Contributors

Ramon holds a Masters in Public Health degree with an emphasis on health promotion and health education from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and a BS in biological sciences and biomedical engineering from the University of California, Irvine. He is a member of the Men's Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association. His background includes health promotion at the US DHHS in Washington, DC and Director of Programs for Men's Health Network.

John Lee has been a leader and author in men’s health issues for over a decade. Lee began his career as a professor at Austin Community College, the University of Alabama, and the University of Texas. He has written 18 self-help, psychology, recovery, creativity, or relationship non-fiction books that explore men’s health issues, like alcoholism and co-dependency. In addition to literature, Lee has advocated for the maintenance and improvement of men’s health in magazines, like Newsweek and on shows such as Oprah and 20/20. In 1986, Lee co-founded Primary, Emotional, Energy, Recovery (P.E.E.R.), a training program for counselors, social workers, and psychotherapists. Two years later, he founded and directed Austin’s Men’s Center, a counseling center that specializes in men’s issues. In the late 1980’s, he opened his own private practice in Austin, Texas specializing in men’s issues, relationships, adult children of alcoholics, and co-dependency. His latest two books, The Anger Solution and When the Buddha Met Bubba, are on sale now on Amazon.com. More information about John Lee can be found on his web site http://www.johnleebooks.com and on his daily blog at http://openingtheheartnow.blogspot.com.

Luke grew up in and around Boston, Massachusetts before moving north to attend the University of Maine at Orono for his undergraduate degree. After living briefly in Portland, Oregon he is now working as a Research Phlebotomist and Grants Manager for the Psychiatry Department at the University of Southern California. His passion lies in travel and working internationally, especially in the Middle-East. He has spent time in Turkey, researching the Turkish Healthcare system and recently returned from Syria, Palestine, and Tunisia, assisting with the MedCHAMPS project, which is studying cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In the Fall he will be moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue a PhD and begin his career in International Relations.

Dr. Perry Karfunkel is a physician in the Department of General Internal Medicine at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, and the vast majority of his patients are men. He is a general Internist and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He is a past President of the Massachusetts Society of Internal Medicine. He is a member of the Men’s Health Committee of the Massachusetts Medical Society and was Vice-Chair of that committee in recent years. He holds an MD from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Yale. He is also particularly interested in the issue of barriers to men taking care of themselves in ways they themselves know they should.

Dr. Samadi is a board-certified urologic oncologist trained in open and traditional and laparoscopic surgery and is an expert in robotic prostate surgery. He is chairman of urology, chief of robotic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and professor of urology at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. He is a medical correspondent for the Fox News Channel's Medical A-Team. Learn more at roboticoncology.com. Visit Dr. Samadi's blog at SamadiMD.com. Follow Dr. Samadi on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Michael J. Rovito, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Temple University. His work specializes in health behavior change, men's health, and audience segmentation. His most recent research developed the "Control Identity" Personality Typology that aims to assist health education and intervention efforts for tailoring messaging strategies. Dr. Rovito is a Fellow of the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, and the Information Technology in Society Research Group. He is also a co-faculty advisor for the Public Health Graduate Student Council and Director of the Temple University Men's Health Information and Research Collaborative.

Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, MD, is a board-certified urologist and medical advisor for Men's Health Network. He is currently practicing at the Florida-based PUR Clinic and is also the co-founder of the Drive 4 Men’s Health, a multi-day public engagement road trip that has encouraged millions of men to eat better, get active, and engage in preventative medical screenings. Dr. Brahmbhatt has a special interest in men’s health and has published several research articles on testicular pain and infertility. He is an active member of several local and national healthcare organizations. He is passionate about using science and technology to inspire our future leaders and has organized several robotics based internships for high school students. Dr. Brahmbhatt is co-founder of the national men’s health campaign, Drive 4 Men’s Health. Dr. Brahmbhatt has discussed a wide variety of health topics in the media, including Fox News, CBS Radio, & Yahoo Health, Men’s Fitness, among others.

