Our Current Board

Brianna Hoffner, MSN, AOCNP, RN

Brianna Hoffner, MSN, AOCNP®, RN, is the Lead Advanced Practice Provider for Medical Oncology at University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora. She provides clinical care to patients with advanced malignancies and research management for patients on clinical trials. Prior to joining the medical staff at University of Colorado Hospital she worked as the Supervisor of Clinical Research Operations at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute. There, Ms. Hoffner participated in clinical trials leading to the approval of pembrolizumab, nivolumab, trametinib, dabrafenib, T-VEC, and other melanoma therapies. She continues to work with these agents in her current clinical setting.

Ms. Hoffner received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Boston College and Masters of Science Nursing in Adult Oncology from Yale University. She has published in multiple prestigious journals including JAMA, Cancer, and Vaccine and has presented her work at numerous meetings including the Oncology Nursing Society, the Society for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, and JADPRO Live at Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology. Her background in clinical research, immuno-oncology, and direct oncologic nursing care serve to strengthen her credentials for comprehensive care.

Laura J. Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCN®

Laura J. Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCN^® is a hematology/oncology nurse practitioner and clinical associate professor in the Department of Physiological Nursing at the University of California San Francisco. She has practiced in the field for over 25 years, caring for patients with hematologic and oncologic malignancies receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, investigational agents, hematopoietic cell transplantation, and supportive care.

Ms. Zitella has delivered hundreds of educational presentations to national and international audiences and authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, webcourses, and book chapters. She co-edited the “Hematologic Malignancies in Adults” textbook, that was awarded the 2014 American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award Honorable Mention.  Ms. Zitella precepts nurse practitioner students, pioneered a hospital-wide onboarding program for new hire advanced practice providers, implemented a comprehensive 12 week orientation program for new hire hematology/oncology APPs, and developed an inpatient advanced practice provider hematology/oncology medical team.

Ms. Zitella is an active member of the Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO), the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP), and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She serves on planning committees for numerous educational conferences, the editorial board for the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO), and national committees such as NCCN Chemotherapy Order Template Style Guide Committee, the ONS Putting Evidence into Practice Prevention of Infection Team and APSHO Education Committee.

Ms Zitella received the Inaugural 2014 Stanford Health Care Advanced Practice Provider of the Year Award, the 2013 DAISY Award for Nursing, the 2010 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Excellence in Medical Oncology Award, the 2006 ONS Excellence in Oncology Nursing-Sensitive Patient Outcomes Award, the 2006 Stanford Medicine Residency Health Care Professional Award, and the 2003 Stanford Professional Initiative Award.

Marianne J. Davies, DNP, MSN, RN, APRN, CNS-BC, ACNP-BC, AOCNP

Jessica L. Mitchell, APRN, CNP, MPH

Jessica Mitchell is a nurse practitioner in the Gastroenterology Division, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. In addition, she is an assistant professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester.

Ms. Mitchell earned her B.A. at the University of Texas at Austin, after which she served in the Peace Corps in Niger, providing both clinical care and education in public health. She then enrolled in Yale University’s School of Nursing and School of Epidemiology and Public Health, earning a certificate in nursing and an M.P.H. with a concentration in global health, followed by a master’s degree in nursing to become an adult nurse practitioner.

While she continues to teach at the Mayo Clinic, Ms. Mitchell has also presented at various professional meetings such as the School of Gastrointestinal Oncology and the Oncology Nursing Society, and she has published peer-reviewed journal articles as well as contributed to medical education through other media. Her current professional memberships include the Association of Medical Surgical Nurses, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing.

Paula Anastasia, RN, MN, AOCN®

Paula Anastasia RN, MN, AOCN®, is a Gynecology-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist working under the direction of Dr. Beth Karlan and colleagues at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Her patient relationship begins with diagnosis, followed by education, genetic screening/assessment, clinical research trials, treatment, surveillance, recurrence, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

Ms. Anastasia has numerous publications in peer-reviewed nursing journals and book chapters and is a national public speaker on gynecologic malignancies, chemotherapy and targeted therapy symptom management, and survivorship issues. She is an associate editor for the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology. Ms. Anastasia is actively involved in community outreach, volunteering her time advocating for ovarian cancer education and research. She is involved with the American Cancer Society, the Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and the Cancer Support Community of Los Angeles, to name a few.

Ms. Anastasia received her master’s degree in nursing from UCLA and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rush University, Chicago.

Ms. Anastasia’s passion is educating nurses—and patients with cancer—on how to improve life while living with a cancer diagnosis.

Christine Kim, NP

Christine Kim is a Nurse Practitioner Specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, where she oversees the care of oncology patients who are undergoing chemotherapy/immunotherapy treatment to manage side effects, offer advice, and provide information on medications, tests, and procedures. Her focus is on the care of the geriatric population.

