Dr. Pankit Vachhani is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Associate Scientist of Experimental Therapeutics. He graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar in 2012 and went on to complete his internal medicine residency at Virginia Commonwealth University, followed by a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY. At UAB, he is involved in various clinical trials as a principal investigator. He leads the Leukemia/BMT working group and serves as the Medical Director of the Clinical Research Unit (CRU). His primary research interest is in hematological malignancies, particularly myeloproliferative neoplasms, systemic mastocytosis, and AML. Dr Vachhani has published articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Blood and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Matthew Hamilton, M.D., is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the lead gastroenterologist at the Mastocytosis Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Hamilton is nationally recognized in the clinical area of gastrointestinal manifestations of mast cell disorders. Since his original mast cell activation description publication in 2011, he has been an invited speaker at >20 national conferences and institutions around the country and authored 30 reviews, chapters, editorials, and original research publications specifically in this area of expertise. Dr. Hamilton currently serves on the medical advisory board for TMS.

Dr. Mariana Castells, M.D, Ph.D, is a clinician, researcher, and educator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, USA. As the Director of the Drug Hypersensitivity and Desensitization Center and the Mastocytosis Center, she has developed desensitization protocols now standard worldwide, significantly impacting patient care in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Her pioneering research focuses on drug anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity, and mast cell inhibitory mechanisms, crucial for desensitization and management of related symptoms. Dr. Castells has published over 60 publications in these areas and actively participates in pivotal clinical trials. She has held leadership roles including the Allergy and Immunology Training Program Director for 20 years, and positions on the Boards of AAAAI, ABAI, and CIA, and directs the International Drug Desensitization Meeting in Barcelona.

Dr. Nicoloro-SantaBarbara earned her PhD in Social and Health Psychology from Stony Brook University. She then completed a NIMH T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Biobehavioral Issues in Mental and Physical Health at UCLA. Currently, she holds the position of Investigator in the Department of Psychiatry and is an affiliated member of the Mastocytosis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Additionally, she serves as an Instructor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on understanding the increased burden and heterogeneity in presentation and pathophysiology of depression in inflammatory diseases such as mastocytosis, as well as exploring the psychological impact of chronic illness. Notably, she is a past recipient of Harvard Medical School’s Kaplen Fellowship in Depression and serves on The Mast Cell Disease Society’s Board of Directors.

Jan Marie Smith is a long time TMS Support Group Leader of nearly twenty years. She was diagnosed with Systemic Mastocytosis in 1999 and made a commitment to help others with mast cell disorders in any way possible. Jan Marie has held several in-person support group meetings over the years in Colorado. Jan Marie became certified in meditation, yoga, Ai Chi and EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) in the last decade. She finds it helps her with balancing out her nervous system and quiets her mast cells. With an integrative approach, Jan Marie is able to continue to teach water yoga and Ai Chi at a beautiful hot springs resort in Colorado.

She records videos that are shared through her YouTube channel and The Mast Cell Disease Society and are geared towards healing and wellness specifically for mast cell patients. She has made it a priority to work with all body types and physical limitations to enhance living with mast cell and associated disorders.

ARUP Laboratories; Professor of Pathology, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah

Dr. Tracy George is an academic physician and scientist at ARUP Laboratories, the largest nonprofit clinical reference laboratory in the U.S. ARUP Laboratories is an enterprise of the University of Utah School of Medicine where Dr. George also serves as a professor in the department of pathology. She completed her medical degree and pathology residency at the University of California San Francisco with hematopathology and surgical pathology fellowships at Stanford University. She is an expert in the pathology of systemic mastocytosis and has authored more than 200 publications. Dr. George is a cofounder of the American Initiative in Mast Cell Diseases (AIM) and currently serves as Secretary/ Treasurer of AIM.

