CETI’s Medical Advisory Board (M.A.B.)
The M.A.B. was established to guide the company by representing the voices of our expanding international network of medical professionals and caregivers.
Our Medical Advisory Board members are physicians, physical and occupational therapists, naturopathic physicians, and lymphatic drainage specialists, who bring their unique perspectives and expertise to inform the strategic direction and success of the organization and it’s coursework.
The roles of board members include functioning as consultants on new processes, providing insight on scientific and medical content, and serving as healthcare thought leaders and advocates of the cancer patient and survivor.
Our Medical Advisory Board members champion CETI’s mission to provide ‘gold-standard’ education to health and fitness professionals in order to EMPOWER cancer patients and survivors during all stages of their journey.
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Almli – was born and raised in the Tucson, Arizona where she attended the University of Arizona. She graduated from Medical School with honors and completed her Anesthesia Residency as the Chief Resident at University Medical Center. As a physician in private practice who has cared for cancer patients for over 25 years, never did Dr. Liz think she would one day be the one dealing with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
Diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at age 44, Liz underwent bilateral mastectomies with breast reconstruction and a year of chemotherapy. The frustrating feeling of “losing control” over her health prompted her to explore a proactive approach to her own recovery. Education, exercise, nutrition and stress reduction, empowered her to take control of her health both during and after cancer treatment.
Wanting to turn her experience into something positive that other cancer survivors could benefit from, she obtained her Personal Training Certification through the American College of Sports Medicine with advanced certification as a Cancer Exercise Trainer through the Cancer Exercise Training Institute. She now serves as the President and Fitness Director for The Tucson Cancer Conquerors, a comprehensive non-profit healthy survivorship program centered around exercise, nutrition, education and peer support.
Dr. Brian Kunakom – is a Naturopathic Doctor at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. He did his undergraduate training at UC Santa Barbara and completed his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine training at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. He is a physician who focuses on mitochondria health through his leveraging know especially with advanced skills in Natural, Holistic, Physical and Complementary Alternative Medical Practice. His reputation includes extensive understanding of mitochondria health amongst the cancer population. He is distinguished by advanced knowledge of subject matter in integrative oncology medicine treatments. During his years as a medical student, he had an interests in exercise medicine, which made him complete 2 full marathons along with receiving training with the Kinesio Taping Association for his certification as CKTP. Until today, he continues to volunteer at marathon events in Bangkok as part of the medical team.
Dr. Jay Harness – is a past-President of The American Society of Breast Surgeons and Breast Surgery International. He is a full-time breast surgeon at the St. Joseph Hospital Center For Cancer Prevention & Treatment in Orange, California. Practicing surgery for 40 years, Dr. Harness specializes in breast surgery and surgical oncology.
After graduating from medical school from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, he conducted his internship and residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Dr. Harness then remained on the faculty at the University of Michigan and developed one of the nation’s first multidisciplinary breast center in 1985. He left the University of Michigan in 1989 and spent two years at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston where he also established a multidisciplinary breast center at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Subsequently, he came to Oakland, California in 1991 to join the University of California-East Bay Department of Surgery where he was a Professor and Chief of Surgical Oncology at Highland General Hospital.
The opportunity to direct his third multidisciplinary breast center in Southern California came in the summer of 2003. Dr. Harness spent 28 years in academic general surgery at the University of Michigan, Tufts University School of Medicine, the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, San Francisco. He is currently a clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Harness has been recognized nationally and internationally for his work in breast and endocrine surgery.
He is a member of several national and international surgical societies and associations. He has served as Secretary-Treasurer, and President of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and Chair, Board of Directors, of The American Society of Breast Surgeons. He has authored over 80 scientific articles and book chapters and has been the lead editor of 2 textbooks.
Denise Stewart, OT – has worked with people experiencing breast cancer related Lymphedema; managing compression garments and guidance to reduce skin and soft tissue inflammation since 1981. Her training and work in hands-on massage for problematic soft tissue commenced in the 1990’s.
