Advisory Council

The CSL Behring Foundation is governed by an independent Advisory Council that has the sole authority to award grants. This dedicated group of people consists of some of the community’s most respected healthcare professionals and advocates.

	Richard Vogel - Advisory Council Chair Richard Vogel is the Chair of the CSL Behring Foundation's Advisory Council. Mr. Vogel is a past president of the Hemophilia Federation of America. An active consumer advocate and resident of New Jersey, Mr. Vogel is currently the president of the Hemophilia Association of New Jersey, of which his father was a founding member. Mr. Vogel chairs several Association committees, including its Blood Safety Committee and Patient Service Committee. In addition to his work within the bleeding disorders community, Mr. Vogel is a professional photographer, a passion he has pursued for the past 25 years. He has severe hemophilia A. Read a Message from the Advisory Council Chair.

	Beatrice Pierce - Advisory Council Vice-Chair Beatrice Young Pierce, RN, MSN, has been a volunteer in the hemophilia community for more than 20 years. For the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), Beatrice served in several capacities, including co-chair of the Blood Safety Working Group; co-chair of the Women's Advisory Committee; and Chair of the Education Committee. She also served as both the Vice Chair and Vice President of the NHF Board of Directors, and served on two FDA advisory committees: the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee and the Blood Products Advisory Committee. She was a clinical nurse for many years and is currently a full-time mother of two children, wife of an individual with hemophilia and the mother of a carrier.

	Dana Francis, MSW Dana received his degree in social work from the University of Washington and is also a certified health education specialist. He currently specializes in working with adults who have bleeding disorders. Since 1988, Dana has been a member of the pediatric hematology team at UCSF Children's Hospital. He has presented workshops for health professionals and community groups on a variety of public health topics, and has published numerous articles relating to the issues facing people with hemophilia.

	Susan Geraghty, RN, MBA Susan is currently on staff at the Mountain States Regional Hemophilia Center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, where she has worked for more than 20 years. In her current position, Susan coordinates care for patients with bleeding disorders; develops programs for patient groups, outreach clinics, and home visits; does case management; and runs weekly clinics through University Hospital. Susan has given numerous presentations on topics related to bleeding disorders, many for the National Hemophilia Foundation. She has also published several papers about bleeding disorders and related topics.

	Vicki Jacobs-Pratt Vicki became an integral part of the bleeding disorders community in 1999, when she first received effective treatment for her Type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD). She began to realize that many women had VWD but were undiagnosed or unaware of the resources available, so Vicki devoted herself to community education. She is now the program coordinator for the New England Hemophilia Association, State of Maine chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF). In 2004, she created and implemented Red Flag New England, an outreach program that raises healthcare community awareness of VWD and women with bleeding disorders. Vicki also serves on the national Women with Bleeding Disorders Task Force of the NHF, and serves locally on the board of Community Health Charities. She lives in Maine with her husband and children.

	Peter A. Kouides, MD Dr. Kouides is currently the medical and research director at the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center as well as associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. A board certified hematologist and oncologist, Dr. Kouides has been involved in treating and researching bleeding disorders for more than 15 years. He has written numerous articles on bleeding disorders, and is a member of the World Federation of Haemophilia, the National Hemophilia Foundation, the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, and the Hemophilia Research Society of North America, among others. Dr. Kouides has received numerous awards, including the National Hemophilia Foundation Award of Excellence-Special Award, in recognition of research in women with bleeding disorders, and the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center, Inc. Special Appreciation Award for research and educational initiatives in von Willebrand Disease and menorrhagia.

	Cindy A. Leissinger, MD Dr. Leissinger has dedicated her skills and experience to serving the bleeding disorders community. For more than 15 years, Dr. Leissinger has served as the director for the Louisiana Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center. Since 1995, she has acted as co-director of the Tulane University Medical Center’s Hospital Coagulation Laboratory. She is also the director of the Louisiana Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders. At Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Leissinger serves as clinical professor of pediatrics and pathology, as well as interim chief, section of oncology and hematology. She is a co-chair of the Hemostasis Committee of the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society as well as a member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. She has authored dozens of articles and given numerous presentations on bleeding disorders.

	Rajiv K Pruthi, M.B.B.S. Dr. Pruthi has approximately 10 years of experience caring for patients with bleeding and thrombotic disorders. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN and is board certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology. He is currently the Director of the Mayo Comprehensive Hemophilia Center and Co-Director for the Special Coagulation and DNA Diagnostic Laboratory. His clinical and research interests include laboratory diagnosis and management of bleeding and thrombotic disorders. Dr. Pruthi has received the Mayo Clinic Karis award for excellence in patient care and the teacher of the year award for resident and fellow education. He is also a member of the American Society of Hematology, North Center Cancer Group, National Hemophilia Foundation, World Federation of Haemophilia and Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Society.

	Leonard A. Valentino, MD Dr. Valentino has 20 years of experience working in the bleeding disorders community. Currently practicing at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Dr. Valentino is board certified in pediatrics and hematology/oncology. His clinical and research interests include hemophilia, bleeding disorders, thrombosis and platelet disorders. Dr. Valentino is the past president of the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society and has received numerous honors and awards, such as the Mead Johnson Award, in recognition of teaching excellence, and the William A. Albano Award for outstanding student research. He is also a member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Hematology, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Metastasis Research Society, National Hemophilia Foundation, and World Federation of Haemophilia.

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