Cassandra Whyte is the Outreach Coordinator at Men's Health Network (MHN). Located in the D.C. area, Cassie is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University where she majored in Communications and Media Studies and minored in Political Science and Psychology. Since graduation, Cassie has spent time as a team lead fundraiser for political and social topics; a communications intern for a political consulting firm in NYC; and as an intern with MHN. Cassie's passion, academic, and professional careers thus far have been dedicated to working toward policy implementation, building substantive experience with on-the-ground organizing, fundraising, and media work on campaigns. Men's Health Network is thankful to have Cassie promoting the health and wellness of men and boys across America!

Eric Venker, M.D., is the Chief Operating Officer of Roivant Sciences.

Traci Johnson, a seasoned speaker, consultant, trainer, and writer, possesses 25 years of nursing experience, which she seamlessly incorporates into her expertise in patient advocacy, healthcare management, and workplace safety. As the founder of Wellness for the Workplace, she has formulated The HEALS Integrated Wellness Strategies. These groundbreaking strategies serve as a testament to organizations, showcasing how prioritizing employee wellness can drastically enhance profits. Traci's message resonates loud and clear: Healthy Employees = Healthy Profits!

Zach Derhake co-founded Endurant Athletics, a company that helps young men boost their testosterone levels. In March 2022, Zach realized he had low testosterone and wanted to change it. He spent months researching the best ways to increase his testosterone, and after a year, his testosterone was around 900 ng/dl. While talking with a friend, Zach realized that the information being spread about testosterone is very confusing and unintuitive. That led Zach Derhake and Leighton Schur to start Endurant Athletics. Endurant Athletics aims to teach people how to increase their testosterone and a simple and easy way. Zach helps people who are on similar journeys boost their testosterone faster.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.

About the Author Douglas M. Weine, MD is a Gastroenterologist at Red Bank Gastroenterology Associates, a division of Allied Digestive Health. He is board certified in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Internal Medicine, with fellowship training from New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Weine has also been recognized as a top practitioner by multiple publications including New Jersey Monthly Magazine Jersey Choice Top Doctor, Castle Connolly Top Doctor, and Jersey’s Best Top Doctor. For more information on Dr. Weine’s background and experience, please visit his provider page: https://allieddigestivehealth.com/providers/douglas-m-weine-md/.

Dr. Pat Fagan has been a grade school teacher, a clinical therapist specializing in child, family and marital therapy. During his career he has been Executive Director of the Free Congress Foundation, a member of the staff of Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Family and Social Policy at HHS under President George Herbert Bush, the Senior Fellow on Family and Culture at the Heritage Foundation, then as founder and director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute at Family Research Council. Fagan now directs MARRI at The Catholic University of America. He is also the publisher and editor of Marripedia.org. He has authored over thirty synthesis papers and has commissioned dozens of original research projects in marriage, family, child development and religious practice. He and his wife Theresa have eight children and twelve grandchildren.

As a coalition builder and network strategist, Rev. Dr. Que English joins HHS from the State of New York where she served as the Deputy Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Governor’s Office of Faith and Community Development Services.  Here she identified opportunities for the State of NY and HCR to elevate strengths and identify new opportunities to build relationships with the faith-based community.  She also conceptualized and was instrumental in forming the faith-based office in the Office of the Mayor of New York City.  She has brought together several roundtables and interfaith coalitions to create and implement strategic plans to tackle NY’s most problematic issues. She is the Founder and past President of Not On My Watch, an organization formed to combat human trafficking and domestic violence through education, training and community and policy advocacy.  Named 1 of 25 Most Influential Women in the Bronx, Dr. English brings to HHS a wealth of knowledge in working with the criminal justice system, substance abuse issues, health and mental health, human trafficking, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, civil rights and more.  She received her masters and doctorate degrees from New York Theological Seminary where she was the recipient of the Excellence in Ministry Award, the highest award given to a graduating doctoral student.

Rupal Christine Gupta, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician and a medical editor with KidsHealth.org. Follow KidsHealth on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. When she is not at her desk or with patients, she enjoys the rollicking adventure of early parenthood with her husband and two young children and tweets personally from @Doc2Mom.

Dr. Satish Pai is a New York-based dentist and has served as faculty at Columbia University. He believes that a perfect smile not only makes a person look great but feel great while boosting confidence.  As the founder of Putnam Orthodontics, he is dedicated to not only creating perfect smiles for his patients but also educating people with his engaging articles about all things related to a perfect smile and oral health.

