Contributors
Meet the team behind Breast Advocate’s great content!
Dr Minas Chrysopoulo – Founder and Co-Creator of the Breast Advocate App
Dr Chrysopoulo is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, microsurgeon, nationally recognized breast reconstruction surgeon, and the President of PRMA plastic Surgery. His special interests include state-of-the art breast reconstruction techniques and shared decision making.
Shared decision making is a key component of patient-centered health care: Doctors and patients working together to make the best treatment decisions for the patient, based on the clinical evidence and the patient’s preferences and values. Dr C strongly believes this collaborative approach between the patient and her/his care team is crucial in achieving the best outcomes and has built his practice on this philosophy.
To empower as many patients as possible to advocate for themselves, Dr Chrysopoulo created the Breast Advocate App to provide anyone with a breast cancer diagnosis, or at risk of developing breast cancer, a much needed voice in their surgery decision making.
Dr Patricia Clark
Dr Clark is a nationally recognized breast surgeon who has dedicated her practice to the comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment of breast cancer, as well as diagnosis and management of high risk patients. She is a pioneer in Oncoplastic surgery which combines plastic surgery techniques with traditional oncologic surgery to reshape the breast at the time of lumpectomy, thereby minimizing cosmetic deformity.
Dr Jay Harness
Dr Harness is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California-Irvine and a past President of The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS), Breast Surgery International (BSI), and the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES). He has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters and has been the lead editor of 3 textbooks. His most recent books, The Breast Cancer Answers Bookand Operative Approaches to Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: Indications, Techniques, & Outcomes were published in 2016. He is a co-founder of Breast Cancer Answers which is a Social Media video site for breast cancer patients, family members and friends.
Dr Anne Peled
Dr Anne Peled is a practicing breast cancer and plastic surgeon based in San Francisco. She is board-certified in plastic surgery and has fellowship training in breast surgical oncology, making her uniquely able to offer both breast oncologic and reconstructive surgical care. She is the co-director of the Breast Care Center of Excellence at Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center. She has an extensive research experience focused on improving outcomes after breast cancer surgery and breast reconstruction and is currently involved in research looking at novel approaches to optimize patient satisfaction and quality-of-life after breast surgery. Dr. Peled has a passion for educating patients and health care professionals about oncoplastic surgery and breast reconstruction options, regularly teaching at courses across the U.S. to increase awareness around these approaches.
Dr Liz O’Riordan
Liz O’Riordan is an international speaker, broadcaster and award-winning co-author of ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’ (Penguin) with Professor Trisha Greenhalgh. In 2015 (aged 40) she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer whilst working as an Attending Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon in England. In 2018 she had a locoregional recurrence on her chest wall. The side effects of treatment for this meant she had to retire as a surgeon in 2019. During chemotherapy she started an award-winning blog about her experiences and talks all over the world about how to improve patient care. She was nominated for a ‘Woman of the Year UK’ award in 2016 and was one of Medscape’s Top 20 Doctors of 2018. Liz has a keen interest in digital health and survivorship. She is also a keen sportswoman and is passionate about promoting the benefits of exercise for cancer patients.
Dr Yazan Masannat
Dr Masannat is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon in Aberdeen, Scotland and the editor of the iBreastBook, a free online resource for breast surgery. He is also an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and a tutor in the Masters in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery at the University of East Anglia in England. On top of his clinical work he has special interest in research especially novel MRI technology in breast disease and breast cancer in young women. Dr Masannat also sits on the education and training committee of the Association of Breast Surgery in the United Kingdom and the Education and Training committee at the European Society of Surgical Oncology. He is also an examiner in the European Board in Breast Surgery and the European Board in Surgical Oncology.
Dr Amy Lang
Dr Lang is a medical oncologist at the START Center for Cancer Care, and a founding board member of ThriveWell Cancer Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation that provides funding for cancer research and financial assistance for cancer patients undergoing treatment. She is also the founder of DIVA (Deriving Inspiration and Vitality through Activity), a wellness program dedicated to the improvement of breast cancer patients and survivors through exercise and nutrition. Dr Lang currently serves on national and local breast cancer leadership committees for Methodist Healthcare Systems and Sarah Cannon Cancer Center.