Denise used her knowledge and skill to develop new methods for assessing and treating post-breast cancer scar tissue and shoulder girdle changes. Core stability and scapular stabilization/movement have been an integral part of her work. Denise has postgraduate training in courses by Pavel Kolar; Development Kinesiology (Prague). She has since developed post-graduate training workshops in Australia as well as online global-training programs for health professionals.
Her expertise in assessment, intervention, and training remains focused on active scar tissue, postural changes, and chronic soft tissue pain. Her goal is to EMPOWER her clients to understand pain and dysfunction and learn how to self-manage through their own means. Her work with post-breast cancer cording has led to the development of a more comprehensive testing method. This information was published, and awarded a prize, at the 2014 Australasian Lymphology Conference. In 2016, at the same conference, she presented two others; a review of case studies from the Share Cording Protocols Project and Mastectomy Scar Assessment; a review of POSAS.
Dr. Shawna Willey– is a celebrated breast surgeon with over 30 years of experience and is the Peterson Chair of Breast Surgery Research at Inova Schar Cancer Research – Dr. Willey is an admired breast surgeon with over 30 years of clinical experience. She is nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in the field of breast surgery and is Chairman of the Board and former President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. A pioneer in the field of nipple-sparing mastectomy, Dr. Willey has authored multiple publications about this particular surgery, including co-editing, Operative Approaches to Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy, and the second and third editions of Surgery of the Breast.
Prior to joining Inova Schar, Dr. Willey was director of MedStar’s Regional Breast Health Program, Chief of Surgery at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, and a member of the Breast Cancer Program at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Willey has spent her entire career in the Washington, DC area, mentoring many students, residents and breast surgery fellows. She has performed medical mission work and conducted international health education programs around the world. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Breast Surgery International and many other professional organizations. Among her many honors and awards are recognitions as Top Doctor (U.S. News & World Report), Best Doctors, and America’s Top Doctors.
Dr. Willey received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed her residency in general surgery at George Washington University Hospital.
Leonard Framson, PT – is an orthopedic and sports physical therapist an personal trainer in Long Island, NY. He has many years of experience and expertise in the field working with individuals from youth to adult, amateur to professional and have been involved in international sports rehabilitation at the youth and adult levels from the North East Regional Youth Games to the Maccabiah World Games to the Olympics as well as many other competitions and sports disciplines.
He provides comprehensive and passionate wellness oriented care for anyone seeking wellness including people with suspected or diagnosed cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. He has 18 years of experience in medicine, dermatology, rheumatology, and pain medicine. Master of PT and BS in PT from Sargent College of Allied Health Professions Boston University and Master of Fitness Science Certification ISSA.
Lynn Rosenzweig, PT – was trained in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of the Witwatersrand with special interest in orthopedic and manual therapy. Lynn has spent the last 25 years in the health and fitness industry. Lynn is a runner and is passionate about running and exercising. Her focus is to raise awareness about the importance of exercise for cancer survivor-ship and to promote regular physical activity as an essential component for those diagnosed with cancer. She currently coaches the Unite for Her team of breast cancer survivors to complete a 5K. Lynn has expertise working with and training cancer patients. Her training includes course work on running injuries, kinesiotaping, osteoporosis and exercise certification for cancer patients.
Dr. Dan Mikeska, DHSc – owns NOVA Medical Exercise, a fitness business in Northern Virginia that specializes in training clients who are experiencing, or have experienced, one or more chronic disease. Dan earned his doctorate in Health Science and his master’s degree in Human Movement from A.T. Still University, and has certifications and specializations in Cancer Exercise, Medical Exercise, Corrective Exercise, and Performance Enhancement. Dan started training clients in 1997 because he felt it was time someone offered individualized, evidenced-based, fitness programs, rather than hype or fad, and his mission is to make a healthier society, by improving the quality of life one client at a time. His philosophy centers on the fact that human movement is a complicated and coordinated effort between your muscles, skeleton, and metabolism, and everyone is different. Knowing how each of the systems of the body work, independently and in concert, is essential in the development of an effective fitness training program. Dan has worked with notable organizations such as Life with Cancer and 2Unstoppable, and has taught fitness and wellness classes at Northern Virginia Community College and A.T. Still University to ensure the next generation is well prepared to deal with the growing prevalence of chronic disease. Additionally, he is a continuing education provider for the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Athletics and Fitness Association of America.