Daniel M. Frendl, M.D., Ph.D, is a urologist with an interest in prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate health. He is a urologic suegeon with a clinical practice that includes: • Prostate cancer diagnosis: transperineal prostate biopsy with magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound fusion • Prostate ablation: Focal treatments for prostate cancer including high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), Irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife), and clinical trials for other technologies • Salvage prostate ablation: Focal ablation of prostate cancer that is locally recurrent after radiation treatment • SpaceCAR and Barrigel rectal spacer placement for patients undergoing radiation for prostate cancer • Treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia: Rezum, UroLift, and transurethral resection (TURP) * Biopsy and resection of nonmuscle invasive bladder and urothelial cancers • Inguinal, scrotal, and penile surgery including; hydrocelectomy, orchiectory, vasectomy, circumcision • Ureteroscopy Dr. Frend is actively recruiting for the following clinical trials of focal therapy for prostate cancer: • Vapor2: a prospective multi-center, single-arm, clinical trial of transurethral water vapor ablation of Gleason Grade Group 2 (GS 3+4) prostate cancer using minimally invasive VanquishT Water Vapor Ablation, Eligible patients must have disease confined to a region surrounding an MRI visible PIRADS3 or PIRADS4 lesion Mayo Clinic's Department of Urology is one of the fow urology practices in Arizona that routinely performs transperineal prostate biopsies with advanced imaging guidance. Transperineal grostate biopsies enable more accurate detection of prostate cancer and offer a lower risk of infection than traditional transrectal biopsies. Dr. Frend's practice specializes in the transperineal approach to prostate biopsy as well as focal treatments for prostate cancer. In addition to his clinical practice. Dr.Frendl is aiso a health services researcher and is active in health policy advacacy through the American Urological Association. His current research focuses on assessing the efficacy of facal ablation treatments for prostate cancer and quality of life outcomes. Nationally, he is an active member of the Legislative Affairs Committee for the American Urological Association, Dr. Frendl received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Clinical and Population Health Research from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He completed his training at the Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Urologic Surgery Residency Program. Dr. Frendl also completed a fellowship in Healthcare Policy and Administration with the Massachusetts General Hospital Physician's Organization. ahid Punjani, M.D., M.P.H., is a urologist with a special interest and fellowship training in male infertility and men's health. Dr. Punjani attended McGill University in Canada for his Bachelor's of Science degree followed by a Post-Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research. He completed his medical school at the University of Ottawa in Canada, followed by his Urology residency at Western University in Canada. During his residency he concurrently completed a Master of Public Health Degree in Clinical Epidemiology from Harvard University. He then completed a fellowship in Male Reproductive and Sexual Medicine at Cornell University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. During this time he also started his Doctor of Public Health Degree in Epidemiology at Columbia University in New York. Prior to starting at Mayo he spent some time working as a general urologist with a special interest in Andrology in the community. His clinical practice focuses on the treatment of male infertility, and men's health including hypogonadism, sexual dysfunction and general urology. He also has strong interests in research and education. Girish K. Mour, M.B.B.S., is a consultant in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He joined the staff of Mayo Clinic in 2016 and holds the academic rank of assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Mour earned his M.B.B.S. at K.J. Somaiya Medical College in Mumbai, India. He continued his training at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York, where he completed a residency in internal medicine, serving as chief resident, and a fellowship in nephrology. He subsequently completed a critical care fellowship at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, followed by a renal transplant fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Mour's research focuses on reducing healthcare disparities in kidney transplantation, transplantation in elderly patients, immunosenescence in kidney transplant, and Frailty. He has given presentations both nationally and internationally and has authored numerous journal articles and abstracts. He also serves as a peer reviewer for several prominent scientific journals. Dr. Mour recently received the Paulette E. and Joseph R. Maslick Career Development Award in Transplant and Cancer Research at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. In addition to his clinical and research activities at Mayo Clinic, Arizona, Dr. Mour serves as vice chair of the Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development, is a member of the Institutional Review Board of the Mayo Clinic Office for Human Research Protection, serves on several committees of the Executive Operations Team, and serves as chair of the Transplant Center Discipline Oriented Group. Dr. Mour is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, American Society of Transplantation, and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, where he serves as the regional representative on the Pancreas Transplantation Committee.

