BREAST CANCER RESEARCH COUNCIL
Council members are chosen to represent the people who are affected by breast cancer and the institutions that can contribute to the solution. Their passion to prevent, treat and cure breast cancer is driven by practical priorities: to identify the most urgent and unanswered question about breast cancer, and to find the greatest opportunities for making an impact on the burdens caused by the disease.
The council is responsible for tracking the trends and opportunities for progress that arise in the breast cancer community, making funding recommendations, and planning future directions of the CBCRP.
If you are interested in becoming a member of our advisory council — or would like to nominate someone for the council, see our Council Nominations page
2025-2026 BREAST CANCER RESEARCH COUNCIL MEMBERSHIp
Bryan Goldner, DO
Scientist/Clinician, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center
Bryan Goldner is currently a surgeon and partner with Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) and the Director of the Breast Center at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Hospital, an NAPBC accredited breast center. As chair for the Regional Breast Cancer Surgery Group and co-chair for the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Group for SCPMG, Dr Goldner has been able to ensure the highest level of care for, not only his own medical center, but also the Southern California Kaiser Permanente region of 4.5 million members. He leads the effort to maintain his own hospital’s NAPBC accreditation, the gold standard for breast centers, as well as assisting other regional medical centers in maintaining theirs. His research has been published in various medical journals including The Annals of Surgical Oncology and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Along with his roles within SCPMG, Dr Goldner is a Clinical Instructor for the Harbor/UCLA Department of Surgery and is a well-respected member of numerous national surgical organizations including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeon. He is a graduate of Kansas City University School of Medicine and Biosciences. He completed his general surgical residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and a 1-year clinical surgical oncology fellowship at City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte.
Term: 9/1/2021-8/31/2026
Lori Petitti, BS, MBA
Advocate, Breast Cancer Care and Research Program
Lori Petitti was diagnosed in 2010 with lobular breast cancer and became a founding member of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA). Lori is active with the Breast Cancer Care & Research Fund (BCCRF), a group of advocates who focus on education, research and advocacy. She helped initiate a successful micro-grant program offered annually by BCCRF to non-profit breast cancer advocacy groups and institutions. Lori also volunteers as a mentor for ABCD and SHARE, organizations that provide support and guidance for those newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Lori is a National Breast Cancer Coalitions Project LEAD graduate and and mentor. She participates as a consumer reviewer for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, is a member of the Patient Advocate Advisory Board for LBCA and is on the Love Army of Women Scientific Advisory Committee.
Term: 9/1/2023-8/31/2026
Erika Bell, Phd
Advocate, Bay Area Cancer Connections
Erika Bell is the Director of Cancer Information and Education at Bay Area Cancer Connections (BACC), a community-based non-profit that supports people with breast or ovarian cancer. In this role she provides health education, personalized research, and medical decision-making support to clients. She has been with the organization for 12 years and is passionate about her work and the positive impact that it has on empowering people during a difficult time in their lives.
Erika earned an undergraduate degree in Biology from Cornell University and a doctorate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). During her graduate studies at UCSF, Erika’s research focused on the molecular mechanisms that control cell division. Her post-doctoral studies aimed to elucidate the role of the Ras signaling pathway in the genetic disorder Neurofibromatosis Type-1. She also has experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Term: 9/1/2022-8/31/2026
Christopher Clinton Conway
Advocate, Tower Cancer Research Foundation
Christopher Clinton Conway is CEO and Board Member of the Tower Cancer Research Foundation in Beverly Hills, now home to the Dr. Susan Love Fund for Breast Cancer Research. An attorney and global tax expert, Conway earned an A.B. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and was a visiting scholar in taxation at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He launched his career assisting former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter create an innovative, global health agenda, and win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, at The Carter Center of Emory University.
A sought-after speaker and consultant, Mr. Conway is well known for his emphasis on outcomes, efficiency and style. A television, print and online media contributor, he was most recently featured on Bloomberg Television and in publications including: The Wall Street Journal, W Magazine, Town & Country Magazine and The New York Times International Edition.
