Council Bios

Lisa Barcellos is Associate Professor of Epidemiology within the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. She received her PhD in Immunology (emphasis Immunogenetics) from the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral training in Genetic Epidemiology at the Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, and at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She also holds adjunct faculty appointments in the Department of Neurology, UC San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland. The primary focus of her research program at UC Berkeley is the genetic epidemiology of autoimmune disease including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. She is currently leading several large family and population-based studies aimed at the identification of genetic, social and/or environmental risk factors for these autoimmune conditions that include whole genome SNP and DNA methylation profiling approaches. (9/1/09 - 8/31/12)

Susan Braun is the Executive Director of Commonweal, a nonprofit direct services organization and a home for public policy advocacy, including programs like the Cancer Help Program, the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and the Regenerative Design Institute. Previously, she was executive director of The American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Foundation, the president and CEO of the CURE Media Group, president and CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Center for Economic Studies in Medicine. She has served on boards or committees for several organizations, including the American Society for Breast Disease, World Society of Breast Health, Americorps NCCC, Intercultural Cancer Council, and the ASCEND Foundation. (9/1/09 - 8/31/12)

Teresa L. Burgess, Ph.D. earned her BA in Biochemistry with highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley after receiving a solid educational foundation from CA public schools, including Diablo Valley Community College. Following a move across the SF bay, she received her Ph.D. for original research on peptide hormone secretion from U.C. San Francisco. As a Helen Hay Whitney Fellow, Dr. Burgess continued to investigate the basic cellular mechanisms of membrane trafficking at U.C. Santa Barbara. In 1992 she accepted a position as Research Scientist at Amgen Inc., where she has continued both basic and applied cell biological research. Her investigations have led to numerous peer reviewed research publications relevant to diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease.  In 2001, Dr. Burgess joined Oncology Research at Amgen where she is currently a Director leading and guiding numerous research programs spanning from basic discovery to Phase 2 clinical development. Dr. Burgess brings to the Council not only her scientific expertise, but also the experience of a prior term on the CBCRP Council (1999-2002). (7/1/08 - 8/31/11)

Ysabel Duron is an award-winning journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. In June 2009 she was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalist’s Hall of Fame. The senior anchor of the KRON 4 Weekend Morning News in San Francisco for the past 19 years, Duron was one of the first Latinas to work in mainstream television. Throughout her career, Ms. Duron has brought attention to Latino issues including culture, political battles, educational challenges, health needs, and labor conflicts. Her 1998 battle with cancer was turned into an award winning series that touched on treatment, support and research issues. She created a non-profit, Latinas Contra Cancer, which offers a Spanish-language support group as well as case management, patient navigation, educational workshops, and a bilingual resource website. Latinas Contra Cancer also convenes the National Latino Cancer Summit, only one of its kind, scheduled again in late July 2012 in San Francisco. Ms. Duron was elected to the board of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship in January 2009. She is a 1990 Fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute; a member of the Advisory Board of the International Women’s Media Foundation in Washington, D.C., an organization which provides leadership and other skills training to women journalists around the globe; a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum (a network of Silicon Valley leaders). She sits on the board of the Valley Medical Center Foundation in San Jose, CA, which fundraises for the Santa Clara County public health care system. She serves on a number of national advisory committees including the Lance Armstrong Foundation Latino Initiatives Committee, the National Latina Breast Cancer Advisory Council to Astra Zeneca, and PALS (Patient Advocacy Leadership Summit). (9/1/10 - 8/31/13)

Cynthia A. Gómez, PhD, is the founding director of the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University. She previously served as co-director of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) at the University of California at San Francisco and has been a leading scientist in HIV prevention research since1991. Her work has focused primarily on gender, culture and sexual health, on the development of prevention interventions, and on the translation of science to community practice.

Gómez earned a master's degree in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Boston University. Prior to her work in HIV, Gómez spent 12 years working in community health settings, including five as director of a child and family mental health center in Boston.

