National Conference Speaker Listing

2024 Virtual National Conference on Work & Cancer Speakers

Below, learn more about the speakers presenting at the 2024 National Conference on Work & Cancer. Additional speakers will be added.

Alan Astrow, MD, FACP

Alan Astrow is Chief of the Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology at New York–Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he focuses on the care and medical treatment of breast and gynecological cancers. He is also Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. Astrow has a long-standing interest in improving communication between doctor and patient. At NY–PBMH he is working with the medical center leadership to develop a clinical cancer center in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine and to make available the full range of Weill Cornell cancer program clinical trials.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale University, Dr. Astrow obtained his MD from the Yale School of Medicine. He did his internal residency at Boston City Hospital and his fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at NYU Medical Center.

Dr. Astrow has received several awards and is included in New York Magazine’s list of Best Doctors in New York and the Castle Connolly Guide to Top Doctors New York Metro Region. He serves the editorial advisory board for the Art of Oncology section of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and on the advisory board for the annual Conference on Medicine and Religion.

Rachel Becker, LMSW

Rachel has spent the last decade with Cancer and Careers. As Deputy Director, her responsibilities include oversight of Cancer and Careers’ 12 accredited webinars. She also provides direct support and referrals to CAC’s diverse audiences; oversees CAC's program team; and works to ensure all programs meet the continuing education accreditation standards of various state and national accrediting bodies. Additionally, Rachel regularly presents on topics related to cancer and work at community-based events and cancer conferences around the country.

Before joining Cancer and Careers, Rachel was Head of Client Services at CarePlanners (cofounded by Dr. Nancy Snyderman), where she designed and implemented a technology-based infrastructure for delivering and monitoring support services. Prior to that, she completed a fellowship in psycho oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and worked in a clinical capacity at the Jewish Child Care Association and New York Methodist Hospital.

Rachel holds a BA from Rutgers University and graduated summa cum laude with an MSW from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. She is a member of the Association of Oncology Social Workers and a proud recipient of the Zelda Foster Fellowship in Palliative and End-of-Life Care.

Victoria Blinder, MD, MSc

Victoria Blinder, MD, MSc, is a board-certified medical oncologist, dedicated to the treatment of patients with breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Her research focuses on employment disparities during and after treatment for breast cancer, as well as the financial and quality-of-life sequelae of these disparities. Dr. Blinder has conducted qualitative and quantitative research on barriers to return to work among ethnically and socioeconomically diverse breast cancer survivors in NYC and California. She is the principal investigator of Breast Cancer and the Workforce, a large multi-center, prospective, longitudinal study of disparities in employment outcomes among African-American, Chinese, Korean, Latina, and non-Latina white NYC breast cancer survivors, funded by the American Cancer Society. Preliminary data from the nearly completed study led to the development of an NCI-funded intervention, currently in pilot testing, to improve job retention.

Dr. Blinder also serves the larger oncology community through committee work with the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. In addition, she has partnered with other nonprofit and business groups to develop a free, publicly available, employer-targeted intervention to help supervisors in corporations accommodate employees who are cancer survivors (http://workplacetransitions.org/).

Nieves Cuervo, MD

Nieves Cuervo is a board-certified psychiatrist who treats a diverse population in need of complex psychiatric services including psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. She provides services in Northern New Jersey and New York City. She has a background in research and genetics with several publication in scientific journals.

Trained as a psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West hospitals (formerly St Luke’s-Roosevelt) in New York City, Dr. Cuervo has focused her work in community services and has worked for St. Joseph’s Medical Hospital, in her private practice and in medical facilities for the elderly with especial interest in somatic illness and cancer.

Dr. Cuervo currently works for M&S Psychotherapy and counseling where she serves a large community of patients across New Jersey and supervises clinicians including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and therapists. In her free time, she collaborates with non-profit organizations helping Latino women with breast cancer to navigate her fears, anxieties and helping them to break the stigma of looking for mental health services when in need.

Jenny B. Fine

Jenny B. Fine has been Executive Editor, Beauty, for WWD since November 2017. She joined the company in November 2001 as Editor-in-Chief of Beauty Inc. Prior to joining Beauty Inc, Jenny was Editor of Luckymag.com, where she was responsible for overseeing its launch and editorial content. She was previously Director of iVillage.com’s Beauty Channel and Beauty Director at SELF. She began her career in magazine publishing at Fairchild, where she served as Senior Associate Editor of Salon News and Beauty News Editor of Women’s Wear. A native of Louisville, KY, Jenny received a BA in art history and an MA in journalism from New York University.

Wade Iwata, LICSW, OSW-C

Wade Iwata is currently the neuro-oncology social worker at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He has spent his entire career working in oncology, focusing the majority of his work on supporting pediatric and AYA patients and their families. Wade has worked with all cancer diagnoses and has partnered in the past with a variety of different organization to provide support and connection within the cancer community. Wade received his bachelor’s degree in human development from Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, FL, and his master’s in social work from New York University. Wade received the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers Outstanding Leadership/Social Worker of the Year award in 2020.

Gina Jacobson

Gina Jacobson is the Program Director of Working with Cancer. As one of the founding forces behind Publicis Groupe’s Working with Cancer initiative, Gina creates and oversees the programs associated with delivering against the WWC Pledge. She’s committed to creating a multi-faceted, best-in-class example of supporting employees impacted by cancer—whether directly or as caregivers—through individual and group coaching, training, and community engagement and uses this foundation to encourage other companies to take and activate the pledge.