Term: 9/1/2023 - 8/31/2026
Maura Dickler, MD
Private Industry, Genentech
Dr. Maura Dickler presently serves as the Vice President and Global Head, Product Development Oncology, Breast and Gynecologic Cancers at Genentech/Roche. She also serves as voluntary Clinical Assistant Physician at Bellevue/NYU, precepting/teaching oncology fellows in clinic.
Maura joined Genentech in July 2021 after working for more than 20 years as a breast cancer medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York. She also served as Vice President of Late Phase Oncology Development at Eli Lilly from 2018 - 2021.
She attended The College at the University of Chicago and earned her MD degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at the University of Chicago Hospitals, followed by a fellowship in hematology/medical oncology at MSKCC.
In 1998 she joined the faculty and was promoted to an Associate Member of the Breast Medicine Service and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She also served as Section Head of the Endocrine Therapy Clinical Research Program and Interim Head of the Breast Medicine Service.
Term: 11/13/2023 - 8/31/2026
Non-Profit, California Health Collaborative
Argelia obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz. She returned to the Central Valley of California in 2001 has worked with various not-for-profit organizations including the Great Valley Center, First 5 of Tulare County, and United Way of Tulare County. Since 2013, Argelia has been a Health Educator with the California Health Collaborative’s Every Woman Counts Program, under the California Department of Health Care Services. Her commitment is to inform and provide resources on Breast and Cervical Cancer screenings, with the intent to encourage age-appropriate qualifying individuals to obtain these screenings.
Argelia looks forward to advocating for research projects that will include the unique and specific needs of the diverse communities who are medically underserved.
Term: 9/1/2024-8/31/2027
Svasti Haricharan, PhD.
Scientist, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Svasti Haricharan is an Associate Professor of Biology at San Diego State University cross-appointed to the Cancer Biology and Signaling Program, University of California San Diego Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a cancer researcher focused on understanding how the host demographic (including sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age) alters the molecular biology of cancer cells. She combines patient tumor data analysis, translational molecular biology tools and traditional animal models to address how these molecular alterations affect tumor progression and treatment response, and how they can be leveraged for better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Term: 9/1/2023-8/31/2026
Sherice torres
Advocate, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Sherice Torres is a results-driven general manager and Chief Marketing Officer with over 25 years of progressive experience in integrated marketing and P&L ownership.
Sherice currently serves as Director of MBA Career Advising and Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Previously, she was the Chief Marketing Officer at ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT), a leading provider of networked hardware and software solutions for charging electric vehicles (EVs). Torres served as Chief Marketing Officer at Circle Internet (NYSE: CRCL), a global internet finance firm that provides payments and financial infrastructure to businesses of all sizes, as well as Novi, the fintech division of Facebook (NASDAQ: META). She held several senior marketing roles at Google and spent nearly 15 years at Viacom (now Paramount) in various leadership roles across consumer products, strategic planning, digital video, and paid apps. Sherice began her career in the change management practice at Deloitte Consulting.
Sherice graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned her MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Sherice currently serves on the board of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and is a former independent director of Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP).
Term: 9/1/2025-8/31/2028
Wendy Verret, PhD
Private Industry, Gilead Sciences
Wendy Verret is currently an Executive Director, Clinical Development at Gilead Sciences. She serves as the Global Development Leader for HR+ Breast Cancer overseeing late phase clinical trials for assets within the Gilead portfolio.
Prior to joining Gilead in 2021, Wendy spent over 20 years in the Bay Area biotech industry, holding positions of increasing responsibility at Chiron (now Novartis), Medivation (now Pfizer), and Genentech. She has designed clinical trials, developed global clinical strategies, and led regulatory filings across multiple oncology indications including lung, liver, and breast cancer. In addition to her scientific leadership, Wendy is deeply committed to mentoring and developing high-performing teams, fostering growth and excellence across functions.
Wendy received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and went on to earn her MPH at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and then her PhD in epidemiology from the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.
