PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES

Krystal Leaphart is the Senior Policy Analyst at the National Birth Equity Collaborative. In this role, Krystal is responsible for helping to shape the NBEC Federal, State and Local policy and advocacy priorities Using her decade of experience in legislative advocacy and grassroots activism, she will make recommendations to elected officials and important stakeholders on the best way to advance birth equity using a Reproductive Justice Lens Read more at www.endoblackconference.com.

Dr. Jessica Opoku-Anane is a Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon at Columbia University Medical Center in New York She is the Director of the Comprehensive Endometriosis Center and a provider in the Center for Research and Advanced Fibroid Treatment She is also a Co-Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Ob/Gyn. Prior to joining Columbia University in January 2023, Dr. Opoku-Anane was as an associate professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) where she served as the Chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecology and Urogynecology and Director of the UCSF Endometriosis Center

Dr. Opoku-Anane, specializes in the treatment of uterine fibroids, menstrual disorders, endometriosis and pelvic pain, ovarian pathology, intrauterine scarring (Asherman's), Read more at www.endoblackconference.com.

Julia Mandeville is a public health professional and the co-founder of the Barbados Association of Endometriosis & PCOS (BAEP). She received her diagnosis of severe endometriosis in 2014 Julia earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with Microbiology from the University of West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. In 2017, she gained her Master of Public Health with a specialization in Global Health from the University of Manchester, and certificates in Gender & Development and NGO Management from the University of the West Indies in 2018 Julia is responsible for developing the programmatic activities of the BAEP. As a registered charity, the B.A.E.P. “ …..endeavors to bring relevant and effective awareness of endometriosis, P C O S and similar debilitating pelvic disorders to the Barbadian population that encourages discourse with and tangible support for those who have these conditions. “ Read more at www.endoblackconference.com