Team Members Archive - Page 4 of 7 - Hodgkin's International

Michael Stubblefield, MD

Dr. Michael D. Stubblefield is Medical Director for Cancer Rehabilitation at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, National Medical Director for Select Medical’s ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation Program and National Medical Director for Complex Medical Rehabilitation for Select Medical’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital Division. He is President of the International Cancer Rehabilitation Foundation and the former Chief of Cancer Rehabilitation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Internal Medicine, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. His primary clinical expertise is in the identification, evaluation, and rehabilitation of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, pain, and functional disorders resulting from cancer and its treatment, particularly those caused by radiation and neurotoxic chemotherapy.

Dr. Stubblefield is an accomplished researcher who has published extensively, not only in the rehabilitation literature, but in oncology, pain management, palliative care, neurophysiology, and other journals. He has authored numerous review articles and book chapters in the field of cancer rehabilitation and is the editor of Cancer Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice, the only comprehensive textbook in this emerging field now in its 3rd edition. Dr. Stubblefield is a fierce advocate for the development of cancer rehabilitation and survivorship programs and champions their role in restoring function and quality of life to cancer patients.

Emily Tonorezos, MD, MPH

Emily Tonorezos, MD MPH is Director of the Iris Cantor Survivorship Program and Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology /Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to this position, Dr. Tonorezos served as Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute. She has published widely on the multitude of issues facing people who have been diagnosed with cancer, including the side effects of treatment and care delivery.

Dr. Tonorezos has led and co-led numerous cancer survivorship guideline-writing committees within COG, ASCO, and the International Guideline Harmonization Group, and was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Childhood Cancer and Disability. She earned her MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and her MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed her internal medicine residency and served as chief resident at Columbia University Medical Center, followed by a general internal medicine fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Alique Topalian, PhD

Alique Topalian is a 2-time cancer survivor. She is now in remission and using her voice to passionately raise awareness about the unique needs of cancer patients. Her experience with childhood cancer inspired her to obtain a Master’s in Public Health and a Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Education completing her degree in 2020. Little did she know that in March of 2021 she would relapse with AML, the first person to ever relapse after 22 years. During her time in active treatment, she used every opportunity to network, participate in psychosocial programming, and educate herself on resources available to patients in all stages of treatment. Alique was selected as a 2022 recipient of the 40 Under 40 in Cancer award and was recognized as 100 Influential Women in Oncology in 2024. She is sharing her experience with The University of Cincinnati as a Research Scientist to research patient experience, oncology primary care, cancer related cognitive impairment, AYAs, and survivorship.

Tina Walter, C-IAYT

Tina Walter, C-IAYT, is a Mind-Body Intervention Specialist at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC where she provides evidence-based yoga therapy interventions to patients and their caregivers throughout their cancer journey from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and end of life. For over a decade, Tina has designed and provided protocols for oncology patients at local hospitals to manage the adverse effects of treatment and improve clinical outcomes. She teaches meditation and both private and group yoga classes for people and their caregivers at UC Health.

Tina is certified by The International Association of Yoga Therapists and has advanced training in yoga for cancer and chronic illness. She is past chair of the Yoga SIG for the Society for Integrative Oncology and is a contributing author of a book on yoga therapy for cancer. She has co-authored published articles including a manuscript on the efficacy of yoga therapy during cancer treatment, has presented her research at local and national conferences, and is currently involved in a study on the effects of mind/body interventions on hospitalized oncology patients. At present, Tina is studying to become a board-certified health coach, adding another dimension to her yoga therapy credentials.

A mother of five children, Tina resides in Cincinnati with her husband, Bob. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, walking in nature, and taking care of their new grandbaby.

James Weeks, MD

Dr. Weeks is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and has practiced in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area for the past 18 years. He has extensive experience in Cannabinoid Medicine and has consulted 1000’s of Ohio and Kentucky residents, helping them reach their health goals through the use of medical cannabis.

Dr. Weeks is the owner and lead physician of the medical cannabis practice One Heart Medical as well as provides psychedelic facilitation through his One Heart Mental Health Collaborative initiative. One Heart has 3 locations, Columbia Tusculum, Eastgate, and Ft Wright, KY.

