PCORI Board approves 33 advisory panel members

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors today approved the selection or reappointment of 33 people to serve on PCORI’s seven multi-stakeholder advisory panels. This includes seven reappointed panelists and 26 new panel members, chosen from more than 150 candidates, who either nominated themselves or were nominated by third parties.

PCORI’s advisory panels provide advice and recommendations to the Board, PCORI Methodology Committee and staff on planning, developing, implementing and enhancing PCORI’s work to develop a portfolio of patient‐centered comparative clinical effectiveness research. The seven panels have 10 to 24 members, each of whom is appointed to serve a term ranging from one to three years.

“We are gratified that we continue to enjoy a high level of interest from the community in serving on PCORI’s advisory panels,” said PCORI Chief Science Officer Evelyn Whitlock, MD, MPH. “After a careful selection process to ensure our panels retain a balance of perspectives, we are delighted to welcome our newest panel members. We know that their knowledge and expertise will help us ensure our work continues to be scientifically rigorous and patient centered."

“We offer sincere thanks to those panel members who have completed their terms and are rotating off,” Whitlock added. “It has been a privilege and pleasure to have their involvement with PCORI, and we hope that it 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, as well as representatives of health insurers, health systems and academic institutions.

“The voices of patients, payers, clinicians and other stakeholders are invaluable to PCORI’s work,” said Jean Slutsky, PA, MSPH, PCORI’s Chief Engagement and Dissemination Officer. “We are delighted to have a great new class of panelists join our conversations and guide us.” 

Selecting panelists involved a detailed evaluation of candidates’ expertise, experience and qualifications related to their panel of interest, as well as 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 the following:

Advisory Panel on Addressing Disparities

• Nadine Barrett, MA, MS, PhD, Duke Cancer Institute — Hospital/Health System
• Cheryl Holly, EdD, MEd, RN, Rutgers University — Researcher
• Mary Grace Pagaduan, MPH, Independent Consultant — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate

Advisory Panel on Assessment of Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

• Lawrence Goldberg, MD, OptumHealth Services — Clinician
• Melissa Hicks — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Robin Karlin, MS — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate

Advisory Panel on Clinical Trials

• Jacqueline Halladay, MD, MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Researcher
• Elisa Hurley, PhD, Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research — Training Institution
• Hartley Jones, MBA — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Richard Page, MD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health — Clinician
• Andrea Troxel, ScD, New York University School of Medicine — Researcher
• F. Todd Wetzel, AB, MD, Temple University School of Medicine — Clinician

Advisory Panel on Communication and Dissemination Research

• Nancy Blake, PhD, RN, Children's Hospital Los Angeles — Clinician
• Neela Goswami, MD, MPH, Emory University School of Medicine — Researcher
• Helen Osborne, MEd, Health Literacy Consulting — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Ruth Parker, MD, Emory University School of Medicine — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Andrew Rosenberg, JD, MP, Thorn Run Partners, Partnership to Improve Patient Care — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Sandi Smith, PhD, Michigan State University — Researcher
• Cornell Wright, MPA, North Carolina Department of Health and Health Services — Policy Maker

Advisory Panel on Improving Healthcare Systems

• Danielle Brooks, JD, WiseThink Health Solutions — Industry
• Rachel Raia, MPH, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas — Payer
• James Wharam, MBChB, MPH, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute — Researcher

Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement

• Sonya Ballentine, Illinois Institute of Technology — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Katherine Capperella, BS, Johnson & Johnson — Industry
• Brendaly Rodriguez, MA, University of Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Miami Dade College — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Beverly Rogers, Bev J. Rogers Enterprises LLC — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Thomas Scheid, MA — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Norah Schwartz, MPA, PhD, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte —- Researcher
• Freddie White-Johnson, MPA, MS, University of Southern Mississippi — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate

Advisory Panel on Rare Disease

• Julie Abramson, MS — Patient
• Cindy Luxhoj, MUP, Alagille Syndrome Alliance — Patient/Caregiver/Patient Advocate
• Stephen Mathai, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine — Researcher
• Marcia Rupnow, MS, PhD, GlaxoSmithKline — Industry

Brief biographies and disclosures of conflicts of interest for each panelist appear on PCORI's website. 

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About PCORI

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to continuously seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.