Our Team
Worth the Wait Trustees
Worth the Wait Advisory Committee
Our advisory team is comprised of professionals from various disciplines with personal or professional connections to cancer, infertility or adoption. They review our grant applications and advise us on special projects.
Kara Bendle, AYA Program Manager (Committee Member)
Megan-Claire Chase, Program Director and Patient Advocate (Committee Member)
Megan-Claire Chase is the Breast Cancer Program Director and host of the ‘Our BC Life’ podcast at SHARE Cancer Support. As an invasive lobular (ILC) breast cancer survivor and patient advocate based in Atlanta, GA, she actively champions the needs of breast cancer patients. Beyond her work at SHARE, Megan-Claire serves on Bayer Oncology’s Digital Patient Council, is a patient advocate for the Oncology Data Advisor Editorial Board, and contributes as a writer and advisory board member for Patient Power.
Her impactful contributions include co-authoring a podcast and infographic on genetic testing in metastatic breast cancer, collaborating with Pfizer on an ‘Action Guide to Disrupt Inequitable Health Outcomes,’ and being featured in the PBS episode ‘Beyond Cancer’ for Stories from the Stage. Megan-Claire’s story and work have been highlighted in prominent publications such as The New York Times, People Magazine, Cancer Health, Cancer Today, and CURE Magazine. Outside of the cancer space, she is a voiceover actor, social justice activist, and a cat mom to Phoebe.
Lesley Northrop, PhD, Translational Scientist, Geneticist and Executive (Committee Member)
Dr. Lesley Northrop has spent over 20 years in the clinical diagnostic industry specific to women’s health, including her ABMGG training at Columbia University Medical Center, and post-doctoral training at the largest, most prestigious IVF center in the US, RMA-NJ Fertility Center. As an innovator, Dr. Northrop was a lead scientist on developing the first comprehensive preimplantation genetic diagnosis technology (PGD) or known as PGD-A today. Dr. Northrop serves as an advisor to several biotechnology and financial investment firms on her expertise in the clinical diagnostic genomics space. She spends her free time mentoring young minds in science, including her 2 young children.
Dr. Preeti Sudheendra, Clinical Director (Committee Member)
Dr. Sudheendra is a highly regarded breast cancer medical oncologist and lifestyle medicine physician. After almost 15 years in full time clinical practice, she is now focused on breast cancer drug development at Merck.
She continues to see patients at The Ohio State University in the High Risk and Cancer Genetics clinic. Her practice philosophy is to incorporate the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine as important tools for cancer prevention and improve overall health and well-being.
She served as an investigator on several clinical trials and her research has been published in Clinical Breast Cancer and Journal of Clinical Oncology and Blood. Dr. Sudheendra is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and serves on several of their national committees for breast cancer therapy.
Dr. Leena Nahata, Medical Director of the Fertility and Reproductive Health Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Special Medical Advisor)
Leena Nahata, MD, is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and founder and medical director of the Fertility and Reproductive Health Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. As an NIH-funded Principal Investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, she is leading and collaborating on several clinical research studies focused on improving reproductive and psychosocial outcomes in pediatric populations at risk for infertility. She also contributes to fertility guidelines through multiple national and international organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatric Initiative Network of the Oncofertility Consortium, Children’s Oncology Group, PanCareLIFE, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
Pash Patel, Marketing Executive (Special Advisor)
Pash has 20 years of Consumer and Patient Marketing experience at Procter and Gamble and more recently at Takeda. She led the 1st ever disease awareness campaign in the patient community for Eosinophil Esophagitis, a rare GI condition. Her current role is focused on bringing human-centric approach to innovation while keeping patient needs at the core and having a positive impact to society.
She has a wealth of experience in brand building and portfolio innovation strategy rooted in consumer and patient insights. Pash and her husband’s two kids keep them busy and grounded in life. She has a personal connection to cancer patients and celebrating survivorship.