#SWHRtalksHPV: Vaccination for Cancer Prevention

Dr. Shillpa Naavaal is an associate professor and a health services researcher in the Department of Dental Public Health and Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry. She is a board-certified diplomate in Public Health Dentistry and a faculty member in VCU’s interdisciplinary iCubed program, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, and Massey Cancer Center. Her research interests are dental-medical integration, oral health disparities, access to health care, and the use of evidence-based health services among vulnerable populations. Her cancer prevention work focuses on oral cancer and screening disparities, understanding associated risk factors, and addressing HPV, HPV vaccination, and tobacco use. Dr. Naavaal is a recipient of various teaching and scholarship awards and has been funded by the state, NIH, and CDC for her work. She is actively involved in various national and state-level policy and scientific committees, has written professional reports and papers, and published in high-ranked peer-reviewed journals. Before joining VCU, Dr. Naavaal worked as a health scientist and a research fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta. She completed her Dental Public Health residency at the CDC Division of Oral Health, MS Oral Sciences, and MPH at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and dental degree and advanced clinical program from India.

Prior to joining the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), Dr. Tan was the director of medicine and public health at the American Medical Association (AMA) a position he held since 2008. From 1997 to 2008, he was the AMA’s director of infectious disease, immunology, and molecular medicine. Dr. Tan was a voting member of the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vaccine Advisory Committee from 2009 to 2013, where he served on the adult immunization, vaccine safety, and healthcare worker immunization working groups, and chaired the immunization infrastructure working group. He also served for more than ten years as the AMA’s liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, where he served on the influenza, pneumococcal, zoster, and adult immunization working groups. He co-founded and currently co-chairs the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit. He continues to advise the ESWI Flu Summit and the APACI Flu Summit. He serves or has served on the steering committees/advisory boards of the 317 Coalition, the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC), the Unity (United for Adolescent Vaccination) Consortium, the National Network for Immunization Information, and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. Dr. Tan also serves, or has served on the National Quality Forum’s Adult Immunizations Expert Committee, the Pharmacy Quality Alliance’s Adult Immunization Working Group, and numerous national and international expert and technical advisory committees, including panels for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Joint Commission, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on issues ranging from vaccine hesitancy, to immunization quality measurement development, to adult immunizations, to immunization access and delivery. In 2007, he founded the National Immunization Congress and organized its 2007 and 2010 meetings. Dr. Tan is an editor for Vaccine, BMC Infectious Diseases, Medscape Infectious Diseases, and a member of the ESCMID Vaccine Study Group and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles.

Kimberly Williams is a recurrent cervical cancer survivor and Cervivor Patient Advocate and is the Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion (D.E.I.) Officer at Cervivor. Kimberly is a social services worker from the greater Houston, Texas area with over 20 years of experience in the social services field as a social services worker, mentor, manager, and director emphasizing in the fair treatment, work ethic, and services provided to Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Related Conditions. Kimberly has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement, a Master’s Degree of Management, and Master’s Degree of Healthcare Management. Through this experience and work with diverse populations, she works to reduce inequality gaps, ensure fair treatment, and appropriate follow-up and access to care.

Lillian Kreppel is many things: she’s a public speaker, entrepreneur, successful marketing strategist, and public relations expert. She’s funny, outgoing, and a lover of life. 5 years ago she added new roles to her list: anal cancer thriver, activist, and tireless pioneer advocating for the prevention and treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV). Lillian is a woman with an iron-sharp mission and vision, and the endless energy and dedication to achieve them. When Lillian was diagnosed with stage II anal cancer in 2017, her response reflected her personality: “I don’t have time for this cancer. Let’s take care of this. Let’s get it done.” Her expertise as a planner and organizer shifted into full gear. She and her doctors immediately identified her rigorous treatment program of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and she assembled a huge support team of friends that was with her every step of the way. Her determination, positive attitude, and relentless spirit got her through the ordeal with her critical organs (and sense of humor!) intact and, in the end, a new mission and vision in life. In addition to co-founding the HPV Cancers Alliance, along with actress Marcia Cross (who also had the same cancer diagnosis) and friend and business advisor Dan Lifton, Lillian also serves as a patient advocate for the Rectal-Anal Task Force for the National Cancer Institute.