Dr. Paul Turek is an internationally known thought leader in men’s reproductive and sexual health care and research. A fellowship trained, board-certified physician by the American Board of Urology (ABU), he has received numerous honors and awards for his work and is an active member in professional associations worldwide. His recent lectures, publications and book titles can be found in his curriculum vitae.

Yale Medicine is the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine. We are the largest academic multispecialty practice in New England. Our doctors use innovative research to develop new cures to treat patients in the smartest possible way. For more health tips and research you can use in your daily life, visit www.yalemedicine.org/stories

Robin Mather is a third-generation journalist with more than 40 years' experience working at major daily newspapers and national magazines. A Michigan native, she now lives in Arizona

Dr. Giorgianni is an expert in men's health, is Senior Science Advisor to Men's Health Network, and is a registered pharmacist. He is a recognized expert in drug regulatory and US pharmaceutical policy as well as in organizational reputation management and strategic alliance development. He has authored, co-authored or presented some 200 works in health care, industry regulation and business. He is an advisor and board member to several health advocacy associations including: Men's Health Network; American Osteopathic Medical Foundation; Kappa Psi Scholarship Foundation; Nurse Practitioner Health Care Foundation and the National Association for Continence. He is a founding member of the Dialogue on Men's Health, a presenter at the White House conference on Men's Health, and a contributor to the SAGE publication, American Journal of Men's Health. Dr. Giorgianni had a 26 year career with Pfizer Inc, where he held positions in the medical, regulatory, training, public policy, business planning, sales and marketing groups. Most recently he served as Pfizer's Director, External Relations. He also directed several publications, including the Pfizer Careers In Health Care series and The Pfizer Journal: Perspectives in Health Care and Biomedical Research.

Paul is an AASECT certified sexuality educator and a clinical medical assistant.  He is president of the Erectile Dysfunction Foundation, and founder of FrankTalk.org, the largest online community for men’s sexual dysfunctions and maintains a private practice at theEDcoach.com.  He works in New York City with Dr. Michael Werner (www.wernermd.com) as a patient/sexuality educator.  Paul is an instructor at the Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment. He is an advocate for men’s reproductive health and has appeared on ABC News with Diane Sawyer, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, the BBC, and the New York Times. Paul is a member of the AUA, ISSM, AASECT, and SMSNA.

Mark Sherman is a professor emeritus of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz. After receiving his Ph.D. in psychology, he taught for 25 years at SUNY New Paltz, soon specializing in gender issues. By the early 1990s, his principal interest was -- and remains -- the crises facing boys and men (especially young men). He is a member of the multi-partisan coalition for the establishment of a White House Council on Boys and Men, and writes regularly for Psychology Today, principally on issues facing males -- especially those under the age of 30. His strong interest in this comes not only from his academic background and his social concerns, but are quite personal as well: Sherman is the father of three sons and the grandfather of five grandsons.

Ana Fadich, MPH, CHES - Washington, D.C. - As Executive Vice President of Men's Health Network, acting in the capacity of chief operating officer, she oversees the execution of various programs and services related to outreach and health promotion, and the organization's various web platforms. She also supervises the organization’s international activities and relationships. MHN is a national non-profit, educational health organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of men and their families, where they live, work, play and pray. As a certified health educator (CHES), Ana develops targeted disease education materials & programs for men and their families on various health topics and leads discussions with participants at various community events in an effort to reduce health disparities that exist in underserved communities in the US.

Andrew L. Yarrow is a journalist, historian, policy analyst whose new book is Man Out: Men on the Sidelines of American Life. He has been a New York Times reporter, a speechwriter in the Clinton Administration, a U.S. history professor at American University, and has been affiliated with several Washington think tanks, including the Brookings Institution and the Progressive Policy Institute. He has published four previous books, writes frequently for many major media, and also has worked or consulted for Public Agenda, Oxfam, the World Bank, UNICEF, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Export-Import Bank. He lives in the Washington, DC area.

Caleigh Findley is a fourth-year doctoral student in pharmacology and neuroscience and a regular contributor to Talking About Men's Health and Healthy Men, Inc. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in health communications

Dixie Somers is a freelance writer and blogger for business, home, and family niches. Dixie lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and is the proud mother of three beautiful girls and wife to a wonderful husband.