Term: 9/1/2025 - 8/31/2028
Barbara Perry, MHSL
Non-Profit, San Diego Black Nurses Association
Barbara Ann Perry is a graduate of the University of Michigan School Of Nursing were she received a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Barbara also graduated from the University Of San Francisco School Of Health Science where she received a Master’s of Science in Health Systems Leadership.
Barbara’s philosophy of health care is when a person experiences health issues and stressors it’s not uncommon for their lives to unravel. Barbara’s greatest passion is to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of health care and support available for patients, family, and loved ones regardless of ethnicity. Treat the patient in the manner you would care for Jesus Christ. This would ensure that each patient would receive the utmost care to foster their healing process.
Intensive Care nurse to Home Health nurse in the inner city of Detroit, Michigan. The inner city experience offered her the ability and feeling of giving back and serving those that are less fortunate. After three years of loyal service Barbara joined the Traveling Nurse Association and traveled throughout the country on short term assignments. The joy of traveling led her to serving her country as a member of the United States Army Nurse Corp.
The aspiration to teach has always been a part of Barbara nursing desire. Barbara has held positions as Clinical Nurse Instructor for both Grossmont Community College and Concord College both in the San Diego County of CA.
Barbara has multiple family and close friends that have been stricken with the diagnosis of Breast Cancer. For those reason's Barbara has been an active advocate for Breast Cancer. Participation in multiple Susan B. Komen walks in addition to educational presentations, donating vehicles and attending the National Cancer Advisory Board conferences.
Term: 9/1/2023-8/31/2026
Angelique Richardson, M.D, Ph.D.
Scientist, Community Oncology
Angelique Richardson, MD, PhD, is a dedicated breast medical oncologist and clinical investigator at UC San Diego Health, specializing in the treatment and clinical management of breast cancer. With a commitment to improving patient outcomes and advancing equity in cancer care, Dr. Richardson’s research interests focus on clinical trial design, health disparities, and community-engaged strategies to address socioeconomic barriers to cancer treatment.
Dr. Richardson earned her medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California, where she also completed a PhD in microbiology and molecular genetics with an emphasis in cancer biology and breast cancer. She completed her internal medicine residency at Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, followed by a hematology/oncology fellowship at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She further enhanced her clinical expertise through participation in a clinical breast oncology program at the University of Miami in Florida.
She serves as principal investigator for several clinical trials aimed at broadening access to novel breast cancer therapies. Her work emphasizes the inclusion of diverse and historically underrepresented populations, leveraging evidence-based strategies to overcome systemic barriers to clinical trial participation. Dr. Richardson is actively involved in national professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American College of Physicians, National Medical Association, and American Medical Association. She is honored to serve on the California Breast Cancer Research Program Council, bringing her passion, compassion, and expertise to advance breast cancer research and care equity.
Term: 9/1/2025 - 8/31/2028
Svetlana Popova, MD, MPH
Ex-Officio, CDHCS - Every Woman Counts Program
Svetlana Popova has worked at the Cancer Detection Section (CDS), California Department of Public Health since February 2009. She serves as a Public Health Medical Officer at the Benefits Division, Department of Health Care Services. As a medical advisor she assists in developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluation clinical interventions and provider education and trainings for “Every Woman Counts, (EWC)” program, which provides free breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, patient navigation services, health education and outreach.
Dr. Popova was the Principal Investigator (PI) for California Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) and California National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), federal part of “Every Woman Counts” Program. She is a member of California Dialogue on Cancer (CDOC) Executive Committee and Advisory Committee for California’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. She also serves as a medical consultant for The Prostate Cancer Treatment Program (PCTP), aka IMProving Access, Counseling & Treatment for Californians with Prostate Cancer (IMPACT).
Dr. Popova received her medical degree at the Urals State Medical Academy in Russia in 1996. She was a part of the international team working for the Medical Education Partnership Project with Yale School of Medicine, Rochester School of Medicine and SUNY, sponsored by USAID/IREX. She was also involved with many other international projects sponsored/funded by CDC and John Hopkins University in the area of Reproductive, Maternal and Infant Health. Dr. Popova held the position of Director of Patient Services at the American Medical Center in Kiev, Ukraine.
