PCORI Board approves 28 new members to advisory panels

WASHINGTON, DC—The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors yesterday approved proposed slates with a total of 28 people to serve on PCORI’s five multi-stakeholder advisory panels. Panelists were chosen from more than 150 candidates who either nominated themselves or were nominated by others. In addition, the Board approved the appointments of current advisory panel members to serve as chairs for three advisory panels.

PCORI’s advisory panels provide recommendations to PCORI’s Board, Methodology Committee and staff to help plan, develop, implement, improve and refine the organization’s research and engagement efforts. They are critical to PCORI’s ongoing effort to ensure that patients and stakeholders provide substantive input into refining the institute’s research portfolio and other activities. Each of the five panels has 10 to 24 members, each appointed to serve a three-year term.

“We are gratified by the robust interest shown by members of the health and health care community in serving on PCORI’s advisory panels,” said PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH. “After a careful selection process to ensure our panels retain a balance of perspectives, we are delighted to welcome our newest members. Their knowledge and expertise will help us ensure our work continues to be scientifically rigorous and centered on what matters most to patients and health care decision makers."

“We offer sincere thanks to those panel members who have completed their terms and are rotating off,” Cook added. “It has been a privilege and pleasure to have their involvement with PCORI, and we hope that collaboration continues through other avenues in the future.”

The new panelists bring a range of perspectives to their work with PCORI. They include researchers, patients, patient advocates, caregivers, and clinicians and representatives of health insurers, health systems, industry, and academic institutions.

“The voices of patients, payers, clinicians and stakeholders are invaluable to PCORI’s work,” said Greg Martin, PCORI’s Acting Chief Engagement and Dissemination Officer. “We are delighted to have a distinguished new class of panelists join our conversations and guide PCORI’s work.” 

Selecting panelists involved a detailed evaluation of candidates’ expertise, experience, and qualifications related to their panel of interest and their ability to contribute to the panel’s tasks and responsibilities. More information about the selection process is available on PCORI’s website. The panelists approved at today’s meeting, and the stakeholder groups they represent, are as follows:

Advisory Panel on Clinical Effectiveness and Decision Science

• Timothy Gong, MD, FACC, Baylor Scott and White Health -- Clinicians
• Michael Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, Tulane University -- Clinicians
• Christina Nyquist, Point32Health -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Jennifer Olsen, DrPH, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Sarah Wang, University of Virginia -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates

Advisory Panel on Clinical Trials

• Jennifer B. Christian, PharmD, PhD, MPH, IQVIA -- Industry
• Angelica Geter, DrPH, MPH, Black Women's Health Imperative -- Researchers
• Emily Largent, PhD, JD, RN, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine -- Researchers
• Elizabeth Turner, PhD, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University -- Researchers

Chair Appointment:

• Michael Jones, PhD, MBA, RN, Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing, Brenau University --Researchers

Advisory Panel on Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research

• Kelly Buckland, MS, National Council on Independent Living -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Diana Cejas, MD, MPH, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- Clinicians
• Ashley Valentine, MRes, Sick Cells -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates

Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement

• Donald Adams, Jr., MEd, University of Illinois School of Social Work -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Geri Baumblatt, MA, Difference Collaborative -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Russell Bennett MBA, ChiE, Institute for Healthcare Improvement -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Jen Brown, MPH, Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities and Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Melody Goodman, PhD, MS, New York University School of Global Public Health -- Researchers
• Una Lee, MD, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health -- Clinicians
• Lauren Lessard, PhD, MPH, University of Alaska at Anchorage -- Researchers
• Rupa Valdez, PhD, MS, School of Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Virginia -- Researchers

Chair and Co-chair Appointments:

• Chair: Neely Williams, Community Partners’ Network, Inc. -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Co-chair: Karen Fortuna, PhD, MSW, Dartmouth College -- Researchers

Advisory Panel on Rare Disease

• Heather Adams, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center -- Researchers
• Natario Couser, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University -- Clinicians
• Giovanna Devercelli, PhD, Takeda Pharmaceuticals -- Industry
• Deanna Fournier, Histiocytosis Association -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Sonia Jain, PhD, MSc, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego -- Researchers
• Mileva Repasky, MS, Castleman Disease Collaborative Network -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Bridget Reynolds -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates
• Jasvinder Singh, MD, MPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham -- Researchers

Chair Appointment:

• Mathew Edick, PhD, Michigan Public Health Institute -- Patients, Caregivers and Patient Advocates

Brief biographies and disclosures of conflicts of interest for each panelist appear on PCORI's website. PCORI will accept applications for the next cycle of new panelist consideration from September 29, 2021 through March 31, 2022.

Updated October 4, 2021: This news release was revised to remove the name of a panelist who was subsequently unable to accept appointment and to adjust the number of panelists who will serve.