Presenting in Perso

University of South Florida Division of Allergy and Immunology

Dr Casale is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Chief of Clinical and Translational Research at University of South Florida Division of Allergy and Immunology in Tampa. He is a Past President of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology and was Executive Vice President for 10 years. He has served on the board of directors for the American Thoracic Society, The World Allergy Organization, and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology where he was also chair. Dr. Casale’s research interests include studying asthma, COPD and allergic diseases. He has published over 525 scientific papers, reviews, and chapters on these topics with more than 34,000 citations. He was recognized as one of the world’s top 2% most influential scientists.

Presenting Virtually

Instructor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Nicoloro-SantaBarbara earned her PhD in Social and Health Psychology from Stony Brook University. She then completed a NIMH T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Biobehavioral Issues in Mental and Physical Health at UCLA. Currently, she holds the position of Investigator in the Department of Psychiatry and is an affiliated member of the Mastocytosis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Additionally, she serves as an Instructor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on understanding the increased burden and heterogeneity in presentation and pathophysiology of depression in inflammatory diseases such as mastocytosis, as well as exploring the psychological impact of chronic illness. Notably, she is a past recipient of Harvard Medical School’s Kaplen Fellowship in Depression and serves on The Mast Cell Disease Society’s Board of Directors.

Presenting Virtually

Bonnie Nasar RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nasar Nutrition, a virtual private practice specializing in Mast Cell Disease, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Autonomic Dysfunction, Gastroparesis, and Fibromyalgia. Bonnie has lectured around the world on these conditions. She is the author of The 30-Minute Fibromyalgia Cookbook, a Mediterranean-style collection of recipes for people with chronic pain. She is a volunteer dietitian for The Mast Cell Disease Society and the Ehlers Danlos Society International Consortium Committee Diet and Nutrition Working Group.

Presenting Virtually

Dr. Shaker is a Professor of Pediatrics and of Medicine at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, and a member of the AAAAI Board of Directors and AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters. Dr. Shaker is also an Associate Editor of Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and an Editorial Board member of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology In Practice and the Journal of Food Allergy. Dr. Shaker’s research interests center around optimizing value-based care in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. He has published over 150 articles and guidelines.

Presenting Virtually

Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA

Dr Sarah Glover is the Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Glover grew up in the Pacific Northwest. She completed a Bachelors of Arts in chemistry at Seattle Pacific University and attended medical school in Chicago, Illinois at Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed her internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 2004 until 2010. From 2011 to 2018, she served as faculty at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and directed the Inflammatory Bowel and Celiac Disease Program in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. At University of Misssissippi Medical Center in Jackson, her clinical practice focused on Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic and mast cell disorders that impact the GI tract including hereditary alpha tryptasemia. Dr. Glover has current NIH funding and is very active in industry sponsored clinical trials. Her laboratory focuses on inmate immune mechanisms of gut inflammation.

Presenting Virtually

Division of Allergy & Immunology; University of California, San Diego

Dr. Lyons attended Pomona College and Jesus College, Cambridge, UK, prior to earning his M.D. from USC. He subsequently completed residency training in Internal Medicine at UCSD where he was selected to be Chief Medical Resident. His clinical fellowship was completed in Allergy and Immunology at NIAID, where he subsequently joined the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases Assistant Clinical Investigator and was subsequently recruited to be a tenure-track investigator. During his decade of tenure at NIAID Dr. Lyons participated in the discovery and characterization of several primary atopic disorders - inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) presenting with severe allergic inflammation - including PGM3 deficiency, ERBIN deficiency, STAT6 gain-of-function, and Hereditary alpha-tryptasemia. In 2024 he was recruited back to UCSD where he is now Professor of Medicine within the Division of Allergy & Immunology. Using immunogenetic approaches, the Lyons lab seeks to identify mechanisms critical to allergic inflammation and hypersensitivity that can be targeted to conduct first in human clinical trials. Dr. Lyons has received several awards for his work, including the 2015 AAAAI Foundation/The Mastocytosis Society Research Award, NIAID Merit Awards in 2016, 2017, and 2020, the Lasker Scholarship in 2018, the Young Physician-Scientist Award from the ASCI in 2020, and the Innovation in Research Award from The Mast Cell Disease Society in 2021.

