Our Team
Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation (LMSDR) is run by volunteers dedicated to find better treatments for leiomyosarcoma and support patients and those who love them. All of us have been involved with leiomyosarcoma, either as patients, caregivers, medical providers or researchers.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Sharon Anderson MSW
PRESIDENT
A leiomyosarcoma survivor herself since 2002, Sharon Anderson has tirelessly used her background in social work to help leiomyosarcoma patients directly while promoting research to find a cure. Sharon has been an integral part of LMSDR since its conception. In 2005, she successfully co-managed a patient tissue donation campaign. She conducted follow-up interviews two years later, which contributed to significant research data and findings. She is currently the Patient Coordinator of the Leiomyosarcoma Tissue Bank at Stanford. She has represented LMSDR for several years at ASCO and CTOS scientific conventions. Hundreds of families have received her assistance and support online with the leiomyosarcoma support groups, several of which she initiated and continually moderates herself. As President of LMSDR, she’s committed to advocating for and funding the most promising research for leiomyosarcoma.
Janine Di Tullio
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Janine DiTullio is a professional writer who resides in New York. She's a medical advocate to a 7 year uterine leiomyosarcoma survivor. Janine meets with researchers and doctors to advocate passionately for research that will help survivors thrive longer and the undiagnosed get treated earlier.
Ed Kurtz
FINANCE OFFICER
Ed was president of the board in the very beginning when his late wife, Suzanne Kurtz founded LMSDR in 2006. He has been an owner and partner of a CPA firm and various businesses from 1968 to 2000. As an accountant and attorney, Ed’s financial guidance has been the cornerstone of the Foundation’s success. Ed lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his new wife, Denice Brice Kurtz.
Dondee Murray
SECRETARY
Dondee has been a survivor of Uterine LMS since 2014. She is a registered nurse and patient educator in Portland Oregon. Her passion lies in education which leads to awareness and patient advocacy. Dr. Amy Reed’s story and message regarding the dangers of morcellation reached her just shortly before her own surgery. She credits Amy and her husband Dr. Hooman Norchasm, for providing her with the best outcome possible. She is determined to do what she can to honor Amy and now, her dear friend Sarah Salem Robinson, in their quest to spread awareness about fibroids and morcellation. Dondee is a co-producer of the documentary, Kicking the Hornets Nest, which warns about the dangers of morcellation and LMS.
Dondee fundraises to help find treatments that will work for all of us living with Leiomyosarcoma. She has connected with LMS patients at LMSDR conferences and when she travels. When not with her family or working, she enjoys hiking and hanging with friends, spending time at Oregon beaches, sewing, and sitting in a cozy coffee shop sipping an oat milk latte whenever possible.
Maisie England, CEng, MEng (Hons)
Maisie is a keen advocate for LMS research. Based in the UK and having been diagnosed with colon LMS, she desires to drive forward the research to support more life changing innovation.
Maisie has vast experience in connecting researchers together internationally on large scale research programs.
Upon finding out her diagnosis, Maisie was shocked to find that there is little in the way of treatment options and surveillance mechanisms due to LMS being rare. However, this has given Maisie the drive to find more solutions to tackle LMS; she fully believes that research which pulls together stakeholders worldwide is the key to this success.
Janice Gilbert Rushton
Janice is a Physician Assistant who works in oncology as a sub-investigator of clinical trials with targeted chemotherapies in Detroit. She practiced law for 21 years prior to returning to school for a master’s degree in physician assistant studies. As a lawyer, she counseled healthcare facility staffing and home health care staffing entities. She is the surviving spouse of Kevin Rushton who was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma in April 2009 (right hip tumor) and died in October 2012. She wants to improve public and medical community awareness of leiomyosarcoma and generate more resources to fund research for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and caregiver support. She has been a board member since 2012.
Isis Kanevsky
Isis Kanevsky PhD, is an immunologist that leads a team supporting in vivo experiments for bacterial and viral vaccine, and anti-infective research programs at Pfizer. Prior to joining Pfizer, Isis was at Virginia Tech as an associate professor with tenure focused on investigation of host-pathogen interactions using in-vitro and in-vivo cell-culture and animal models. Isis was awarded The 2012 Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Technology (PECASE) – highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent careers. Currently, Isis is herself battling newly diagnosed leiomyosarcoma of retroperitoneal origin.