Ken Germano, Ph.D., Dr. PH – Over the past decade and within start-up Solera Health, Ken facilitated the launch and ongoing implementation of a nationwide delivery network for the national diabetes prevention program, NDPP, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Including major health plans such as Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and Aetna with a broad focus on Medicare populations and advantage plans nationwide, a potential network of 30,000 community-based organizations evolved. The network, including Physician ACOs and digital partners, was constructed to deliver healthy lifestyle behavior programs also including where possible, social determinants of health, SDOH, within the communities served.
The past President and CEO of the non-profit Medical Fitness Association, Ken drove a global mission to educate and develop physician supervised, medically integrated centers for health and wellbeing. As the first President of the American Council on Exercise, Ken positioned, assembled it’s current executive team, and lead ACE as a global leader for professional exercise certification and wellness, fitness, continuing education.
Through a lifetime of leading social change and informing policy through his work, Ken pioneered OPERATION FitKids®, a non-profit organization, enhancing physical education opportunities for children in US schools. Raising $7 million, FitKids establish more than 400 centers before merging this fundable program within the American Council on Exercise.
Ken holds the Ph.D., Dr. PH, from Walden University, MPH from Adelphi University where he also taught as adjunct professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health through 2017.
Dr. Theodore Tsangaris Jr. M.D., F.A.C.S.– Calvert Health System in Prince Frederick, MD., named Theodore Tsangaris, MD, program director for the cancer center and CMO.
Dr. Tsangaris previously served as chief of breast surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and surgical director of Jefferson Breast Care Center, both located in Philadelphia. He has 30 years of clinical expertise in oncology.
He has also served as director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center and chief of breast surgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore.
Dr. Tsangaris has co-authored more than 50 peer reviewed research articles and is an author of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice’s “Guidelines in Oncology: Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis.”
Lynn Rosenzweig, PT – was trained in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of the Witwatersrand with special interest in orthopedic and manual therapy. Lynn has spent the last 25 years in the health and fitness industry. Lynn is a runner and is passionate about running and exercising. Her focus is to raise awareness about the importance of exercise for cancer survivor-ship and to promote regular physical activity as an essential component for those diagnosed with cancer. She currently coaches the Unite for Her team of breast cancer survivors to complete a 5K. Lynn has expertise working with and training cancer patients. Her training includes course work on running injuries, kinesiotaping, osteoporosis and exercise certification for cancer patients.
LaGary Carter, R.N. – is the Associate Professor and coordinator of the Exercise Physiology program at Valdosta State University. LaGary is a certified Cancer Exercise Specialist by the Cancer Exercise Training Institute as well as a certified Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Exercise Specialist by the American College of Sports Medicine. He is an Exercise Physiologist-Certified and Fellow of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists and a member of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Association. LaGary is also a registered nurse at the Dasher Heart Center at South Georgia Medical Center.
Dr. Glenn B. Gero, N.D, R.N.C., M.H. – is a Board-Certified doctor of naturopathy, master herbalist, registered nutritionist, cancer exercise specialist, certified fitness trainer, and lifestyle coach. Dr. Glenn Gero is a NJ naturopath who has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including NBC, PIX, Fox, NJTV, among others, and analyzes each individual’s health, behavioral and attitudinal profile to help achieve optimal wellness by referring each client to scientific, historical and anecdotal healing principles.