Presenting Virtually

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Metrodora Institute; Consultant for Clinical

Anne L. Maitland, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York, Director, Allergy/Immunology Services at Metrodora Institute in Salt Lake City, UT and Consultant, Clinical Paradigms, New York and Maryland. Dr. Maitland serves on committees, addressing mast cell activation disease (MCAD), Health Care Disparities and Integrative Medicine of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. She also serves on the scientific faculty for the Mast Cell Disease Society, the Ehlers-Danlos International Consortium and the Chiari-Syringomyelia Foundation. She is a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and a Vice Chair of the Allergy/Immunology Work Group of the National Medical Association.Her clinical and research efforts focus on increasing access to Allergy/Immunology Specialty care as well as the diagnosis and management of immune mediated disorders, including MCAD. Recent publications highlight immune dysfunction in patients with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and dysautonomia, including chapters in the book, Transforming Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and the recent publication from National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, entitled Selected Heritable Disorders of Tissue and Disability.

Presenting in Person

Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Ariella Cohen Coleman is a healthcare and life sciences attorney. She is the founder of The Wellness Esquire, shifting the legal industry to recognize and value the connection between wellbeing and success. Ariella is also the founder of I AM THE BOTTOM LINE., educating patients and caregivers on the ins-and-outs of the health insurance industry so that they are empowered to fight back and get the care they deserve. Ariella derives tremendous joy and fulfillment from impacting people all around the world by sharing on EDSetc.com and across media channels her health journey and the knowledge, practices, and resources that allow her to thrive while living with a complex constellation of chronic health challenges. Ariella lives in Santa Barbara, California with her magnificent husband, David, where they take full advantage of easy access to the beach and mountains to recharge and rejuvenate

Presenting in Person

TMS Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Marla Barkoff is a board-certified Endocrinologist with over a decade of experience caring for patients with thyroid disease. Her unique approach combines evidence-based medicine with a focus on quality of life as an important factor in thyroid regulation. She is dedicated to helping people understand and achieve thyroid balance, especially in the areas of autoimmunity and fertility. Dr. Barkoff began recognizing patterns of symptoms in her patients with thyroid disease who continued to feel unwell even after their thyroid was balanced. In a subset of these patients, she found elevated markers of mast cell activation and became dedicated to learning about and treating patients with Mast Cell Disease.

Presenting in Person

Coming Soon

TerSera Therapeutics

Tina Johnson is a registered nurse with a background in oncology and outpatient infusion. As a nurse educator with TerSera Therapeutics, she works directly with patients and clinicians to provide disease state education as well as medication education and support. She is passionate about empowering patients with the knowledge and skills they need to maximize their quality of life and navigate their healthcare journey. As a nurse in the pharmaceutical industry, she is an advocate for the patient experience and our role in reducing disease burden. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, hiking, and hanging out with her dog.

Presenting in Person

Cogent Biosciences

Lora is the Vice President of Patient Advocacy, Engagement & Innovation at Cogent Biosciences. Cogent is a biotechnology company focused on advancing novel therapies for genetically defined diseases, including Systemic Mastocytosis. In this role, she and her team act as liaisons between the company and patient organizations and their communities with the goal of collaborating and sharing insights to help move patient-focused drug development forward to deliver meaningful therapies that improve people’s health. Lora has spent 18 years working in the biotech industry and began her career as a Social Worker. She is passionate about ensuring the patient perspective and experience is valued throughout the drug development lifecycle.