Dr. Popova completed UC Davis Family and Community Medicine Residency Program in 2006 and 2-year fellowship programs: Women's Health and Primary Care Outcome Research at UC Davis Health System and received MPH degree from UC Davis in 2008. The areas of her interest are Preventative Medicine, International and Women's Health.
Susana Ramirez, PhD
Scientist/Clinician, UC Merced
Dr. A. Susana Ramírez is an Associate Professor of Public Health Communication at the University of California, Merced. Her research addresses the intersections of communication, inequality, and cancer prevention, advancing understanding of the information environment as a structural determinant of health.
Her work has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and major foundations, including studies on mobile health interventions for breast cancer prevention among Latinas. She has published widely in leading journals across public health, communication, and policy, and her scholarship is recognized for reframing cultural explanations of cancer disparities to emphasize systemic barriers and communication inequities.
Dr. Ramírez is co-editor of the Handbook of Language in Public Health and Healthcare (Wiley, 2024) and is currently writing a book about food marketing. She is also a dedicated teacher and mentor, committed to training the next generation of diverse public health professionals and scholars. She earned a doctorate from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, and a BA from Santa Clara University.
Term: 10/25/2025 - 8/31/2028
Wendy Sherulds
Advocate, Many Shades of Pink
Wendy Shurelds, a mother of two and breast cancer survivor, is the Founder of Many Shades of Pink, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to revolutionizing breast health for women of color. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, Wendy has since become a passionate advocate for all women, focusing on education, empowerment, and access to critical breast health resources. With over 30 years of experience in healthcare, Wendy has made a profound impact on her community, helping provide mobile mammography and preventive health services to women and men.
Her commitment to advocacy extends to co-founding the Monthly Community Health and Resource Fair at Jackie Robinson YMCA, San Diego, which has been addressing healthcare disparities in underserved communities since 2017. Wendy’s work has earned her numerous accolades, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2024).
Wendy is also a co-author, advocate, and an activist for workplace safety, having helped write the first Family Bill of Rights adopted by OSHA. Wendy's leadership continues to inspire change and support breast cancer survivors and their families.
Term: 9/1/2024-8/31/2027
Hisashi Tanaka, PhD.
Scientitst, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Hisashi Tanaka is a Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Tanaka has been in Cedars-Sinai since 2014 and is conducting scientific research in the areas of cancer genetics and genomics. Dr. Tanaka studies to understand the basic mechanisms of how DNA is altered in breast tumors and to translate the knowledge into clinical applications with support from the National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense. Prior to Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Tanaka was an Assistant Professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, OH.
Dr. Tanaka received his medical degree at Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine in Japan and was trained as a surgical oncologist. During this period, Dr. Tanaka saw many cancer patients who developed very aggressive tumors and recognized the necessity of transformational developments leading to new approaches for cancer patients. Dr. Tanaka then started cancer research at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine and received a Ph.D. in surgical oncology. He continued his DNA research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, as a postdoctoral fellow and staff scientist before establishing his independent research program.
Term: 9/1/2023-8/31/2026
Lesley Taylor, MD
Medical Specialist, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Lesley Taylor is a Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at City of Hope comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Los Angeles county, where she has served diverse patients and focused on global health and disparities research in Ethiopia for a decade. In addition to her clinical activities as a breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Taylor is a clinical instructor for surgical oncology fellows and surgery residents, and she also mentors diverse Ethiopian graduate students in breast cancer research. She is the director of several international, interdisciplinary programs focused on strengthening breast cancer education, research, and care in Ethiopia and sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Taylor received her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in 1998 and earned her medical degree at New York Medical College in 2005. She completed surgical residency at Montefiore-Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by specialized fellowship training in Breast Surgical Oncology at Columbia University 2011. She moved to Los Angeles, California in 2012 where she briefly enjoyed private practice before joining City of Hope in 2014. Dr. Taylor serves as a technical consultant for the WHO-Global Breast Cancer Initiative.
Term: 9/1/2023-8/31/2026