Eric Zhou, PhD

Eric Zhou, PhD is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and a Staff Psychologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Zhou’s research focuses on how we can better understand and treat sleep disorders in both pediatric and adult populations, especially those with chronic illnesses. This work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, private foundations, and industry. His research has been published in journals such as JAMA Psychiatry, Cancer, and SLEEP. Dr. Zhou currently serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine and on the editorial board for Annals of Behavioral Medicine. He has served as a consultant for organizations such as Samsung and the Goldie Hawn Foundation to provide sleep expertise. For his training, Dr. Zhou completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA and residency at Brown University Alpert Medical School in Providence, RI. He received a B.Sc. (Integrated Sciences and Psychology) from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC and an M.S. and Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology, Health Division) from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.

Ethan Zohn

Winning CBS Survivor: Africa’s $1 million prize launched an extraordinary life of entrepreneurship, advocacy, and purpose—one defined by resilience and enduring spirit.

After publicly sharing his battles with CD20+ Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and two stem cell transplants, Ethan became a global ambassador for leading cancer and survivorship organizations. As an international keynote speaker, he inspires audiences with humor, honesty, and vulnerability—encouraging them to never let a crisis go to waste, but to use it as an opportunity for meaningful impact.

Stan Barta

Stan Barta was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at age 13, fifty years ago. Five years of surgery, Cobalt radiation, and MOPP chemotherapy lead him to complete remission, just in time for high school graduation.

This was followed by 30 years of good health, travel adventures, sailing, and boat-building. When Stan and his wife Cathi adopted two toddler boys from Thailand, they moved the whole family to their tug/trawler, where Stan became the “at home parent,” home-schooling his sons aboard ship. The family had numerous maritime escapades in the coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia.

Stan began to experience late effects about ten years ago. He credits Dr. Michael Stubblefiled’s vigilance with preventing him from having a fatal heart attack. Stan was diagnosed with “advanced radiation-induced coronoary artery disease” (CAD), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and cardiac cachexia.

Stan used to lament the things he can no longer do, due to fatigue and shortness of breath. With the help of a palliative care therapist, he has turned to exploring what he CAN be, and what his true values are.

Many will remember Stan’s wonderful talk on Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, presented via Zoom last year. If you missed it, you can watch it here via our Hodgkin’s International YouTube channel.

Anastasia Forrest

Anastasia was diagnosed with stage 2B Bulky HL at the age of 24 in 2009 and treated with ABVD. After a battle with Bleomycin Toxicity that left doctors divided on whether consolidative radiation should be used, Anastasia opted for Proton Therapy, enrolling in a research study and becoming the first patient to receive her treatment in all protons at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute.

Today, Anastasia works as a Real Estate Broker and is a self-published author. She is happily married with two daughters ages 7 and 10. She is passionate about Hodgkin’s advocacy, sobriety, and thanking God for every experience.

Anastasia has already made significant contributions to the survivorship world and to our organization in particular. She has been instrumental in creating our TikTok site and has populated it with educational and inspiring posts. As a younger survivor, Anastasia’s voice and experience is crucial in understanding the needs of ALL Hodgkin’s survivors.

Susan Leigh

After receiving her degree in nursing from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1969, Susan Leigh served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Seven months after completing a tour of duty in the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and treated with some of the earliest forms of chemotherapy and radiation. This experience influenced her decision to enter the newly founded field of oncology nursing and began this phase of her career working as a research nurse in the new Department of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Arizona Medical Center.

For the past 35 years, Susan has focused her efforts on national advocacy work with special emphasis on the long-term and late effects of cancer treatment. Her most cherished involvement has been with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) as a founding member and past president. She has also been actively involved with many professional organizations, including the Oncology Nursing Society and the National Cancer Institute.

Susan also worked as a Survivorship consultant and educator with Arizona Oncology, a multi-site community practice in Tucson, until multiple treatment-related cardiac complications made it difficult to fulfill work obligations and accelerated her decision to retire.