Gómez has been a health policy advisor for nearly 20 years. She was an appointed member to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under both WJ Clinton and GW Bush administrations. In 2007 she was appointed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the first California Public Health Advisory Council. Over the years she has served on several national advisory committees including the Centers for Disease Control's HIV and STD Advisory Council; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Advisory Committee on Women's Services; and the Institute of Medicine's Committees on Prisoners and Research, and on Lesbian Health. She is a member and past chair of the board of directors of the Guttmacher Institute and serves on several other boards of directors including Public Responsibility in Medicine & Research, Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific, and the San Francisco Public Health Foundation.

Carlina Hansen has been the Executive Director of San Francisco's Women's Community Clinic since 2002. She started at the Clinic as a Health Education Volunteer while working as a Senior Project Coordinator at the Tides Center, a local non profit incubator and fiscal sponsor. Carlina has worked in the non-profit sector in San Francisco for 13 years. She volunteers at San Francisco General Hospital as a health educator in the Women’s Clinic. She has also volunteered for Maitri (a local AIDS hospice), Healing Waters (which provides outdoor adventure opportunities for people with HIV and AIDS) and is on the Advisory Board of Garden for the Environment, where she recently completed a Master Gardener and Composter Training Program. She has served on the Executive Committee of the Women’s Health Advisory Committee of the Department of Public Health and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Women’s Working Group on Universal Health Care. She is a graduate of the Women’s Foundation of California’s Women’s Policy Institute and of CompassPoint’s Executive Leadership Circles. She was recently voted 2007 Young Executive Director of the Year by Young Non Profit Professionals Network (YNPN). (9/1/09 - 8/31/12)

Dr. Kathy Kamath works as a Senior Scientist at CytomX Therapeutics, an oncology-based drug discovery company focused on the development of a tumor-activated antibody therapeutics. Dr. Kamath’s life was first touched by cancer at 11 when her mother was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Working as a histologist in the Anatomic Pathology Department of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital further fueled her interest in the molecular underpinnings of cancer biology and therapy. She earned her Ph.D.in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she studied microtubules and the mechanisms of action and resistance to microtubule-targeted anti-cancer drugs including the taxanes and vinca alkaloids. In 2005 she was awarded the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct independent research on inhibitors of cell migration and angiogenesis. Dr. Kamath was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and brings both her scientific and personal experience with the disease to the Council. (9/1/10 - 8/31/13)

J. Cacilia Kim is a senior staff attorney at the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC). CWLC is the first law center in California solely dedicated to addressing the comprehensive and unique legal needs of women and girls. Since its founding in 1989, CWLC has worked to protect, secure and advance the civil rights of women and girls, with an emphasis on issues pertaining to women’s health, gender discrimination and violence against women. As an attorney at CWLC, Ms. Kim has litigated cases addressing systemic discrimination against women with various health issues, including women with breast cancer, and works with national and state legal advocacy organizations to develop and influence legislation that supports and protects these women. Ms. Kim has also written policy briefs, legal resource guides and amicus briefs concerning various health issues that substantially impact women. Ms. Kim received her J.D and Ph.D. in Developmental Child Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She graduated with honors from both programs in 2001. (9/1/10 - 8/31/13)

Dr. Michael Moffett has been the CEO of Cancer Care Associates (CCA) since 2001. He was responsible for developing CCA’s comprehensive cancer treatment facility and various initiatives such as the implementation of an electronic medical record, standardized treatment approaches based on scientific data and outcomes as well as quality initiatives with payers. Board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology, Dr. Moffett completed his residency training in internal medicine at the State University of New York, Upstate, and pursued fellowships in critical care, hematology and medical oncology at Albany Medical College. Prior to moving to Fresno in 1995, he was on faculty at Albany Medical College as an assistant professor in Medicine and currently serves an Academic Assistant Professor at UCSF-Fresno. Outside of work, he enjoys coaching his staff in marathon training and overall fitness. His moto is Blame No One, Expect Nothing and Do Something. (9/1/10 - 8/31/13)