Presenting in Person

Blueprint Medicines

Fatima serves as the Vice President of Global Patient Affairs at Blueprint Medicines, a global, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that invents life-changing medicines. We seek to alleviate human suffering by solving important medical problems in two core focus areas: allergy/inflammation and oncology/hematology. In her role, Fatima leads transformative collaborations with external advocacy groups, empowering and educating those affected by systemic mastocytosis. She has led the launch of significant initiatives such as GRTY Health’s SM patient platform, MastoConnect (https://mastoconnect.com), and Colors of SM (https://www.colorsofsm.com/), in partnership with the advocacy community, and actively chairs the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) patient committee, which looks to address the needs of marginalized and underrepresented communities. With over two decades of experience in the biopharma sector, Fatima is a dedicated and passionate advocate for patients. Celebrated by PharmaVoice 100 as one of the most inspiring leaders in patient advocacy, her work focuses on amplifying patient voices and harnessing the collective power of individuals to make a positive impact. Fatima is committed to enhancing patient engagement in the development of transformative medicines, ensuring that the patient perspective is integral to every stage of the process. She inspires her colleagues to foster a culture of purpose-driven advocacy, ensuring that patient welfare remains at the forefront of their mission. Beyond her professional role, Fatima is deeply involved in civic activities, continually dedicating herself to enhancing patient welfare and advocacy on a broader scale.

The Mast Cell Disease Society

Shonna earned her Ph.D. in Health and Kinesiology from Purdue University. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees are also in the health education, health promotion, and exercise science fields. She is a co-author of the text Core Teaching Practices for Health Education along with many other peer-reviewed publications. Diagnosed with a rare cancer, bladder paraganglioma, in 2019 after many years of symptoms often dismissed as stress, fatigue, panic attacks, or POTS, she pushed for further testing which eventually led to surgery at the NIH in November 2019. Given her rare disease experience, she is excited to be giving back to the rare disease community at TMS

Presenting In Person

Mrs. Judith Kain Emmel recently retired after 37 years of service to her country with the National Security Agency (NSA). Starting there in 1984, she was trained in Farsi and served as a senior linguist in a 24-hour watch center, providing real time support to US Military Forces deployed overseas. She was the only female, non-military person to work this critical environment. In 1992 Mrs. Emmel transferred to the communications division and became NSA’s first Chief, Public Affairs. Mrs. Emmel joined the ranks of the Senior Executive Service in 2001 and was appointed the Director of NSA’s Corporate Communications. This portfolio included: the National Cryptologic Museum, NSA’s external and internal web pages, all corporate-level visits, workforce communications, multimedia services, speechwriting, and all dealings with the media and general public. In 2005, Mrs. Emmel was asked to serve as the first Director, Public Affairs, for the cabinet-level Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Mrs. Emmel was selected in late 2006 to serve as Assistant Director of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB). While there, she was responsible for leading reviews of Intelligence Community issues of interest to the White House and preparing actionable recommendations from the PFIAB for the President. Ms. Emmel’s favorite position was her last – as she was selected to be NSA’s first Director of State & Local Affairs and develop a new organization. Here, she was responsible for working with Governors and state governments throughout the country. Also, for five years she was NSA’s Vice Chair of the Combined Federal Campaign, raising over $2M for charities every year. Prior to her work at NSA, Mrs. Emmel taught foreign languages in junior high school and worked as a customer relations account manager for two Fortune 500 companies. She has been the recipient of the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, a National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, the Federal Executive Board’s Outstanding Supervisor Award, the Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Superior Civilian Service Medal. She has received countless letters of commendation, to include a citation from the Maryland Senate and the Governor’s Office. She was also given the US Secretaries of State award for her exemplary service to state governments. Most recently Mrs. Emmel was appointed by Governor Hogan to be a Commissioner on the Maryland Commission for Women. Mrs. Emmel is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a Public Administration Management Certificate from the University of Southern California. She and her husband reside outside Annapolis, MD and Myrtle Beach, SC, and they are avid golfers. She is extremely proud of the many firsts she has accomplished and continues to mentor and give back to women to help them achieve their dreams.

Dr. Janice Chiappone earned her Ph.D. in counseling from the University of Maryland and completed a pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at University of California Berkeley. Dr. Chiappone was the Director of Counseling at Bellingham High School for over ten years and a counselor there for twelve years. For many years, she taught graduate courses in counseling at Assumption College and psychology courses at Dean College. Dr. Chiappone maintained a consulting practice in counseling and career development for over 25 years. She was diagnosed with mastocytosis over 45 years ago and has presented at TMS conferences in the past.