Meet The People Behind AnCan
AnCan would not be able to achieve our mission without the village of people behind the scenes tirelessly working to provide support for patients everywhere. We’re proud of all of our volunteers, moderators, advisory board members and directors and we think you will be too.
- All
- Advisory Board
- Art Classes
- AYA Men Speaking Freely
- Blood Cancers
- Cancer Caregiver
- Board of Directors
- Men Speaking Freely
- Men's Breast Cancer
- Moderators
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Plenary Sessions
- Prostate Cancer
- Renal Medullary Carcinoma
- Sarcoidosis
- Thyroid Cancer
- Veterans
- Visual Snow Syndrome
- Women Speaking Freely
- Women's Breast Cancer
Advisory Board Member
Eleni Efstathiou MD PhD - Physician and Scientist extraordinaite.
Advisory Board Member
Jackie Zimmerman has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building.
Moderator
Younger metastatic prostate cancer survivor provides a valuable perspective.
Advisory Board Member & HiRisk/Rec/Adv Prostate Cancer Moderator
Addiction Medicine Psychiatrist
Advisory Board Member
Fred Silny MBA CPA is a highly experienced chief financial officer who has plied his expertise for household names ..... IHOP, Guess Jeans, Charlotte Russe, Restoration Hardware, and Carnation to name a few.
Advisory Board Member
Wendy Garvin Mayo is an Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Caregiver Consultant & Advocate, and Stress Management Life Coach.
Cancer Caregiver
Susan Lahaie was a caregiver to her husband Ron Silverio who was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2012.
Advisory Board Member
David Fischer is an advertising and communications professional.
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Eli Van Allen is a genitourinary medical oncologist and Chief of the Division of Population Sciences at Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Advisory Board Member
Professor David Rosenwasser JD teaches marketing and sports management at Lindenhurst University, St. Charles, Mo
Advisory Board Member
Bruce (BJ) Miller MD is a palliative care physician with Mettle Health
Advisory Board Member
David Marshak leads patient outreach and advocacy at Intera Oncology
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Mark W Kissin F.R.C.S is a leading melanoma & breast cancer surgeon in the United Kingdom.
Advisory Board Member
Thomas Harding Ph.D is the Senior Vice President of Preclinical Research and Translational Medicine at Clovis Oncology
Board Member; Low/Intermediate Prostate Cancer Moderator
Bill was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 aged 51. Two months after a prostatectomy, he experienced a rapid rise in PSA and was treated with adjuvant radiation and 22 months of androgen deprivation therapy (Lupron).
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Laurence Fong is a genitourinary medical oncologist, Professor and lab leader at UCSF.
Board & Advisory Board Member; Moderator
In Memoriam
Founder - In Memoriam
Rob Barniskis is a former financial executive/CFO with 30+ years of experience in leading improvements in profitability and operations for various multinationals.
Prostate Cancer Caregiver
Debbie Swiderski was a caregiver to her husband, Ray, diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer in 2014
Advisory Board Member& HiRisk-Recurrent-Adv Prostate Cancer Moderator
Len Sierra is a research pharmacist by training who found himself in The Reluctant Brotherhood when diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014.
Prostate/Bladder/Kidney Cancer Patient; AS & Low/Intermediate Moderator
Ken Mason has way too much experience with cancer ...... diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer for which he follows active surveillance, he subsequently found low risk bladder cancer during an NIH exam, and then kidney cancer.
Low-Intermediate & HiRisk-Rec-Adv Prostate Cancer Moderator
Peter Kafka is a caring, buoyant retired long-time resident of Maui, Hawaii. He was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2014.
Speaking Freely Moderator
Rich Jackson loves his Harley .... and helping other men!
Metastatic bladder cancer caregiver
Renata Louwers, writer, editor and patient/caregiver advocate, cared for her first husband over an 11 month downward trajectory after his diagnosis of metastatic bladder cancer.
In Memoriam
Jake Hannam has battled prostate cancer since 2010. Treated with cryotherapy in 2012, his cancer subsequently metastasized to bone, and has since been managed with advanced hormone therapy.
Founder/Board Member/HiRisk-Recurrent-Advanced Prostate Cancer Moderator
Rick Davis was diagnosed in 2007 with locally advanced prostate cancer and chose two types of radiation and 28 months of hormone therapy.
Advisory Board Member
Rubin Naiman PhD is a sleep specialist and assistant professor at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
Advisory Board Member
Allen Edel (@TallAllen) is amongst the best recognized and most knowledgeable patient advocates for men with prostate cancer.
Advisory Board Member
Richard Wassersug, PhD is an Honorary Professor of Cellular & Physiological Sciences at the University of British Columbia
Advisory Board Member
Jeff Waldron, seasoned healthcare & insurance executive and networker par excellence ...
Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Dan and Jennifer share their perspectives on life from a husband and wife who each have Multiple Sclerosis.
Renal Medullary Carcinoma Patient
In 2019, I was diagnosed with Renal Medullary Carcinoma (RMC), a rare and aggressive form of kidney
cancer.
Moderator and Advocate
through AnCan, she proudly wears the ‘Advocate Hat’ for all!
Renal Medullary Carcinoma Caregiver
Charissa Moran’s late husband, Carlos Moran was diagnosed with Renal Medullary Carcinoma in December 2016, 6 months after they got married.
Renal Medullary Carcinoma Caregiver
Ritchie Johnson is a Mother, Registered Nurse, Author, Speaker and Advocate.
Moderator
"Every day is an adventure and a surprise! 🤪 "
Blood Cancers Moderator
Lynn married his high school sweetheart, and they have been married for 52 years surviving & clinging to each other during the raising of 5 children.