Hope K. Haefner, MD
Hope K. Haefner, M.D., is the Harold A. Furlong Professor of Women’s Health in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she received her medical degree. Dr. Haefner completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in 1990. She completed a fellowship in gynecologic pathology in 1993. Dr. Haefner is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology.
In 1993, Dr. Haefner established the University of Michigan Center for Vulvar Diseases, one of the few specialized clinics in the United States dedicated to treating vulvar conditions. Dr. Haefner is active in vulvovaginal disease research. She was a co-investigator on an R01 grant with Dr. Barbara Reed, the Longitudinal Population-Based Study of Vulvodynia.
She has received numerous awards including:
-The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Award for Outstanding Service on the Committee on Continuing Medical Education
-APGO, Martin L. Stone, MD Award for the Center for Education, “Educational Partners for Life”
-Career Development Award, Michigan Agenda for Women
-The Silver Speculum Award, the University of Michigan senior resident teaching award
-CREOG National Faculty Award for Excellence in Residency Education
-ASCCP Meritorious Award for Service
-Burton Krumholz ASCCP Lifetime Legacy Award
-ASCCP Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Haefner has also served as President of both the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease.
On a personal note, Dr. Haefner is a 56-year ovarian cancer survivor (grade 3 immature teratoma). Six years ago, she developed a small bowel leiomyosarcoma (grade 3), secondary to the radiation treatment given following her ovarian cancer surgery. She is passionate about supporting children and adolescents with ovarian cancer, as well as patients and families affected by leiomyosarcomas.
Cherry Kim
Cherry began her career as an Advertising Photographer in New York City and built up her portfolio over almost two decades, working with clients such as AT&T, Bjork, Citibank, IBM, Ms. Magazine, National Football League, National Hockey League, and Sandra Day O’Connor. Her work is held in private collections with Kodak, Bloomingdale’s, and J. Paul Getty Trust. After relocating back to the Bay Area in 2004, she shifted careers to Corporate Events Management and then into Brand and Marketing Project Management in Silicon Valley. She is the surviving spouse of Rhonda Kim who passed away in 2021 after being diagnosed with uterine leiomyosarcoma two years prior. Cherry served as her wife's caregiver as well as her patient and medical advocate, while supporting their son through high school. Cherry now gives back to the LMS community as one way of honoring the memory of her wife. Her goal is to provide support and guidance to patients and caregivers based on her experience of navigating this rare and aggressive disease. Cherry carries on Rhonda’s love of traveling, as well as her passion and appreciation for the great outdoors by hiking, skiing, snorkeling, and playing pickleball.
Suzanne Kurtz
FOUNDER
Founder of Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation (LMSDR,) Suzanne Kurtz started LMSDR in 2006, to help find the cure for leiomyosarcoma. Her vision was to create a relationship with researchers to advocate and fund worthy projects that would lead to effective treatments. Her second mission was to help keep patients healthy and alive until that happened. Of major importance was to create this website to help educate and connect patients to current information and support. She believed the success of this foundation would be dependent on us all opening our hearts and generously contribute our talents, skill and financial support for this cause.
Suzanne used to say, “If you want something, you have to work for it, not wish for it.” This became our slogan, “Working, not Wishing… for the Cure.” The Foundation’s name, Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation (LMSDR) reflected Suzanne’s desire to make sure donations went directly to fund worthy research and not be wasted on high administrative costs. It also meant that LMSDR tries to “Direct Research” to leiomyosarcoma by meeting and advocating with doctors and researchers. In 2018, the word “Support” was added to the name, because LMSDR has become a crucial part of helping patients and loved ones find the treatments they need and the support to get them through their journey. Suzanne herself was always reaching out to families and offering them her wisdom and love.
Suzanne Kurtz lost her five-year battle with uterine Leiomyosarcoma on November 12, 2008. Her vision and efforts live on with every new patient who visits this website and every penny invested in leiomyosarcoma research. Her family, patients and caregivers continue to devote their time and labor of love to keep Suzanne’s vision alive. You can honor her by donating to Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation.