Adrian Backus, JD, MDiv

Prostate Health Education Network, Inc. (PHEN)

Prostate Health Education Network, Inc. (PHEN)

Director of Church Partnerships and Community Outreach

Adrian Backus JD, MDiv, has more than thirty (30) years’ experience as an executive in educational and religious institutions, international assistance programs and industry.  Mr. Backus holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law, and Masters of Divinity, from Princeton Theological Seminary.  He currently serves as Director for Partnership Development and Outreach for the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN). Additionally, He served for 15 years as Princeton Theological Seminary’s first, vice president for information technology, prior to that, as Director of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning, as well as, Assistant Director for Student Advisement. In 2003-2005, during his vice presidency, Adrian also served as, Interim pastor of St.

Paul Baptist Church, Montclair, New Jersey; with a focused ministry on congregational care and ministerial outreach.  In 2013 and 2015, for the CME Church Ninth Episcopal District Mid- Winter Councils, Mr. Backus lectured and led workshops on, estate planning and church giving.  From 2014-2016, Mr. Backus served as Assistant Dean for the Rutgers University higher education prison degree granting program in 9 prisons through-out New Jersey.

Adrian’s other experience includes serving as; general counsel for an information technology company and as, a U.S. Department of State diplomatic escort officer and country director in Rwanda and Senegal Africa, for Africare. Adrian is married for 41 years, to Abiola. Their children and grandchildren include, his daughter, Sikira, husband Sidiki; two grandsons, Cody and Maddox, and one grand daughter, Jocelyn Eliana; his son, Joel and grandson Jeremiah, and his daughter, Adria Joi.

David Vasir, PhD

Senior Research Analyst

Senior Research Analyst

PHEN

David Vasir PhD, Senior Research Analyst, PHEN, earned his Bachelor of Science degree at University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, U.K IN 1981 and his Master of Science Degree at University of Wales College of medicine Wales, UK in 1985. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Philosophy at Jesus College & Oxford University Medical School, U.K in 1991. Dr. Vasir has been an investigator on several cancer vaccine programs where he designed and implemented number of immunological based assays to monitor the pre- and post-vaccination immunological status of patients with breast, renal ovarian carcinomas, and patients with multiple myeloma in cancer vaccine clinical trials. Majority of these analysis pertained to a detailed pre- and post-vaccination analysis of the immune status as determined by Th1 and Th2 immune responses, levels and functions of regulatory T cells as determined by surface markers, and FOXP3 expression and specific and non-specific immunological analysis. In addition, Dr. Vasir has extensively studied ex-vivo the immunobiology of antigen induced regulatory T cells from their phenotypic characteristics using six color flow cytometry analysis, to their invitro functional properties, their interaction with antigen presenting cells, detailed Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles of segregated populations of regulatory T cells using multiplex arrays, use of various strategies to reverse the suppressive properties of these cells. Dr. Vasir also investigated the identification of specific microRNAs and kinases in six color sorted regulatory T cells isolated from the ascites of patients with advanced ovarian cancer, identification and targeting of cancer stem cells using small molecules, isolation, and characterization of stem cells for regenerative medicine.

Adrien Bernstein, MD, MS

Albany Medical College, AMC Division of Urology

Albany Medical College, AMC Division of Urology

Urologic Oncologist

Dr. Adrien Bernstein is a urologic oncologist who specializes in the diagnosis and surgical management of prostate, bladder, kidney, testicle and penile cancers. She has extensive training in both minimally invasive (robotic) and traditional (open) surgery, tailoring her approach to meet the needs of each individual patient.

Dr. Bernstein is also actively involved in research, with a special interest in equity of quality care for minority populations and the unique needs of elderly patients. She is an active member of the American Urologic Association and contributes to the core curriculum. She has also completing a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Health Services Research at Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Bernstein brings a compassionate yet evidence-based approach to patient care and is passionate about guiding each patient from diagnosis through their individualized treatment plan.

Congressman Bobby L. Rush

United States Congress

United States Congress

Chicago D-1

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United States Representative Bobby L. Rush is a transcendent and influential American leader who keeps his legislative and policy interests focused on the needs of his constituents in the 1st Congressional District of Illinois, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable and the communities that have been left behind.  He believes deeply in the redemptive power of the human spirit and in human ingenuity and tenacity.  In office since 1993, Rush stands on the shoulders of a long line of patriots and public servants who have gone before him and who are ardent believers in our Constitution.  His life is an example of our nation’s fundamental promise and his work reflects a deep determination to bend the arc of government resources and innovation towards the needs of every American — whether they live on our nation’s main streets or its side streets.  Rush fights every day for his constituents; to improve their lives, grow the economy, bring jobs to the district, and build a stronger middle class.

Kathryn “Kate” Audette, MSW

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Director of Government Affairs

Important Policy Initiatives Towards Eliminating the Racial Disparity    Watch Video

Kathryn “Kate” Audette currently serves as the Director of Government Affairs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In this role she develops patient, family, caregiver and provider driven advocacy campaigns in order to create positive impact in the areas of cancer prevention, access to care, health equity and survivorship quality of life.

Prior to this role Kate served for seven years as the Director of State Government Relations at Boston Children’s Hospital where she provided strategic oversight and leadership of the hospital’s state policy advocacy agenda on child health priorities.

A results driven, government relations professional with a demonstrated history of working in the health care industry, Kate is skilled in policy practice, grassroots organizing and program evaluation. A social worker by training, Kate has a deep commitment to community, equity and educating the next generation of social workers.

Deeply committed to community service, Kate serves a board member at Harbor Health Services, a community health organization and Project Bread a nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending hunger in Massachusetts.

Jay K. Jhaveri, MD, MPH

Bayer US LLC, Pharmaceuticals

Bayer US LLC, Pharmaceuticals

Director, Medical Affairs, Oncology

Variance in Symptom Assessment Between Patient and Caregiver    Watch Video
Dr. Jhaveri received his Medical Doctorate and began his career in general surgery residency at the New York Medical College. Following completion of prostate cancer outcomes research fellowships in robotic surgery and Men’s Health, he subsequently became a urology resident at the University of California, Irvine. He also completed a clinical fellowship in minimally invasive urologic surgery at the Henry Ford Health System’s – Vattikuti Urology Institute. He holds a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and his clinical research
interests include prostate cancer outcomes, real-world evidence, and data generation relevant to knowledge gap elucidation.
He has previously served as Director of Clinical Development / Health Economics Outcomes Research and within Medical Affairs divisions at various organizations. He currently serves as the Director, Medical Affairs Oncology – Prostate at Bayer Healthcare.