Provide peer-reviewed information and assist with clinical trial navigation for pediatric cancers, primarily neuroblastoma. Review and support management of research funding projects.

I oversee the research and advocacy programs for Solving Kids' Cancer and mentor pediatric cancer research advocates. I assist in identifying, analyzing, and cultivating promising leads to bring novel therapies into the clinic quickly. We collaborate on co-funding projects with 21 other charitable foundations. With 42 preclinical and clinical trial projects funded to date, I manage the ongoing projects for investigator updates and milestone achievements, and analyze and report on key performance indicators on the SKC research programs. I also work closely with Solving Kids' Cancer UK in supporting their mission to serve the families with children diagnosed with neuroblastoma and to fund high impact research internationally.

Active as a research advocate since my son Erik battled neuroblastoma (diagnosed in 1991 and died in 2010 at age 24). I track clinical research on pediatric cancers and attend major oncology conferences. I serve on the NCI Pediatric Central Review Board, NCI Pediatric and Adolescent Solid Tumor Steering Committee, FDA Patient Representative for Oncologic Drug Advisory Committees (Ped ODACs), DOD Rare Cancers Research Program Programmatic Review, NANT (New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy) Parent Advisory Council, SIOPEN Advocate Committee, and ACCELERATE Steering Committee, Pediatric Strategy Forum planning committee, and founding Board of Directors of CAC2 (Coalition Against Childhood Cancer). Passionate about providing resources and advocating for families dealing with childhood cancer. I have a BS in Chemical Engineering, and live in Virginia with my husband and enjoy time with our three grown children, their spouses, 8 grandchildren, and pickleball!Selected Activities:Parent perspective to pediatric residents at U of Minnesota: "Breaking Bad News"​ Mar 2010Solving Kids' Cancer UK Parent Symposium: planning and speaking 2011-presentAssociation of Ped Hem/Onc Nurses (APHON) Anaheim CA, “Parent Decision Making in Phase I/II Clinical Trials” Sept 2011Ped Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee, FDA 2011 - presentPanel member, NCI Genomics Workshop for Pediatric Cancer, NIH, Feb 2015Panel Member, Pediatric Cancer Town Meeting on Drug Development, AACR, New Orleans, April 2016"Navigating the Maze of Cancer Treatment"​ and "Breaking Bad News"​ at ANR, Cairns Australia, Jun 2016SKC EU NICE Appeal over the rejection of dinutuximab, Manchester, UK, Sep 2016AACR Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Workshop, Boston, Oct 2016, New Orleans, July 2023AACR Pediatric Cancer Working Group, Steering Committee, 2015-2018AACR Judging Panel, June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism, 2019 - presentDOD Rare Cancer Research Program, Programmatic Review Panel, 2023 - present

Designed a scrubber to remove monomethylhydrazine from exhaust from laboratory at NASA site at White Sands NM -- graduate student summer hire.