Susan G. Komen Orange County Bolsters 2017-2018 Board Of Directors

    IRVINE, CA, April 20, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Susan G. Komen Orange County , the county's local leader in breast health education, mobile mammograms, support and referral services and breast cancer research, welcomes three board of directors for 2017-2018. Elizabeth Chao, MD, University of California, Irvine and Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., Chapman University, are new to the board, while Lisa E. Guerra, MD, Breastlink, is a returning member. This addition brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the organization, furthering its fundraising efforts and community awareness throughout the year.

"We are very fortunate to add three incredible Orange County doctors and experts in cancer research to the board this year," said Gretchen Valentine, President, Susan G. Komen Orange County. "Each contributes impressive medical backgrounds in cancer research and treatment, critical to Komen's mission to advance breast health initiatives and save lives. They join an esteemed board of local leaders committed to elevating this mission to reach even more people facing breast cancer in Orange County."

The new board members include:

Dr. Chao is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine at UC Irvine's School of Medicine and the Director of Molecular Genetics, where she focuses on the development and application of genetic testing panels to identify patients at high risk for breast and other hereditary cancer syndromes. She is published in the areas of clinical genomics, whole exome sequencing, variant classification and cancer genetics and was awarded the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Grant in 2011-2013 to study DNA markers of malignancy and recurrence. Dr. Chao is a member the American Society for Human Genetics and a fellow of American College of Medical Genetics.

Dr. Guerra is a board-certified, breast-dedicated surgeon working out of the Breastlink offices in Newport Beach and Laguna Hills. Previously part of the Hoag Breast Center team, where she was also an assistant clinical professor of surgery for USC Keck School of Medicine, she has served Orange County patients for more than eight years. Her professional areas of interest include oncoplastic surgery, intraoperative radiation therapy and management of high-risk patients. In addition to her role with Breastlink, Dr. Guerra has an active interest in medical research. She has been a principal investigator and sub-investigator for multiple breast cancer clinical trials, presented before numerous meetings of professional medical associations and published research in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Sparks is the Dean, School of Communication and McGaw Endowed Professor in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University in Orange, California. She also serves as an International Fellow by the Faculty Graduate School and Department of Communication Science at Vriet Universitiet Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2015-17), and as Full Member of the Chao Family/NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Irvine in the School of Medicine, Division of Population Sciences; and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health. Dr. Sparks is a highly regarded teacher-scholar whose published work spans more than 100 research articles and scholarly book chapters, and is the author and editor of more than ten books in the areas of communication, health and aging, with a distinct focus on intersections of provider-patient interaction and family decision-making as related to cancer communication science.

They join an existing board that last year championed year-round endeavors, including local breast health outreach and major fundraising events such as the Pink Tie Ball and Race for the Cure. The complete board roster can be found at http://www.komenoc.org/about-us/affiliate-board-of-directors/.

About Susan G. Komen
Susan G. Komen is the world's largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Komen has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026. Komen was founded in 1982 by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life. Komen Orange County is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in the local community. Through events like the Komen Orange County Race for the Cure , Komen Orange County has invested more than $38 million in community breast health programs and has helped contribute to the more than $920 million invested globally in research.

For more information on Susan G. Komen Orange County, visit http://www.komenoc.org or call 714-957-9157. Connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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