Dr Albert Losken
Dr Losken is the Program Director of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University where he has taught since 2002. Dr Losken specializes in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery and has published well over 150 articles on various surgical topics, especially breast reconstruction techniques. In addition to writing numerous book chapters, Dr. Losken has edited three text books, including New Techniques in Partial Breast Reconstruction–The Oncoplastic Approach. He currently reviews manuscripts for several medical journals including: Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Annals of Plastic Surgery, and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.
Dr Hani Sbitany
Dr Sbitany is Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, specializing in reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery. While he performs all types of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, (including microsurgical free tissue transfer, implant reconstruction, and fat grafting), Dr Sbitany is a leader in pre-pectoral implant-based techniques. Dr Sbitany’s research also focuses on optimizing outcomes and safety of techniques for fat transfer to the breast, following mastectomy or breast conservation treatment for breast cancer.
Dr Mark Clemens
Dr Clemens is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr Clemens’ research interests include outcomes and translational research involving microvascular and prosthetic reconstructive surgery of the breast, with an emphasis on the effects of radiation and locally advanced breast cancer. Dr Clemens is a leading authority on breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (bia-ALCL) and co-leads a multidisciplinary clinical and laboratory research team on the investigation of bia-ALCL.
Prof Jaume Masià
Professor Masià is a Professor of Plastic Surgery and Chief of Plastic Surgery at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain. He is a former President of the Spanish Society of Plastic Surgery (2011-13) and currently serves as the President of the Spanish Society of Plastic Surgery Foundation for Education. Dr Masia introduced DIEP flap breast reconstruction to Spain in 1999 and has been the Director of the International Master’s Degree in Reconstructive Microsurgery at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona since 2010. He has served as invited faculty and lecturer at more than 100 international plastic surgery meetings, and has authored several scientific articles and books on perforator flap breast reconstruction and lymphedema surgery.
Dr Daniel Liu
Dr Liu is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Midwestern Regional Medical Center. Dr Liu specializes in all forms of breast reconstruction, including perforator flap techniques, and the surgical treatment for lymphedema of the upper and lower extremity.
Dr Elena Rodríguez
Dr Rodríguez-Bauzà is a Plastic Surgeon at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain specializing in microsurgery, breast reconstruction and lymphedema surgery. Dr Rodriquez is a co-author of the World-renowned Barcelona Lymphedema Algorithm for the surgical treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema.
Dr Gregory Neal
Dr Neal is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility and Obstetrics and Gynecology and currently practices at the Fertility Center of San Antonio. Dr Neal’s center was one of the first programs in the US to be office-based, and has had many first events, including the first ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) pregnancy in the Southwest United States.
Terri Coutee
Terri is a two-time breast cancer survivor. After a double mastectomy she had successful DIEP flap breast reconstruction. She continues her profession as a long-time educator and is the Founder and Director of the nonprofit (501c3), DiepCFoundation.org. She serves as a patient advocate for those in need of education, support, and resources for all options of breast reconstruction after mastectomy.
Sue Friedman
Sue is a 20 year breast cancer survivor and BRCA gene mutation carrier. Shocked that her health care team didn’t alert her to the possibility of being at high risk of breast cancer, and disappointed at having to make critical treatment decisions while unaware of her mutation, Sue acted so others could benefit from her misfortune. She founded FORCE in 1999 to fill the information void for individuals and families with hereditary cancer, and to help them advocate for themselves. Sue is also a co-author of the book Confronting Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer.
Terry Arnold
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) survivor Terry Lynn Arnold was diagnosed with triple negative inflammatory breast cancer in August 2007 and a triple negative tumor in the other breast soon after. At the time of her diagnoses she was shocked at how little information was available regarding IBC, and even more shocked at the lack of research and education. Mrs. Arnold formed The IBC Network Foundation, a 501c3 to encourage education and fund research. Hope always is her motto.
Rachel Larson, PT CLT
Rachel Larsen is a physical therapist and certified lymphedema specialist, and is the President of Forté Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.
Amy Black
Amy Black is an award winning tattoo artist and the founder of The Pink Ink Fund, a non-profit organization that seeks to aid people needing assistance with their post mastectomy tattoo needs as part of their breast reconstruction due to breast cancer.