Ms Kim earned a B.A. in sociology from the University of California, Davis. This was followed by a B.S. (Cum Laude) in nursing and an M.S. in nursing, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of California, San Francisco. She is a member of the Geriatric Advanced Practice Nurses Association, the Oncology Nursing Society, and the American Geriatrics Society.

Laura S. Wood, RN, MSN, OCN

Laura S. Wood RN, MSN, OCN is an oncology nurse with over 35 years of experience in the care of patients with renal and genitourinary cancers and oncology clinical trial coordination. She was the Renal Cancer Clinical Research Coordinator in the GU Oncology Program at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio, retiring in late 2021. Laura continues her involvement in the Cleveland Clinic Immunotherapy Education Committee, and the Management of Checkpoint Inhibitor Related Toxicities annual conference.

Laura completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She is active in the local and national Oncology Nursing Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer. She is on the Board of Directors of the Kidney Cancer Association and the chair of the KCA Clinical Advisory Board. A national and international lecturer on topics related to oncology nursing, Laura has authored many book chapters and journal articles on therapeutic approaches and nursing care in the management of cancer. Laura was the recipient of the 2012 Oncology Nursing Society Clinical Lectureship Award.

Jill Weberding, MPH, BSN, RN, OCN®

Jill Weberding, MPH, BSN, RN, OCN^®, has worked as a oncology nurse for nearly 20 years in community hospitals and community cancer centers. During her nursing career, Jill has worked as a staff nurse on an oncology floor, outpatient infusion nurse, clinical research nurse, clinical trials department manager, nurse and patient educator, and a speaker. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, as well as her Master of Public Health, at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Jill's work with immuno-oncology agents spans more than a decade.

In 2011, she was invited to join the Visionary Immunotherapy Cancer Educators (VOICE) Speakers Bureau with Bristol-Myers Squibb to assist in educating healthcare professionals across the country on the nuances of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to working as an oncology nurse consultant, speaking, and educating nurses and patients, Jill also abstracts oncology data with a company that is building a software platform to connect cancer centers across the country to improve treatment and accelerate research.

Krista M. Rubin, RN, MS, FNP-BC

Casey Fazer, PA-C

Casey Fazer is a Certified Physician Assistant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where she specializes in providing clinical care to patients with head and neck cancers. Among her responsibilities are the management of the treatment plan that has been created for newly admitted patients and any treatment-related toxicities that arise as a result of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Additionally, Ms. Frazer provides support for patients throughout their disease course.

Ms. Fazer graduated from Bellin College, Green Bay, WI, with a bachelor’s degree in radiologic sciences, and then earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Eric D. Whitman, MD, FACS

Dr. Whitman is Medical Director of Atlantic Health System’s oncology service line, where he provides physician leadership to improve quality, expand the depth and breadth of services, and improves efficiencies in oncology services at the 6 Atlantic Health System campuses in northern New Jersey. He is a board certified general surgeon, fellowship trained in surgical research and surgical oncology. He is credentialed for chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy administration. Dr. Whitman also specializes in endocrine surgery, principally involving the thyroid and parathyroid glands. He is a certified physician investigator and is widely published, as well as an accomplished speaker known internationally for his melanoma clinical and research work. Dr. Whitman is the founding director of the Atlantic Melanoma Center, a clinical and research center of excellence that treats more than 400 newly diagnosed patients with malignant melanoma or other advanced skin cancers.

Dr. Whitman graduated from Haverford College, received his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and completed his residency at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania. He is affiliated with Atlantic Medical Group and is a participating provider of Atlantic Accountable Care Organization.

Samantha R. Guild, J.D.

Samantha R. Guild, J.D. received her Juris Doctor from McGeorge School of Law. She is the President of AIM at Melanoma which is the largest international melanoma foundation globally engaged and locally invested in advancing the battle against melanoma through innovative research, legislative reform, education, and patient and caregiver support.

Ms. Guild is responsible for the development and implementation of AIM’s U.S. focused educational programs which include the AIM website, Patient Symposiums at major cancer centers throughout the country, social media channels, survivorship program, Melanoma Nurse Initiative (MNI) and general awareness campaigns.  To assure that these programs are widely viewed in person and on-line, she engages with AIM’s public relations firm and other consultants on digital strategy, marketing efforts, improved website SEO, and media outreach.

She also oversees AIM’s legislative efforts. This effort includes protecting teens and the general public from the dangers of indoor tanning devices, which has led to multiple states enacting legislation prohibiting minors’ access to indoor tanning devices.  On behalf of AIM, she also works on state and federal level legislation to support oral parity and biosimilar efforts.

Ms. Guild has been published in the American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Cancer Education, and Pediatric Dermatology.  She has served as an Advocate Reviewer on the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas panel and as a Consumer Reviewer on Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program panel.