Patient Governor’s Group

Kristine C.
San Diego, CA

Kristine was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 19 in January 2008.She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Southern California, where she uses mixed methods to examine the impact of chronic illness on young adults’ activity engagement and quality of life. Kristine is also a licensed occupational therapist and worked primarily with at-risk youth in underserved communities. Kristine enjoys going to Disneyland, relaxing with her extended family, and trying new meals with her husband.

Regina G-S.
Apple Valley, CA

Regina was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in 2013 then with Sjogren’s Syndrome in 2016. She began volunteering with PCORI in 2012, then served on PCORI’s Advisory panel for Patient Engagement from 2013-2017, working with teams of clinicians, patients and stakeholders on the importance of the patient’s voice in research. Her goal is to increase minority participation in research through advocacy, education, and engagement.

Kip B.
Chicago, IL

Kip has been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis for about five years now. He is trained as a health psychologist and works regularly with medical care teams to provide a more human face to healthcare. Kip works daily with patients to help them cope with diagnoses and treatment. He is invested in improving treatments for PsA, and is passionate about simply raising awareness around this issue.

Jennifer W.
San Antonio, TX

Jen was diagnosed with RA, OA and Fibromyalgia six years ago. She recently graduated with a B.S. in Information Technology and a Certificate of Advanced Business Analytics. Jen is an avid problem solver. She enjoys taking something that doesn’t make sense and turning it into something usable and relevant. She believes everyone’s voice is important, as each voice adds to the tapestry of the whole story.

Janet A.
Hoover, AL

Janet was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis while in high school at age 16. After working for years at NIH and seeing the power of social media, she founded the JSA Chronic Disease Foundation, which is committed to bringing comfort, hope, and joy to those in chronic pain from rheumatic diseases. Her website is based on research that shows the value of social support and healthy lifestyle behaviors for coping and living with chronic pain. Frankie, her Boston Terrier, has over 10,000 Facebook followers/likes.

Shelly F.
Valrico, FL

Shelley was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2012 after being misdiagnosed for roughly three years. She was also diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and Celiac disease. She is a problem solver, and has learned to better balance working full-time, having a family, and living life without letting her disease get the best of her. Shelley is currently a math coach and enjoys working with children.