Katie Patterson's road to her current position was rather circuitous as she never thought she would be a nurse, but she always had an interest in health care as her dad was a doctor and her aunt and grandma are both nurses. Initially, she thought she would follow in her dad’s footsteps and become a doctor, but she took organic chemistry during her freshman year at the University of Michigan and decided that was not the path for her, so she ended up getting a Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural anthropology through which she was able to explore concepts of cultural construction of illness, which lead to her getting a Master of Public Health degree in Health Behavior and Health Education. It was during her time in public health school that she found her interest in health education as a means to improve health care by empowering patients to be an active participant in their health care team. As she felt that her effectiveness as a health educator would be best if she had a clinical background, she decided to complete an accelerated second career nursing degree and then a Master of Science in Community Health Nursing. Despite not having any formal oncology training nor a specific interest in oncology, her first job out of nursing school was as a bedside nurse caring for bone marrow transplant patients. It was through that job that she saw the role a nurse could play in helping patients navigate one of the most challenging experiences they would ever face and piqued her interest in providing patients with optimal symptom management.

Since then, she has spent the past 21 years providing comprehensive care for oncology patients at the University of Michigan Cancer Center, and, for the past 13 years, she has dedicated her practice exclusively to palliative care in oncology where she focuses on complex symptom management, goals of care, and quality of life enhancement for people who are faced with a cancer diagnosis. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, she is also a member of several University of Michigan committees about pain management and practices and opioid stewardship.

A resource recommended by Katie: https://getpalliativecare.org/handouts-for-patients-and-families/

Brian Gutierrez is a colorectal cancer survivor, disability resource professional, and a national disability rights advocate. As an early-onset colorectal cancer survivor and someone living with Spina Bifida, Brian understands the challenges of living with a disability while facing a life-changing cancer diagnosis. His lived experiences strengthened his commitment to advocating for accessible, equitable, and person-centered healthcare, where every patient is heard, respected, and empowered.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services and a Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles. He also earned a graduate certificate as a Disability Resource Specialist from Northern Arizona University and recently completed a second master's degree in Disability Services in Higher Education from the City University of New York, School of Professional Studies.

Brian serves on several national and state disability committees. He is a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Center for Disability Justice at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he helps advance disability rights and health equity initiatives in Baltimore. He also serves on the Adults Healthcare Advisory Council and the California Chapter Council of the Spina Bifida Association, collaborating with self-advocates, families, healthcare professionals, and community leaders to improve the lives of people living with Spina Bifida. Brian is also a Patient Champion for F-U Cancer, where he shares his lived experiences as a cancer survivor while connecting others to F-U Cancer to help others be informed, supported, and empowered throughout their cancer journeys, including survivorship.

Stay up to date with Brian on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianaccess

Aadhya Mamillapalli is a 16-year-old high school student from San Jose, California. She is the CEO and founder of PinkAware, a nonprofit dedicated to educating youth about breast cancer, giving back to patients, and building a community of young women leaders. Under her leadership, PinkAware has grown to 50+ members and 16+ partner organizations, including Bay Area Cancer Connections, HERs Breast Cancer Foundation, Girl Up, El Camino Health, and Kendra Scott. PinkAware has also been featured on AM1310, a South Asian radio station, for its work. PinkAware's programs include the first-ever high school mapathon on Stanford's campus, which mapped 1,544 houses and hospitals for breast cancer relief; 10+ chapters that have made 600+ cards for patients; a Women of Influence Panel; and PinkPackages, a new initiative building care packages for patients with partners including Cornell, Columbia, and NYU Langone.Aadhya's work has also been recognized by the YOUth Can Change the World Conference, where she was selected as a top 10 applicant and awarded free housing in New York City, and by the Lead Beyond Symposium, where she was the only youth panelist speaking in front of educators and community partners about how to expand service involvement for youth. Looking ahead, Aadhya hopes to continue empowering the next generation of young women through PinkAware, while pursuing her interests in business and engineering and ultimately becoming a founder who creates meaningful change.

Keep up, volunteer with, and support PinkAware:

https://pinkawareofficial.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinkaware/

https://www.instagram.com/pinkaware_official?stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==