hosnieh Fathi is Senior Director, Worldwide Medical Immunology & Neuroscience in BMS. She is a Medical Doctor with specialization in internal medicine and holds the title of Fellow for the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians, UK. With over 12 years of clinical experience and research, she started her career in industry in R&D and clinical development in 2011, and then transitioned to medical affairs where she took variety of roles to lead and support commercialization of new technologies or medicines into the patients’ pathways.

As a “Patient advocate” within pharma industry - with her “intentional leadership” - she ensures her teams keep patients’ needs as the “North star” of their projects and bring patients to have a seat at the table! Just last year, she led the first UK&IE patients’ advisory board to inform the launch of a new medicine in the country.

Lynn Fussner, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at The Ohio State University. After completing her internal medicine residency and pulmonary/critical care fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, she returned home to Ohio and established the OSU Multidisciplinary Vasculitis Clinic with colleagues in rheumatology and nephrology. A physician-scientist, Dr. Fussner conducts clinical and translational research in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Lisa Gonzalez-Goetz has been dedicated to Social Security Disability Law since 1992 focusing entirely on the areas of Social Security Disability Law. Lisa has represented over 10,000 individuals in Social Security hearings. Additionally, Lisa has been hired as an expert witness in the areas of personal injury and workers’ compensation. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and earned her law degree from Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law in 1992. Lisa is a founding member and partner of the Law Firm of Gonzalez & Goetz LLC. She is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the National Organization of Social Security Claims Representatives (N.O.S.S.C.R.) and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (A.T.L.A.). Lisa is admitted to the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is fluent in English and Spanish.

Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Clinical Attending at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Gupta has over 20 years of experience as a board-certified pediatrician and health researcher and currently serves as the founding director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR). She is world-renowned for her groundbreaking research in the areas of food allergy and asthma epidemiology, most notably for her research on the prevalence of pediatric and adult food allergy in the United States. She has also significantly contributed to academic research in the areas of food allergy prevention, socioeconomic disparities in care, and the daily management of these conditions. To reduce the burden of these diseases and improve health equity, she and her team develop, evaluate, and disseminate interventions for families and conduct work to inform local, national, and international health policy. Dr. Gupta is the author of the Food Allergy Experience and Food Without Fear, has written and co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, and has had her work featured on major TV networks and in print media. She and her team strive to improve the lives of children and their families through their research and hope to continue finding answers and shaping policies around allergic conditions.

Mary Jo Strobel has 25 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector with a specific focus on patient advocacy for allergic conditions. She has a broad background and direct experience in a multitude of initiatives related to patient education, disease awareness, advocacy, and research. She collaborates with research investigators, facilitates patient experience data, advises on recruitment strategies, and contributes to research design and protocol. She has co-authored numerous research abstracts and journal manuscripts. In addition to invitational speaking engagements around the U.S. and abroad to share insights and information to patients, providers, industry, government agencies, and other nonprofits, she also represents APFED as a member of the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers; the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network Coalition of Patient Advocacy Groups; the Lay Organization Strategic Partnership of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; and in several national and global collaboratives to identify and address unmet needs for eosinophil-associated disease.

Tiffany Kichline (she/her), Ph.D., is a clinical child psychologist with a specialization in pediatric psychology at Children’s National Hospital. She is an assistant professor of psychology and behavioral health at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She provides clinical psychology services to patients and families in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. Her clinical interests include using evidence-based interventions to children, adolescents and their families as they relate to adjustment to diagnosis, medical adherence, medical-related anxiety, preparation for medical procedures and other behavioral/psychosocial difficulties. Dr. Kichline also participates in psychology training as a supervisor for advanced graduate students in psychology. Dr. Kichline earned a Ph.D., in clinical child psychology at the University of Kansas, where her research focused on mobile health interventions for youth with chronic pain. As part of her Ph.D., program, she completed a psychology internship at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital/Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. Dr. Kichline completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s National Hospital in the Division of Psychology and Behavioral Health, Anxiety Disorders Clinic. Her current research interests include identifying factors that can increase quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses and exploring interventions to improve psychological outcomes for pediatric patients.

Holly Knotowicz, M.S., CCC-SLP, holds a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Nazareth College. She is a Speech Language Pathologist and a Feeding and Swallowing specialist with over 14 years of experience. Her areas of clinical interest include working with children who have eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis and working with children who have food allergies, FPIES, feeding tubes and neurogenic disorders. She is an active participant in research, has been published in Gastroenterology Journal and is an international speaker on feeding.