Jeanne Rizzo serves as Executive Director of the Breast Cancer Fund, a national environmental health organization whose mission is to identify--and advocate for elimination of--the environmental and other preventable causes of the disease. A longtime women's health advocate, Jeanne is committed to legislative, regulatory and corporate accountability initiatives that protect women's health and ultimately prevent breast cancer. Through Jeanne's vision and leadership, the Breast Cancer Fund published the landmark report "State of the Evidence: What Is the Connection between the Environment and Breast Cancer?" and helped found the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. (7/1/08 - 8/31/11)

Donna Sanderson is the Executive Director of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She began volunteering for the Sacramento Affiliate in 1997, just two months before she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1997, Sanderson was elected president of the board and in 2000 was hired as the affiliate's first paid staff. As a year breast cancer survivor and an educational psychologist, Sanderson is passionate about building on and sharing an appreciation and respect for other cultures. She is most proud of the relationships she has developed in the community, bringing a wide range of partners together to help find a cure for breast cancer and support those who have already been diagnosed. Sanderson says, "I never imagined I would be doing what I am doing today and feel so privileged to have an opportunity like this to give back to the community. Having a passion for the cause and the Komen Foundation makes all the difference in the world. It provides the fuel for the courage it takes for me to ask people to give to the cause". Under Sanderson's leadership, the affiliate has raised more than $8 million in eight years. When she is not occupied with Komen activities she likes to read, golf, mountain bike, kayak and play poker, socially. She has a doctorate in Educational psychology from the University of San Francisco. (9/1/09 - 8/31/12)

Naz Sykes a highly respected nonprofit leader and is recognized for her innovative thinking, her passion to shift the cancer research paradigm, and her expertise in formulating initiatives to empower the public to get involved in the research process. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation (DSLRF) and in the past five years has made substantial impact on the growth of the organization. The Mission of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation is to eradicate breast cancer and improve the quality of women's health through innovative research, education and advocacy. In her role at DSLRF, Naz spearheaded the Love/Avon Army of Women initiative, with the goal of recruiting one million women nationwide to take part in breast cancer research studies. Thanks to the success of this initiative, she was able to elevate DSLRF as a national organization, which resulted in a volunteer base that exceeds 340,000 members. Naz also spearheaded the Health of Women Study, the first ever online breast cancer cohort initiative studying potential new risk factors for breast cancer and other diseases in partnership with the National Cancer Institute and City of Hope. In addition to overseeing and setting the strategic direction for the major initiatives of DSLRF, she is also responsible for the overall strategic planning, oversight and fundraising of the organization. Naz received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and psychology, with a minor in chemistry from the University of Denver and has over 13 years of experience in management, development, and strategic planning for nonprofits. In her previous positions, Naz was the Director of Development for the UCLA School of Nursing as well as the Managing Director for the UCLA Brain Tumor Program. (9/1/10 - 8/31/13)

Sora Park Tanjasiri, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., is a Professor of Health Science, Director of the Center for Cancer Disparities Research, and Co-Director of the Health Promotion Research Institute at the California State University, Fullerton. Her scholarship applies community-based participatory research principles and techniques to understanding and addressing cancer health disparities, include tobacco prevention, breast and cervical cancer early detection, and breast cancer survivorship. She has served as PI or Co-PI on over two dozen extramurally funded cancer-related studies, including the five year, NCI-funded U54 Community Network Program Center called WINCART: Weaving an Islander Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training, and an R01 testing the efficacy of a social support Pap testing intervention among Pacific Islander women and men. In addition to her professional work, Dr. Tanjasiri serves as a board member on the St. Joseph Health System Foundation, the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Orange County Affiliate. Dr. Tanjasiri received her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the UC Berkeley, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Community Health Sciences from the UCLA School of Public Health. (9/1/10 - 8/31/13)