Our Advisory Board
Our advisory board brings together thoracic surgeons, nurses, clinical social workers, an oncology dietitian, veterans advocates and attorneys — people with direct experience of mesothelioma, asbestos litigation and patient care. Board members contribute subject-matter expertise; those who independently review our published content for medical accuracy are identified as reviewers on their profiles.
Medical & Surgical
Thoracic surgeons and surgical oncologists who treat mesothelioma. Members marked as reviewers independently verify our medical content for clinical accuracy.
Dr. Marcelo C. DaSilva, MD, FACS, FICS
Medical Director of Thoracic Surgery, AdventHealth Cancer Institute
Triple board-certified thoracic surgeon and founder of the Mesothelioma International Treatment Program at AdventHealth; pioneer in HIOC and 3D thoracic procedures with 25+ years in mesothelioma care.
View Full Profile →
Dr. Jeffrey B. Velotta, MD, FACS
Thoracic Surgeon, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center
Board-certified thoracic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Oakland whose practice centres on minimally invasive lung and esophageal surgery and multimodality mesothelioma care for patients across Northern California.
View Full Profile →
Dr. Travis E. Grotz, MD, MS
Surgical Oncologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Mayo Clinic surgical oncologist who built the clinic's multidisciplinary peritoneal surface malignancy programme and serves on the NCCN subpanel for peritoneal mesothelioma.
View Full Profile →
Dr. Leah M. Backhus, MD, MPH, FACS
Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, Stanford University
Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery at Stanford and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the VA Palo Alto, with VA- and NIH-funded research into lung cancer screening and clinical trials in mesothelioma.
View Full Profile →Patient Care, Nursing & Nutrition
Nurses, clinical social workers and an oncology dietitian who work with mesothelioma patients and families through treatment and recovery.
Nichole Andrews, RDN
Registered Oncology Dietitian Nutritionist; Founder, The Oncology Dietitian
Registered oncology dietitian nutritionist with more than 15 years in cancer nutrition, and author of "Sugar Does Not Feed Cancer" — a working correction of one of the most persistent myths patients are told.
View Full Profile →
Eleanor B. Ericson, RN, BSN
Co-founder, Nursing Liaisons; Registered Nurse (retired)
Registered nurse with more than four decades of clinical experience, much of it at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who built a transitional care programme for mesothelioma patients moving from hospital to home.
View Full Profile →
Lisa Hyde Barrett, RN, BSN
Co-founder, Nursing Liaisons; Registered Nurse
Nurse leader who helped develop one of the first transitional mesothelioma programmes in Boston, working with David Sugarbaker and the International Mesothelioma Program.
View Full Profile →
Julie Russell, RN
Registered Nurse, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Lahey Clinic
Registered nurse with more than 35 years in cardiovascular care, serving in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Lahey Clinic since 1991 and an ACLS instructor.
View Full Profile →
Charlene Haouliya, LICSW
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Licensed clinical social worker with more than 15 years supporting mesothelioma patients and families, formerly part of the International Mesothelioma Program team at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
View Full Profile →Veterans Advocacy
Veterans and veteran advocates on VA benefits, service-connected claims, and the asbestos exposure that ran through every branch of the armed forces.
Matthew J. Lasher
Chief Executive Officer, Veteran Services United
United States Marine Corps veteran of 20 years and Chief Executive Officer of Veteran Services United, with more than 30 years helping people navigate complex benefits systems.
View Full Profile →
Jersouk Touy
Co-founder, Trua of Greater Boston; Heart & Honor Transitions Group, LLC
United States Army veteran with 22 years of leadership experience, former military police officer and victims advocate, now co-founder of Trua of Greater Boston.
View Full Profile →
Jessica Marasco
Co-founder, Trua of Greater Boston; Heart & Honor Transitions Group, LLC
Retired United States Air Force veteran with over 21 years in medical and operational roles, now co-founder of Trua of Greater Boston.
View Full Profile →
Hector Herrera
Director of Digital Strategy & Web Operations, Danziger & De Llano, LLP
United States Navy veteran and Director of Digital Strategy & Web Operations at Danziger & De Llano, LLP, which sponsors this site. Reviews veterans-facing content for accuracy of military terminology, ship and MOS classifications, and VA procedural detail.
View Full Profile →Legal Advisors
Experienced mesothelioma and asbestos attorneys advising Mesothelioma-Lung-Cancer.org. Those who review our legal content for accuracy are identified as reviewers on their profiles.
Paul Danziger, J.D.
Personal Injury Trial Lawyer | 32+ Years
Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with 32+ years of mesothelioma litigation experience. Reviews all legal content including compensation, filing deadlines, and trust fund information.
View Full Profile →
Rod De Llano, J.D.
Licensed TX & CA | Bilingual
Licensed in Texas and California with extensive asbestos litigation experience. Reviews state-specific legal content, VA benefits information, and exposure documentation guidance.
View Full Profile →
Michelle Whitman
23+ Years Mesothelioma & Asbestos Litigation
Over 23 years of mesothelioma and asbestos litigation experience. Reviews legal content for accuracy and ensures information reflects current case law and procedures.
View Full Profile →
Jeff Kaiser
California Mesothelioma and Asbestos Attorney
California asbestos attorney with nearly 30 years representing mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer clients, including shipyard workers, refinery workers and Navy veterans.
View Full Profile →Patient & Family Advocates
Dedicated professionals who review patient-facing content for clarity, compassion, and accuracy
David Foster
M.S., Oklahoma State University
Executive Director of Mesothelioma-Lung-Cancer.org. Oversees platform operations and ensures all resources meet the needs of mesothelioma patients and families.
View Full Profile →
Anna Jackson
15+ Years Patient & Family Services
Leads patient and family support services. Reviews caregiving content, financial assistance resources, and emotional support information.
View Full Profile →
Kathy Foster
Dedicated Patient & Family Advocate
Works directly with mesothelioma families. Reviews patient-facing content for clarity, compassion, and accessibility.
View Full Profile →
Larry Gates
Veterans Benefits & Military Exposure
Specializes in connecting military veterans with mesothelioma benefits and legal resources. Reviews veterans-specific content.
View Full Profile →
Leslie Cooper
Trust Fund Claims & Case Coordination
Specializes in asbestos trust fund claims and case coordination. Reviews compensation content and filing process guides.
View Full Profile →
Yvette Abrego
15+ Years Mesothelioma Patient Support
Senior client manager supporting mesothelioma patients through the legal and medical process. Reviews patient support content.
View Full Profile →Our advisory board continues to grow as we expand the expertise represented on our platform.
Join Our Advisory Board
If you are a credentialed professional with expertise relevant to mesothelioma patients and families, we'd welcome your application. Advisory board members are independently compensated.