Avery LaChance, MD, MPH, is a dermatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she serves as the dermatology department’s Director of Health Policy and Advocacy and Director of the Connective Tissue Disease Clinic.  She graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in Japanese Studies and received her MD, MPH from University of Connecticut School of Medicine.  During her MPH year, she drafted legislation to ban tanning for minors in CT and then served as a key advocate for the bill, which passed and was signed into law that year. Dr. LaChance completed an internship in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  During this year, she also completed a six-week internship at the Office of the Surgeon General, where she worked on federal skin cancer prevention initiatives in the wake of the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer.  Subsequently, she trained in dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and in her final year, she served as the chief resident.  Dr. LaChance is on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Academy of Dermatology and New England Dermatological Society.  She is a member of committees of the American Academy of Dermatology as well as the Massachusetts Medical Society. Dr. LaChance is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, where she teaches medical students, residents, and fellows and conducts research on connective tissue disease and health policy. 

Michele Guadalupe, MPH, serves as the Director of Advocacy and Access for the National Eczema Association, where she leads grassroots advocacy efforts and manages state and federal public policy programs for the 31 million people in the United States living with eczema. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare advocacy, government relations, and coalition building, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She holds a bachelor's degree in health education from Illinois State University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Selina Bliss recently started her second 2-year term in the Arizona State House of Representatives, serving Legislative District 1, which covers Yavapai County. She currently serves as the Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and is a member of the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees.

Dr. Bliss earned a PhD in Nursing Education, a Master of Science in Nursing, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After teaching at Yavapai College as a nurse educator for 26 years she earned Faculty Emeritus. To stay current in the rapidly evolving science of nursing, she continued to work as a staff nurse at Yavapai Regional Medical Center for 36 years. As an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), she is currently in her 16th year of service as a Medical Unit Leader for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 3 to support wildland firefighters.

Dr. Elizabeth Kiracofe is a board-certified dermatologist and Founder of Airia

Comprehensive Dermatology, located in downtown Chicago's Fulton Market District,

where she practices medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. She is a national

expert and speaker on inflammatory skin conditions, specifically atopic dermatitis,

psoriasis, vitiligo and hidradenitis suppurativa. She completed her Medical Doctorate

at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and her dermatology training

at The Ohio State University, where she served her colleagues as Chief Resident. She

has published her research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, as well as in Allure

and Parent's Magazine. Before becoming a dermatologist, Dr. Kiracofe was a 3rd

grade teacher, worked for the American Cancer Society, and then advocated

improvement in health policy as a registered lobbyist for the State of Ohio.

In recognition for her efforts in public health, in 2014 Dr. Kiracofe was

awarded as the Ohio Physician Advocate of the Year. She is the first Dermatologist

and youngest physician to ever receive this award. She continues to engage in her

community volunteering at free clinics and hosting free skin screenings throughout

Chicago, actively fighting to combat the health disparities and access to care issues

prevalent in dermatology.

Hi!  I'm Brindley Brooks, Founder and Executive Director of HS Connect. I have lived with HS for the last 36 years and also am the mother to 2 daughters with HS.  I live in Puyallup, WA outside of Seattle (bonus points if you can pronounce it correctly)!  In my free time I love to read, learn new things, come up with ideas and then bring them to life; in truth, I spend most of my time working on HS Connect.  I live with my husband, Dave, and our 18 year old daughter, Kaitlynn (bio daughter w/ Stage 2 HS).  We also have a 22 year old, Hannah (stepdaughter w/ Stage 1 HS), who lives with her boyfriend (who also has HS). Hannah is my favorite child since she's no longer living at home!  Our family loves animals and we have an affinity for the underdog, quite literally; we either adopt older dogs or neglected pups, but I think we're set for a while with 4 dogs and 3 cats! My aspiration in life is to change the way that the world sees HS and to provide the most vibrant and trusted community for those living with HS.

Ally Pruitt is a 28-year-old attorney and law professor based in Chicago who was diagnosed with Stage T-II-A melanoma in August 2023, at just 26 years old. The diagnosis came as a complete shock—especially given that she rarely spent extended time outdoors, always sought shade, and stayed away from the sun. In fact, her melanoma was discovered only after her father noticed a spot on her leg—one she’d had her whole life—and touched it, triggering unexpected pain. That moment led her to her first-ever dermatologist appointment, which resulted in a life-changing diagnosis.

In September 2023, Ally underwent a successful procedure at the City of Hope, where her care team—an oncologist, surgical oncologist, and plastic surgeon—achieved clear margins after a lengthy operation. Her first post-operative skin check led to two additional biopsies, reinforcing just how vigilant even the healthiest-looking skin must be.

She now shares her story to raise awareness, especially among those who may not consider themselves high-risk. Passionate about advocacy and education, Ally is honored to speak on behalf of IMPACT Melanoma and hopes her journey encourages others to trust their instincts, listen to their bodies, wear their sunscreen, and schedule that skin check.

Lisa Albany is the Director of State Policy for the American Academy of Dermatology

Association. In this role, she develops and directs a comprehensive program for

addressing state legislative and regulatory activities affecting dermatology nationwide.

Working with state and national medical specialties, the American Medical Association,

state medical societies, and patient interest groups, Ms. Albany has spent nearly two

decades building successful coalitions to improve patient safety.

Prior to her employment with the dermatologists, Ms. Albany was employed by the

American Society of Anesthesiologists for ten years where she served as Manager of

State Legislative and Regulatory Issues.

Ms. Albany earned her Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law and

Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware.

I am a board-certified dermatologist currently practicing in Phoenix, Arizona. My path to medicine was nontraditional but deeply meaningful—prior to becoming a physician, I worked as a physical therapist, where I developed a strong foundation in patient-centered care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and advocacy. I later earned my medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences and completed my dermatology residency at HonorHealth in Scottsdale, where I served as Chief Resident and actively contributed to hospital-wide leadership initiatives.

Since entering practice in 2023, I have focused on general dermatology and have remained deeply engaged in organized medicine. I currently serve as an At-Large Director on the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA) Board of Directors and as an Alternate Delegate to the AMA, where I advocate for Arizona physicians within the AMA House of Delegates. I am also a member of ArMA’s Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee, where I work alongside colleagues across specialties to evaluate proposed legislation and support policies that benefit the entire house of medicine.

In addition to my roles within ArMA, I serve as the Advocacy Director for the Phoenix Dermatologic Society, Secretary for the Arizona Dermatology Society, and a representative to the American Academy of Dermatology’s Advisory Board. Nationally, I was selected for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery’s Future Leader Network, where I have performed original research on scope of practice and advertising by non-physician providers in states with varying degrees of regulatory oversight.