Moderator
MS colors your life; but you choose the color!
Moderator
Pat Wasburn - Care Partner and male breast cancer advocate
Sarcoidosis Moderator
Co-Founding Director: Roll Call Wheelchair Dance Long Island a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization
Sarcoidosis Moderator
The Founder of Sarcoidosis Fort Wayne Support Group
In Memoriam - Sarcoidosis Moderator
He founded the Sarcoidosis Awareness Support Group of Greater Baton Rouge and The Sarcoidosis Awareness Foundation of Louisiana, Inc.
Sarcoidosis Moderator
Trina began advocating for better quality of life when she was faced with several chronic episodes.
In Memoriam
Jerry is a practical man of great faith, imbuing it in others
Advisory Board Member/ AS Prostate Cancer Moderator
Howard Wolinsky, a Chicago-based freelance medical journalist, was the Chicago Sun-Times medical writer for nearly 30 years.
Low/Intermediate, Under-60 Prostate Cancer Moderator
Russ Smith is committed to making other lives better.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Advocate & Patient & PR Leader
An accomplished career communications executive & former broadcaster and communications journalist.
Board Member
Entrepreneur and deal maker David Muslin loves boats, cars ... and helping people!
Advisory Board Member
Cancer Genetic Counselor extraordinaire specializing in GU malignanciesat The James The Ohio State CCC
Art Director and Instructor, MS Moderator
Hannah Garrison has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis since June of 2017.
Board & Advisory Board Member; Moderator
In-Memoriam
Advisory Board Member
John Novack is an independent healthcare communications consultant.
Cancer survivor and advocate
I was diagnosed with stage I, metastatic papillary thyroid cancer in January 2017 at the age of 27.
Moderator
Andrea was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in 2012 after a bout of optic neuritis and a decades long journey to diagnosis.
AS Prostate Cancer Moderator
Hugh’s PCa journey started several years ago when his PSA began to rise in the 4-5 range.
MS Moderator
Amanda R. Grego was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in 2019 after a six month journey to a diagnosis.
Advisory Board Member
Stephen A. Reid
Retired Executive Administrator at London (UK) University and the BBC/ITV
Prostate Cancer Moderator - AS & Low/Intermediate
Jim Schraidt is a passionate advocate for better, less harmful prostate cancer treatment!
Advisory Board Member
Karen Peterson, Karen's Club
https://karensclub.org
Moderator
Blood Cancer Moderator and Multiple Myeloma Advocate
Treasurer & Secretary
AnCan's outstanding volunteer Treasurer making sure our books are in order and we are fully in compliance.
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Rachel Rubin is a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist. She is an assistant clinical professor of Urology at Georgetown University and works in a private practice in the Washington DC region.
Sarcoidosis Moderator
He was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 2010 in his lungs and lymph nodes. In January 2020, after a motor vehicle accident, the sarcoidosis spread to his heart.
Advisory Board Member
Pamela Munster, MD is a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Moderator and Men's Health Advocate
Justin Birckbichler is a men’s health advocate, testicular cancer survivor, and the founder of aBallsySenseofTumor.com.
Moderator, EDS and Chronic Illness Advocate
Michael Bihovsky is a Philadelphia-based musical theater composer, writer, performer, director, and chronic illness advocate.
Moderator and Testicular Cancer Survivor
Hi, my name is Michael Acosta. I am a 29-year old Testicular Cancer Survivor.
Moderator and Rare Disease Advocate
Joey Sooch here. I am a 28 year old NYC YouTuber and podcaster. I currently have FOP which is a super rare disease where my muscles turn into bones.
Advisory Board Member
Nancy Novack is the founder of Nancy's List.
High Risk/Recurrent/Advanced Prostate Cancer Moderator
"I believe in the remarkable chemistry that is AnCan. Just by speaking together, we change lives."
Advisory Board
Bobby directs the efforts at Canopy Cancer Collective and is integrated deeply into the process of change, improvement, and innovation with the partner centers.
Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
I was lucky. I had my first symptom 12/17/2012 when I noticed my urine was very dark and I started itching.
Caregiver & Pancreatic Cancer Moderator
Caregiving is a hard job. You do it with every ounce of love and energy
possible and sometimes that’s really hard to sustain, but you find it
hiding in the spaces of your heart marked “for emergency use only.”
Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
Rob is a three-time cancer survivor, including being diagnosed with Stage IIb pancreatic cancer in 2014.
Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
Pancreatic Cancer (“The Beast”) came knocking at the door. Ask anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis and they will surely be able to tell you the day, date, and quite possibly the time the news was delivered. My Pearl Harbor Day? December 19, 2013.
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Stacy Loeb - nutrition & fitness, prostate cancer urologist
Moderator
In 2022, Brianna was diagnosed with Visual Snow Syndrome, which inspired her to volunteer as a moderator for the Visual Snow Syndrome Support Group.
Advisory Board
World Renown Pathologist
Advisory Board Member
The GP we all dream to have, Dr. Steve is one of the best diagnosticians you'll find anywhere!
Moderator
Since retiring, Dr. Perloe has continued to make a difference. He serves as a prostate cancer advisor for newly diagnosed men, offering valuable insights and support.
Moderator
Being the only person that she knew with VSS was isolating, so it was a relief to know that there was a community providing resources for those with VSS.
Moderator
As a passionate advocate for those experiencing Visual Snow, Leah brings a unique perspective
to the realm of disability awareness and support.
Moderator
A Dx of PPMS, and the various symptoms that PPMS involves, has led
Carmen to modify her guiding motto from “Go hard or go home” to “Go hard, then get home!”
