Conference Presenter Highlights

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Stephanie Ferguson, PhD, RN, FAAN

Provider to Advocate: How Nurses Can Advance Maternal Health Care and Services Worldwide
Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:45-10:45 AM

Dr. Stephanie Ferguson is the Director of the Harvard Global Nursing Leadership Program and Professor of the Practice of Health Policy and Management in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA. Dr. Ferguson is a global health care leader who has worked in 100+ nations as a technical advisor, consultant, and facilitator for organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Council of Nurses, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).

For more than 20 years at WHO’s headquarters, regional offices, and PAHO, Dr. Ferguson developed strategic plans and initiatives to strengthen and evaluate health care delivery systems, human resources for health and regulations, population health outcomes, and nursing and other health professional education, leadership programs and services. At ICN, based in Geneva, Switzerland, for 10+ years, Dr. Ferguson directed the ICN Leadership for Change Programä, the ICN-Burdett Global Nursing Leadership Instituteä, and served as an ICN Consultant for Nursing and Health Policy.

Dr. Ferguson is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and served on the NAM Nominating Committee. She was an appointed member on the NAM’s recent Consensus Study on Global Health and the Future Role of the USA. Dr. Ferguson is an elected Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and chaired the AAN’s International Task Force. She is a former chair of the Advisory Council for the AAN’s Institute for Nursing Leadership.

Dr. Ferguson is a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow in the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Ferguson was a White House Fellow in 1996-97 in President Clinton’s Administration and served at the US Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Secretary. Her many board appointments, honors and awards include the 2014 HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein Award from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognized her significant contributions to health care across borders and exceptional dedication to nursing. She is also the recipient of the American Academy of Nursing’s 2020 Civitas Award for her extraordinary dedication to excellence in promoting quality care in nursing worldwide.

Dr. Ferguson received her PhD in 1996 and her BSN in 1985 from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. Her MS/Nursing degree in 1987 is from the Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, in Richmond, VA.

Humberto López Castillo, MD, PhD, CPH, CMI-Spanish

All of Us Research Program—Hitting a Home-run with Hispanic Health!
Friday, August 2, 2024 9:35 – 10:35 AM

Dr. Humberto López Castillo’s research focuses on cardiometabolic health disparities in sexual minority men. His research identifies potential links between minority stress and metabolic syndrome outcomes (namely, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemias). Other lines of inquiry explore the potential mediation roles of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy use in the development of cardiometabolic disease and behavioral aspects driving sexual health risk-taking among sexual minority men, especially the link between substance use and HIV transmission. Dr. Castillo teaches graduate courses on Hispanic populations healthcare, earning multiple awards in recognition of his teaching.

Paule V. Joseph, PhD, MBA, MS, FNP-BC, FTCNS, FAAN

Iluminando el Camino: Inspirando Resiliencia e Innovación en Enfermería Hoy - Lighting the Path Forward: Inspiring Resilience and Innovation in Nursing Today
Saturday, August 3, 2024 12:45-1:35PM

Paule V. Joseph is a renowned scientist and clinician who has markedly impacted chemosensory (taste and smell) science, genomics, and precision health. She serves as a Lasker Clinical Scholar at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a Distinguished Scholar at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). She is Chief of the Sensory Science and Metabolism Section (SenSMet) at the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research. A testament to her diverse skill set, Dr. Joseph’s educational background encompasses both nursing and the biological sciences. She received an AAS in Nursing at Hostos Community College, a BSN from the College of New Rochelle, a Master of Science with a specialty as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Pace University, and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.

She completed her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and conducted her Ph.D. work at the Monell Chemical Senses Center (the only center in the world dedicated to training on taste & smell), where she focused on sensory biology and genomics. She then completed a Clinical and Translational Postdoctoral Fellowship at the NINR supported by the Office of Workforce Diversity. With over 100 publications, she is a recognized figure in sensory science research. Her work has been showcased in top-tier academic journals and captured the media’s attention such as TIME, NPR, New York Times. She is interested in understanding how sensory function and dysfunction influence wellbeing and health outcomes, especially in populations that are disproportionately affected by health disparities and chronic conditions. Her research explores how taste and smell influence health & wellbeing, especially in those with chronic illnesses. Specifically, she investigates the neurological mechanisms of chemosensation and its relation to ingestive behaviors, especially in those with obesity and substance use disorders. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she examined the effects of the virus on taste and smell and co-founded the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research. Her insights have been highlighted in various media outlets, reflecting her role as a leading voice in her field.