Matthew Kowalik, MD, is a pediatric gastroenterologist by training and a Clinical Team Leader in the Division of Gastroenterology (DG) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Kowalik completed his pediatric residency at Mount Sinai Hospital and pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Kowalik has research experience in the genetics of very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEOIBD) and humanized mouse models of IBD. Since joining DG, Dr. Kowalik’s team reviews applications for a variety of gastrointestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, gastroparesis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Dr. Mark Kowalski has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. He is a clinical leader, developing regulatory strategy and global clinical development plans for a variety of product types including small molecules, biologics (monoclonals, immunoconjugates, siRNAs) and vaccines, while working in a wide range of indications, including oncology, infectious diseases, urology, analgesia, allergy, rheumatology and metabolic disorders. Dr. Kowalski is experienced with clinical study design and authoring protocols for Phase 1 through 3 clinical trials, medical monitoring and pharmacovigilance for Phase 1 through 4 clinical trials, data analysis and writing of clinical study reports. His extensive research experience is complemented by a B.A. from Rutgers University, an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and postgraduate training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Duke University and Harvard Medical School. He is Board-Certified in both practice areas.

Emily C. McGowan MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate education at Duke University and thereafter spent a year pursuing research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She completed her medical training at the University of Virginia, internship/residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA, and fellowship training in Allergy/Clinical Immunology at Johns Hopkins. She also completed a PhD in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her primary research and clinical interest is food allergy, and she is actively pursuing projects to better understand the epidemiology and pathophysiology of Eosinophilic Esophagitis and other Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases. Dr. McGowan has received funding through the NIH/National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, AAAAI/ARTrust, FARE, and the American College of Gastroenterology. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and is an active member of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Tegan Medico received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition/Dietetics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and completed her graduate dual degree program and dietetic internship at the University of Tennessee, where she earned a Master of Science in Nutrition and a Master of Public Health in Health Planning and Administration. Tegan joined the team at the University of Virginia Health in 2013 as a dietitian in pediatrics. She has worked in a variety of roles: intensive care, gastroenterology, nephrology, transplant, and home health. She now serves the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, the Pediatric Liver Transplant program, and is coordinator for an elective in pediatric nutrition for UVa’s School of Medicine. Additionally, she has held adjunct instructor positions at Piedmont Valley Community College and the University of Virginia. Tegan has given talks on a variety of topics at the local, national, and international levels; has co-written a book, A Kid’s Guide to Short Bowel Syndrome; and currently is Program Chair for the Council for Pediatric Nutrition Professionals of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Group. Tegan is the 2019 recipient of Compass Group’s Clinician of the Year Award and the 2023 recipient of the Collaborative Excellence in Public Service Award from UVA’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

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Dominique C. Pichard, M.D., M.S., is the director of NCATS’ Division of Rare Diseases Research Innovation, where she leads rare disease research efforts. In this capacity, she also collaborates with other divisions and offices across NCATS and, more broadly, with other NIH institutes and centers regarding rare diseases research. Before joining NCATS in September 2023, Pichard was the chief science officer at the International Rett Syndrome Foundation — the largest patient advocacy and research foundation for Rett syndrome in the United States. Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that affects 1 in 10,000 females (and even fewer males) and leads to severe impairments affecting nearly every aspect of life, including speaking, walking, eating and the ability to breathe easily. In her capacity at the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, Pichard engaged in patient advocacy and created several initiatives to improve translational research in Rett syndrome, providing the grounds for successful drug development. Prior to her tenure at the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, Pichard was a clinical researcher at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, where she studied many different rare diseases and gained expertise in rare disease clinical trial development.

In addition to her work in rare disease research, Pichard is mother to a daughter who lives with Rett syndrome, so she has a deep understanding of the many challenges associated with having a rare disease, including the diagnostic odyssey, the lack of treatments and the many untreated medical complications related to the disease. She is passionate about improving the system for all those affected by rare diseases, which aligns with NCATS’ vision of bringing more treatments to all people more quickly.

Pichard received her M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine and her M.S. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

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Jeremy Rahman, Product Marketing Manager for EvoEndo Inc., is a healthcare professional with 10 years of experience in critical care nursing education, as well as 5+ years in the medical device industry. He believes in the mission of EvoEndo, which is to unleash the potential of sedation-free endoscopy to improve the lives of patients, their families, and healthcare professionals, and is looking forward to answering your questions about the EvoEndo Endoscopy System and the benefits its use enables.

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Debra Silberg is an expert in clinical development with 20 years of Pharmaceutical Industry experience. She is currently a consultant for multiple Pharmaceutical and adjunct companies. In addition, Dr. Silberg is on the Board of Directors of Ellodi Pharmaceuticals as well as a scientific advisor to the company and is the Chief Scientific Officer for Beyond Celiac, a not for profit organization.