Eileen O'Shanassy is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Flagstaff, AZ. She writes on a variety of topics and loves to research and write. She enjoys baking, biking, and kayaking. Check out her Twitter @eileenoshanassy

Amy is an Acupuncture Physician in the state of Florida where she works in an integrative medicine practice. She has studied abroad in Yunnan China under some of the nations top doctors. In addition she has extensive training in Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture, Reiki, personal training and as a labor and delivery doula. Her experience as a NCAA Champion in field hockey influences how she approaches her personal and professional life- Go big or go home!

Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston, MA. She writes most often on education and business. For eye care professionals Emma recommends All About Eyes. To see more from Emma, say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2

Barb works with corporations, schools, senior centers, and community organizations to help people connect more deeply to themselves, to each other, and to the opportunities in their lives. Her workshops are geared to help people find strengths in their commonalities, sparking meaningful connections and kindling relationships. She's all about increasing happiness and profitability, and decreasing bullying and depression, helping friendships evolve, partnerships develop, and aha moments occur. Connect with Barabara on twitter @BarbAbramson or read more from her at: www.barbaraabramson.com

Terry Brennan is a Father of two daughters, a CFO, and a Co-Founder of the international child advocacy organization, Leading Women for Shared Parenting (LW4SP).  He writes frequently on better public policy and fatherlessness.  You can connect with Terry on Twitter  @Terry Brennan 211 and learn more about shared parenting laws, research and polling at www.lw4sp.org.

Dr. Selby is a family physician, clinical epidemiologist, and health services researcher, Dr. Selby has more than 35 years of experience in patient care, research, and administration. He is responsible for identifying strategic issues and opportunities for PCORI and implementing and administering programs authorized by the PCORI Board of Governors. Dr. Selby joined PCORI from Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, where he was Director of the Division of Research for 13 years and oversaw a department of more than 50 investigators and 500 research staff members working on more than 250 ongoing studies. He was with Kaiser Permanente for 27 years. An accomplished researcher, Dr. Selby has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and continues to conduct research, primarily in the areas of diabetes outcomes and quality improvement. Dr. Selby was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in 2009 and was a member of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality study section for Health Care Quality and Effectiveness from 1999 to 2003.

For more than two decades, Carlos has been working to improve public health, by designing and implementing successful national and local prevention programs in the United States and abroad. He managed the nation’s largest capacity-building program on HIV prevention for Latinos. He developed a national HIV social marketing campaign in Australia and produced a documentary that chronicled the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community in the United States. Through a recent partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Walgreens, he implemented a $10 million vaccine voucher initiative, which also involved several Latin American consulates in the United States. Carlos was instrumental in helping to develop the first Cultural Risk Communications Model for the CDC.  He is the President of HMA Associates, a marketing and communications firm in Washington DC that specializes in multicultural communication interventions aimed at reducing health disparities and achieving health equity.  He serves on the Arlington County Human Rights Commission,  the Arlington County Commission for the Arts and is an active member of Toastmasters International.  You can also follow Carlos on twitter @jclatino. www.hmaassociates.com  

Anne Holloway is an experienced government relations executive with a demonstrated history of working successfully in legislative and regulatory areas of the consumer goods industry. Anne is skilled in public affairs, grassroots organizing, event planning and government. She has exceptional writing and communication skills with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused on writing from Denison University. A former Vice President of Government Affairs with a trade association, Anne also worked as a Legislative Director for a Member of Congress. Creator of BreadandMother.com a food blog featuring a variety of culinary musings, Anne authored two books, View from a Train and Fear of Heights.

Mark Teitell is a 50-ish guy on a mission to keep getting fitter, healthier, happier. He’s the Founder & Host of OlderBeast, a site with practical and inspirational content, tools & services, and community to help 40+ men “double down” on body-and-soul health for the 2^nd half of life.

Ivan Cole is a freelance writer and a fitness fanatic. He used to work as a personal trainer and is now devoted to helping others reach their exercise and nutrition goals through his articles. If he is not at the gym, you can find him hiking with his two dogs or practicing yoga and meditation.

Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn't on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber.