The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in GVHD^TM

Christina Ferraro is an accomplished healthcare professional with extensive expertise in hematology and medical oncology. She serves as the Outpatient Advanced Practice Provider Manager at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute, as well as the Director of Survivorship and is a nurse practitioner in the Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and Apheresis programs at the Cleveland Clinic. Prior to her current position, Christina made significant contributions as a nurse and nurse practitioner at the Cleveland Clinic, where she specialized in survivorship, late-effects and graft-versus-host disease in blood and marrow transplant patients. Christina holds a master’s degree in Family Practice Nurse Practitioner from Kent State University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from The Ohio State University.

Dr Hugo Fernandez is a hematologist-oncologist, Professor of Oncology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and chair and medical director of Moffitt Malignant Hematology & Cellular Therapy at Memorial Healthcare System. His clinical and research efforts focus on molecular therapies for acute myeloid and lymphoid disorders, the development of transplant conditioning regimens for patients with myeloid leukemia and expanding transplantation options for elderly patients. Dr Fernandez received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine and was chief resident at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Medical Center, where he also completed a fellowship in hematology-oncology. Dr Fernandez pursued additional training as an academic fellow in blood and marrow transplantation at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Prior to being at Moffitt, Dr Fernandez was an associate professor of clinical medicine and director of the bone marrow transplant program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr Fernandez has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and is a member of several medical organizations and serves as a board member for the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cell Therapy and for the Moffitt Medical Group. Dr Fernandez is bilingual and speaks English and Spanish.

Kathleen D. Lyons, ScD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist, Professor of Occupational Therapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions and currently directs the Cancer Rehabilitation (CaRe) Lab at the MGH Institute focused on helping adult cancer survivors maintain independence and participate in home and community life. Her work integrates occupational therapy theory and implementation science to design and test interventions that reduce disability, improve daily functioning, and promote physical activity among people living with and beyond cancer. Dr Lyons earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy from the University of New Hampshire and her Doctor of Science in therapeutic studies from Boston University. She has held research and academic roles at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. Dr Lyons has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and is nationally recognized for advancing the science of occupational therapy and cancer rehabilitation. She is an inductee of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation’s Academy of Research and received the MGH Institute of Health Profession’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Research in 2024 and the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Excellence in Cancer Rehabilitation Award in 2023, reflecting the broad impact of her research on evidence-based cancer rehabilitation practice. Learn more about her award-winning project.

Lynne Spina is the Director of Development and Marketing at BMT InfoNet where she manages corporate partnership programs and brings over two decades of dedication to advancing patient and caregiver advocacy. Deeply empathetic to the caregiver experience, Lynne became involved with BMT InfoNet following her brother’s recovery from a stem cell transplant for acute myeloid leukemia. In addition to leading corporate partnerships, Lynne supports a wide range of patient-focused education and engagement initiatives. Her work includes coordinating BMT InfoNet’s printed patient education materials, collaborating on social media communications, and providing direct support and resources to patients and caregivers navigating transplants and survivorship. She also plays a key role in implementing BMT InfoNet’s annual Survivorship Symposium. Prior to joining BMT InfoNet, Lynne held leadership and marketing communications roles across the healthcare industry, including at ExaroMed Healthcare Consulting, Agfa Corporation and Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. Lynne holds an MBA from Drexel University and a bachelor’s degree in Communications as well as an associate’s degree in Art Advertising from the University of Bridgeport.