Prior to her current roles and becoming a consultant, Dr. Silberg was the Global Vice President, Head of Clinical Science/Development for GI at Takeda/Shire (Shire was acquired by Takeda). At Takeda, she provided leadership, oversight and expertise to the program teams in Clinical Development within the GI therapeutic area comprising of approximately 30 physicians and clinical scientists (US, Europe, China and Japan). She managed the Clinical Science leaders in the 15 programs within the therapeutic area in the following diseases: IBD, EoE, CIC, Celiac disease, Liver, Motility, Microbiome and Acid Peptic disease.

Dr. Silberg earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Michigan, her Ph.D. in Immunology from Wayne State University School of Medicine, and her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Gastroenterology Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. She then became a faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Pennsylvania where she treated patients and was the principal investigator of an NIH funded molecular biology laboratory.

Dr. Silberg is an active member in the American Gastroenterological Association, participating in the past on many AGA committees. She is also a Fellow and member of the American College of Gastroenterology. She has published over 40 peer reviewed articles primarily in the field of Gastroenterology in both the areas of clinical and basic science research.

Dr. Shandas is a Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Colorado. As an accomplished scientist, educator, and entrepreneur, he has invented numerous technologies that are being used clinically, has over 350 scientific publications, and has mentored over 100 students, many of whom are now leaders in academia and business. He is passionate about translating technology to the clinic, has started 8 biotech companies, and is excited about the potential for the Esophageal String Test. He has swallowed the EnteroTracker sampling device numerous times to understand what patients go through and how to improve the process.

Dr. Gregory Constantine is an Assistant Research Physician at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases where he is an investigator on multiple protocols addressing eosinophilic disorders including hypereosinophilic syndromes and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases and serves as a site-investigator for the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Researchers (CEGIR). His research primarily centers on eosinophil development, the interactions between eosinophils and sensory nerves in the gastrointestinal tract, and understanding how environmental factors, including those linked to immigration, impact the risk of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders.

Megan Gordon Don founded MGD Strategies LLC in 2017 to develop high-impact advocacy initiatives that achieve clients’ public policy goals while also growing their organizations.

Gordon Don has extensive experience in developing grassroots advocacy programs and legislative campaigns, coalition management, navigating the broader public health policy communities, and strategic planning. As the head of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCAN) Government Affairs & Advocacy Office for 11 years, she spearheaded campaigns that included passing landmark legislation that established new NCI-supported research and securing Department of Defense research funding as well as grew PanCAN’s grassroots advocacy engagement 500% and its Advocacy Day participation over 300% (over 600 participants in 2017 from all 50 states).

Gordon Don’s previous experience includes working on Capitol Hill as a congressional healthcare legislative aide, a lobbyist for the American Cancer, the Director of Socioeconomics and Quality Management for the Dallas County Medical Society and as a healthcare industry analyst for Andersen Consulting (now known as Accenture).

She received her BA in modern European studies from Smith College and her MHS in health policy & management from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Paneez Khoury is an investigator in the Human Eosinophil Section of the NIH where she is involved in clinical and translational research. Her research interests span a variety of eosinophilic disorders including hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs), Gleich’s syndrome, eosinophilic fasciitis, as well as development of patient-centered outcome and quality-of-life instruments for patients with HES. In addition to being an investigator in clinical trials and natural history clinical studies for these disorders, she spends her time training and mentoring Allergy/Immunology fellows as the Program Director for the A&I fellowship training program at NIH.

Ryan is a college student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has eosinophilic esophagitis as well as eosinophilic asthma and follows a restricted diet. Despite health issues, he leads an active life including travel, such as a semester abroad, and patient advocacy efforts. A long-time volunteer of APFED and supporter of the organization’s mission, Ryan has educated lawmakers on Capitol Hill about eosinophil-associated diseases and the unmet needs of the patients, has shaped educational programming, and has participated in research initiatives.

Bryan G. Sauer received a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University and a Medical Degree from the University of Wisconsin. He then pursued training in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the University of Virginia, where he also obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Research. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, he pursued additional training in advanced endoscopy focused on endoscopic ultrasound. He currently is a tenured Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia where he specializes in esophageal diseases and is the founder of the Adult Multidisciplinary Eosinophilic Esophagitis Program. His research and clinical interests include eosinophilic esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, pancreatic cysts, and endoscopic ultrasound. Dr. Sauer also has an interest in international medicine and established an endoscopy program in rural Guatemala. He lives in Charlottesville with his wife and three kids.