7th Women & MPN Conference Recap
On Friday, September 24, MPN Advocacy and Education International, led by our good friend Ann Brazeau, held its 7th Annual Women in MPN Conference. While we all are eager for the days when we can see each other in person again and benefit from a shared experience, the conference was no less impactful in elevating the perspective of women living with an MPN.
With a cross-section of patient stories, clinician advice, and empowering lifestyle tools, MPN Advocacy and Education International produced an inspiring day of knowledge sharing. Wrapped around powerful patient stories, Dr. Michelle Couri, herself diagnosed with an MPN, added her personal and professional expertise as a Gynecologist discussing the importance of self-care and understanding of sexual health. In the field of physical and nutritional fitness, Justin Grinnell, Kinesiologist, shared practical tips and science-backed outcomes to demonstrate how women, in particular, can positively influence their immune health and MPN prognosis. And of course, our steadfast clinicians, working tirelessly to advance disease knowledge at the bench and bring empathy for patients in the clinic, still find time to educate the MPN patient and caregiver community. Dr. Laura Michaelis discussed thoughtful approaches to managing reproductive health from pregnancy planning through menopause. Adding to that, Dr. Kristen Pettit underscored variances in diagnoses and treatment options for women with an MPN. Dr. Ellen Ritchie elevated the seriousness of thrombotic events and cardiac risk for women in a very pragmatic presentation to arm the patient community with information. As always, Dr. Ruben Mesa expressed hope in presenting how far we’ve come and what the future of MPN treatments may bring. The dialogue was underscored by the biopharmaceutical industry presentations on promising clinical trials now in development and recruiting patients. Visit our list of clinical trials to share with your medical care team and discuss if a clinical trial might be right for you.
We thank our friends at MPN Advocacy and Education International for including us in the 7th Annual Women in MPN conference and look forward to the time when we can experience the magic live and in person.