Who is behind us

Joyce Balls-Berry is an associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. She is also the Inaugural Lead of the Health Disparities and Equity Core at the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Will Ross is associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine and a professor of medicine. He also is the associate editor of the public health journal, Frontiers in Public Health Education and Promotion.

Eric Toron is Executive Director leading Operations for Medical Affairs and Outcomes Research at Merck, overseeing strategy, technology, project management, analytics, communications, and financial stewardship; his strong financial background—including budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting, and prior Investor Relations leadership—drives cost-effective, data-driven operational excellence.

As an innovator, changemaker, and collaborator, Jeanne M. Regnante has dedicated her career to answering questions that make a meaningful difference to all people living with cancer. Regnante is Founder and President of Patient 3i (patient insights inspire innovation), and her work history for more than 30 years has been in both the public and private sector. She has consistently focused on driving equitable care for medically underserved populations across diseases with a notable network of healthcare stakeholders and researchers. Jeanne primarily works with Tigerlily Foundation and Premier Allied Sciences driving health equity focused strategic programs that impact all people with sustainability.

As a patient and research advocate, Wenora Johnson brings her passion for and focus on health equity to raise awareness about cancer among support groups, organizations, patients, caregivers, and the public. A 3-time cancer survivor herself, Johnson serves on a wide array of advisory boards and committees, including federal, foundation, and advocacy organizations. She is also a distinguished and sought-after speaker. She has addressed or served on panels at national and international conferences in cancer research, survivorship, tech, health psychology, clinical oncology, and more.

As a law professor and plain-language advocate, Chris Trudeau has dedicated his professional life to making difficult information easy to understand for people from all walks of life. Trudeau’s research focuses on gathering empirical data that helps determine best practices for clearly explaining difficult health and legal topics. Trudeau is an Associate Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. He is a self-described “health-literacy lawyer,” who is the first lawyer to be appointed to the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable of Health Literacy. Trudeau also has extensive experience working with clinical trials regulations. He has served on the FDA’s Risk Communication Advisory Committee and served as the Director of Regulatory Knowledge & Support at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Enbal Shacham is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships in Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice. Her career has focused on identifying the root causes of health inequities and developing innovative, sustainable solutions to improve health outcomes and opportunities for all communities. A central theme of Dr. Shacham's work is building collaboration across sectors to create meaningful systems change. Much of her research and community engagement has examined how the places where people live shape their health, well-being, and access to opportunity. She brings deep expertise in translating science into practice, ensuring that research findings are accessible and actionable for diverse audiences while elevating community perspectives to inform health care delivery, public policy, and systems improvement.
Throughout her career, Dr. Shacham has partnered extensively with community organizations, health care systems, academic institutions, and government agencies to identify challenges, leverage opportunities, and develop collaborative solutions to complex public health issues. Her work reflects a strong belief that cross-sector partnerships lead to more effective processes, stronger programs, and better outcomes for communities.
Among her leadership accomplishments is the development of collaborative research infrastructure that brought together academic, community, and governmental partners to strengthen organizational capacity, expand research opportunities, and advance evidence-based solutions to pressing social and health challenges.
Dr. Shacham additionally serves on the St. Louis City Board of Health and Hospitals and on the Board of Directors of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF). Her leadership, research, and community-engaged approach continue to advance innovative partnerships that improve public health and social justice outcomes locally and beyond.

Jackie Gatz is the Senior Vice President of Quality, Safety and Research for the Missouri Hospital Association, the trade association for Missouri’s 136 member hospitals. In this role, Gatz leads the association’s quality, safety and population health initiatives to improve health and advance care that is accessible, reliable, equitable, and of excellent quality and value — all in safe care settings. This work is accomplished through a diverse portfolio of federal and state grants, member-funded initiatives designed to improve quality, and consultative services.