Dr. Joseph is a devoted advocate for diversity in science. She mentors and fosters inclusivity, especially for underrepresented individuals and women in science. She also leads initiatives globally with the Amazing Grace Children’s Foundation in Ghana where she serves as Medical Director. She is also the current president for the African Research Academy for Women based in the US and Ghana. Honored with multiple awards from several global organizations such as the Friends of the National Institutes of Nursing Research, National Minority Quality Forum, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the Johnson & Johnson- American Association of Colleges of Nursing, The Rockefeller University Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar, among other. She has been recognized with the Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation from the Association of Chemoreception Sciences. She was recently selected as a 2024 TED Fellow. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, Fellow of the Transcultural Nursing Society, and a member of the Royal Society of Medicine, United Kingdom. She is also the Inaugural American Academy of Nursing Fellow at the National Academy of Medicine in the United States of America. Dr. Joseph is committed to advance awareness, research and health of the Chemical Senses and integrating complex scientific concepts into clinical practice, public awareness and policy.

SPONSORED SESSION SPEAKERS

Cynthia Romero Arroyo, M.S, PhD

Meningococcal Disease - The Role of Health Care Providers in Vaccination Discussions, including Shared Clinical Decision Making
August 1 from 10:50am – 11:50am
Sponsored by GSK

Dr. Romero will discuss meningococcal disease - including clinical features and epidemiology of the disease, and current vaccination schedules and recommendations for meningococcal disease prevention in the US. She will also discuss shared clinical decision making as it relates to MenB vaccinations and current vaccination coverage.

Dr Romero is a bilingual Medical Science Liaison at GSK. She holds a PhD and a MS in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Georgia, where her dissertation was on Mycoplasma pneumonia and has several publications under her authorship. Prior to joining GSK, Dr Romero worked in the Biotech and Pharma industries for over twenty-five years in various roles in Medical, Quality Control -Manufacturing and as a Microbiology Consultant and had also been an adjunct professor of genetics, immunology, and basic sciences at the InterAmerican University in Puerto Rico. In her current role, Dr Romero works at the scientific interface between the company and healthcare professionals in vaccines space.  She is trained and certified in English and Spanish vaccines education platforms to provide messages to bilingual communities in the US and Puerto Rico.

Matilde Hernández, DDS, MS, MBA

Know Your OQ: Building Nursing Oral Health Champions
August 2 from 10:40am-11:40am
Sponsored by OHNEP and Colgate-Palmolive Company

Eboni Bright

Pamela B. Dudkiewicz DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP

Empowering Nursing Leaders: Supporting Hispanic Blood Cancer Patients through the Survivorship Journey
July 31 from 3:15pm – 4:00pm
Sponsored by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

This session will provide attendees with an overview of blood cancers and their specific impact on the Hispanic community. Participants will learn effective strategies to support patients throughout their survivorship journey. Additionally, the presentation will equip nursing leaders with the knowledge and tools to better support their team members as they care for patients affected by hematological malignancies, fostering a more inclusive and understanding healthcare environment.

Dr. Pamela Dudkiewicz has over 30 years in Hematology/Oncology, 21 of those years has been as a nurse practitioner with a focus on hematologic malignancies primarily Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.  She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2013. She won Nurse Practitioner of the Year in 2015 at her institution. She has authored and co-authored several peer reviewed journals and authored a book chapter. She has been an invited speaker at local, national and international conferences. Pamela has a passion for hematology and a true devotion to her patients.  Dr. Dudkiewicz is married, has 2 children and 3 dogs. She enjoys cycling, traveling, kayaking, jet skiing and spending time with her family