Lisa Davis is the Founder and Director of Partnerships at Sisters United Hair, a medical wig company supporting people experiencing treatment-related hair loss. Her work focuses on helping make the medical wig experience easier to navigate, while addressing some of the practical and emotional challenges that can come with losing your hair during treatment. Through partnerships with healthcare professionals, cancer organizations and patient support communities, Lisa is working to make hair-loss support a more connected part of the broader supportive care experience. She is also the creator of Hair Love Letters, an initiative that brings handwritten messages of encouragement to people navigating cancer and treatment-related hair loss. Lisa is a 2022 alumna of the U.S. Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI).

Stay connected, write a Love Letter, and learn more:

Sisters United Hair: https://www.sistersunitedhair.com

Hair Love Letters: https://www.sistersunitedhair.com/hair-love-letters/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-davis-sistersunitedhair/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sistersunitedhair/

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