Speakers

A Professor of Medicine and Pathology, and the Mamdouha S. Bobst Endowed Professorship of Internal Medicine. 
Dr. Silverman received his baccalaureate degree from Brandeis University, then MD from Rutgers Medical School, studying during the summers under Dr. Anthony Fauci at NIH.  He completed his Internal Medicine residency at UC San Diego and his rheumatology fellowship at Scripps Clinic.  Formerly a member of the faculty of UC San Diego for over 20 years, over 13 years ago he moved his research efforts and clinical practice to NYU.
Dr. Silverman has been NIH-supported for over 30 years, and recipient of many grants and awards, and has authored more than 200 publications, and is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Henry Kunkel Honor Society. He was also elected as a Master of the American College of Rheumatology which signifies the highest level of accomplishment in this clinical subspecialty.
He is a clinical rheumatologist, practicing at Bellevue Hospital with a special interest in rheumatic autoimmune diseases, and the role of the microbiome.

Dr. Amit Saxena is an associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at NYU Langone Health. He completed his rheumatology fellowship and Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at NYU and transitioned to specializing in the care of lupus patients after completing a Pfizer fellowship in Rheumatology/Immunology focused on the disease. Dr. Saxena is the director of lupus clinical trials and has been the site principal investigator in multiple industry, NIH-sponsored, and investigator-initiated interventional and observational trials. He is also the director of the Clinical Trials Design course for the NYU Master of Science of Clinical Investigation program. He is currently leading a collaborative clinical trial to evaluate the safety of Herpes Zoster subunit vaccine (Shingrix) in patients with systemic lupus.
Rheumatology Fellow
Abhi attended the University of California, Los Angeles for college, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University for medical school and graduate school, and the University of Southern California for internal medicine residency. During his PhD training in molecular biology, he also gained extensive experience in immunology, microscopy, and computational data analysis. Abhi's expertise also includes short-read RNA sequencing differential gene expression and mass-spectrometry-based quantitative protein abundance data analysis. Abhi has become a dedicated physician-scientist who is now completing his rheumatology fellowship at NYU.

Panelists

Kathleen Woolf is an Associate Professor of Nutrition in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University (NYU). Her education and training are in nutrition, public health, and exercise science. For both individuals and populations, lifestyle behaviors, such as nutrition, physical activity, and sleep, contribute to overall quality of life and play major roles in protecting health and delaying the progression of disease. Her research examines the role that lifestyle behaviors can play in the etiology and treatment of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and musculoskeletal & skin disorders, in priority populations, including older adults, women, children/adolescents, persons of color, low-income communities, and individuals with health care needs. She has expertise in the assessment of lifestyle behaviors using various data collection methods and has successfully designed and implemented randomized clinical intervention trials, qualitative studies, and mixed methods research. Most recently, she has leveraged technology during data collection. Originally from Arizona, Kathleen completed her bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition from Arizona State University (ASU) and her dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles and a PhD in Exercise Science from ASU.

Monica Gamez-Perez, BSN, RN is a Research Nurse at NYU Langone’s Orthopedic Center with over eight years of experience in lupus clinical trials. She works collaboratively with rheumatologists and multidisciplinary teams to support ethical, patient-centered research across both investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored studies. Monica is dedicated to advancing clinical care, promoting nursing leadership in research, and ensuring a patient-centered approach that enhances the overall experience of individuals participating in clinical trials. She is currently pursuing her Reiki Master certification.

Janine Sullivan, FNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with two decades of experience in the field of Rheumatology. She began her career as the sole nurse practitioner in the NYU Rheumatology Department before transitioning to lupus clinical research. Throughout her career, Ms. Sullivan has served as a sub-investigator on numerous lupus interventional and observational trials, including those sponsored by industry, the NIH, and investigator-initiated studies. With a strong commitment to conducting ethical clinical research, she is deeply passionate about providing comprehensive care for patients with this complex autoimmune disease.

Maria Alejandra Hernandez is a lupus warrior who has been managing her condition for over a decade. She is passionate about advocacy and raising awareness for other lupus warriors. As a media professional, she hopes to stay dedicated to her craft and inspire others through her strength in overcoming personal challenges.

Gracie Bagdon is a passionate lupus patient advocate and public health professional. She holds an MPH from Columbia University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. Since 2021, Gracie has served as an ambassador with the Lupus Foundation of America and is committed to using her lived experience and professional skills to advance lupus research, education, and treatment access. Her research and advocacy have focused on both local and global communities, reflecting her dedication to improving patient quality of life and ensuring that those living with lupus have a voice in shaping the future of care. 

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