In the Fall of 2018, Gina was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. She’s outlived her initial prognosis by several years and intends to keep living a joyful and purposeful life, while helping others recognize and realize their full potential.

Brian Keith McNeil, MD, MBA, FACS

Brian Keith McNeil is the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Vice Chair of the Department of Urology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. He completed a clinical fellowship in urologic-oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center following research fellowships in urologic-oncology at both the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute and James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Similar to the "Doughnut City" concept, previously used to describe booming economic centers surrounded by concentrated pockets of poverty, some patient groups have access to state-of-the-art treatments while other more vulnerable populations lack access to standard of care therapy. This is an issue in most fields of health care. Brian’s focus is care in medically underserved communities, a dilemma international in scope, which he strongly believes we must “think globally and act locally” to address.

Brian was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the New York University Stern School of Business. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, active member of the American Urological Association and 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholar. He currently serves as a member of the Urology Care Foundation Board of Directors, Montessori School of Raleigh Board of Trustees and Weeksville Heritage Center Board of Trustees.

Rebecca V. Nellis, MPP

Rebecca V. Nellis, MPP is the Executive Director of Cancer and Careers. Since 2004 she has helped evolve the organization from early concept to national prominence. Rebecca oversees CAC’s programming and fundraising strategies to ensure long-term growth and sustainability. Under her leadership, the organization’s services transform the everyday lives of survivors while promoting lasting, systemic change for tomorrow’s workplace.

Featured in The Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Women’s Health and on the TODAY show, Rebecca is a subject-matter expert on cancer–workplace issues. She travels the country presenting at national conferences, leading hospitals and community events about the intersection of life, work and cancer. She has been an invited speaker for the American Public Health Association, the Association of Oncology Social Workers, the National Business Group on Health and South by Southwest, among others.

Over the years, Rebecca has launched many of Cancer and Careers’ signature programs and services, including the National and Regional Conferences on Work & Cancer, In-Service Trainings for Healthcare Professionals and Financial Assistance and Technology Access Grants. As an active member of the cancer community, she has served on numerous committees and working groups. Currently, she is on the steering committee for Workplace Transitions for People Touched by Cancer.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University. Her graduate thesis was entitled “Implications of Cancer Survivorship on Financial Assets, Work Productivity and Employment Circumstances.”

Ruth Oratz, MD, FACP

Ruth Oratz is Professor of Clinical Medicine at NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health, where she practices and teaches. She is a medical oncologist specializing in the care of people with and at risk for breast cancer. She is especially committed to helping the individual with cancer continue to live life actively and fully, placing significant attention on flexible treatment programs and those that address concerns about career, family life, relationships and sexuality. Her teaching focuses on the art of medicine, bringing humanities to the sciences. Dr. Oratz is also on the Advisory Board of The Bellevue Literary Review, a journal committed to cultivating the humanistic side of medical practice.

Dr. Oratz is an advisor to several national advocacy organizations, including breastcancer.org, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, CancerCare, Young Survival Coalition, Moving For Life and Sharsheret. She served as Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of Susan G. Komen, Greater NYC, and on the National Board of the YWCA, USA. She was named “Physician of the Year” by CancerCare and has been recognized in “The Best Doctors in America” and “The Best Doctors in NYC.” Dr. Oratz is active both locally and nationally as a speaker and healthcare educator, appearing on television and radio and lecturing to the public.

Lisa Petgrave-Nelson, LMSW, OSW-C

Lisa Petgrave-Nelson is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Certified Oncology Social Worker, and trained End-of-Life Doula. She is also a NYU Zelda Foster Palliative Care and Leadership Fellow and currently a Doctoral student in Social Work (DSW) at Wurzweiler University.

With over twenty years of experience in direct practice with chronically ill adults, Mrs. Petgrave-Nelson has spent the past decade working with patients in acute inpatient and outpatient nephrology and oncology settings. Her career includes positions at Emory University Hospital, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and currently The Cancer Institute at St. Francis Hospital.

Her educational and professional journey has been driven by a passion for supporting cancer patients and their families, focusing on healthcare equity, social determinants of health, and quality end-of-life care. These areas have been central to her numerous published articles, blogs, presentations, and speaking engagements, which include contributions to the Association of Oncology Social Work, The Journal of End of Life & Palliative Care, Stupid Cancer, and Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). Lisa is an active member of the Association of Oncology Social Work and serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

Scott Sinclair

Scott is a Senior Manager of Programs for Cancer and Careers. In his position, Scott oversees communications, including PR, social media and paid awareness efforts. He also manages CAC’s English website as well as the Balancing Work & Cancer Webinars — a 12-part series offering information and resources on targeted topics each month. Scott has been a member of CAC’s Young Professionals Committee since 2018, and regularly worked in a volunteer capacity supporting CAC's program initiatives before signing on as a full time member of the team. Prior to this role, Scott worked at CEW, Inc., where he supported Carlotta Jacobson, President of CEW and Founder of Cancer and Careers.

In a previous life, Scott worked on Broadway for five years on productions such as Kinky Boots and Evita. He earned his BA from Emerson College.