Dr. Patrick Gee graduated from the American University School of Public Affairs in 2012 with a Doctor of Philosophy in Justice, Law, & Criminology. In April 2013, Dr. Gee was diagnosed with Stage 3b End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). He is a former Peritoneal/Hemodialysis patient due to suffering from Diabetic Kidney Disease. On April 21, 2017, Dr. Gee received a kidney transplant and, after several complications, his new kidney began functioning on the 47th day post-transplant.
Dr. Gee is a retired Major/Chief of Security from the Virginia Department of Corrections; and currently serves as the Founder & CEHD of iAdvocate, Inc., a non-profit Faith-based Health & Wellness organization. He is also an Ordained Minister at Mountain Movers Ministry in Richmond, VA. As a Patient Representative for the Diabetes Kidney Disease-Collaborative Task Force and an advocate for those living with chronic kidney disease and the morbid conditions that contribute to this disease, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and obesity, Dr. Gee uses his personal experiences to teach, coach, mentor, and educate others on how best to manage their outcomes. He also ensures that underserved, undervalued, and disenfranchised communities of color have a voice in their quality of life and equitable healthcare access.
Dr. Gee’s mantra is, “I am the Voice for the Voiceless and the Face for the Faceless in the fight against kidney disease.”
Dr. Kirk Campbell is Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Director of the Nephrology Fellowship Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In addition to treating patients with kidney disease, Dr. Campbell leads an NIH-funded research program focused on developing new therapeutic interventions. He actively participates in clinical trials testing novel agents for primary glomerular disease. He is a Past-President of the New York Society of Nephrology, a member of the Board of Directors of the Nephcure Foundation, and a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation Serving Greater New York.
Melanie Paris, M.A., MPH, is Senior Director of Health Initiatives and Education at the American Kidney Fund (AKF), located in Rockville, Maryland. Her focus at AKF is creating awareness of kidney disease, its common causes, and effective prevention among at-risk populations throughout the United States. She leads the creation and development of programs and resources for people living with kidney disease, caregivers and healthcare providers.
Melanie joined AKF in 2017 with several years of experience in health program implementation, evaluation and analyses with such companies such as Truven Health Analytics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the American Heart Association. Melanie is both professionally and personally committed to working as an agent of change to improve public health by encouraging the implementation of interventions that are innovative – yet simple, practical and culturally relevant.
Melanie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language Education and Master’s degrees in both African Studies and Public Health, all from The Ohio State University.
Melanie is the mother of two teenagers and resides in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Amanda Lane is a Renal Registered Dietitian with a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Amanda currently works with adult and pediatric patients receiving peritoneal dialysis and in-center hemodialysis in Gainesville, FL. She has developed a passion for helping patients with low health literacy and low socioeconomic status understand how to navigate a modern renal diet. Amanda values the links between food, culture and health and enjoys seeing patients thrive while enjoying their preferred foods while living a healthful lifestyle.
AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with and at risk for kidney disease. From prevention to life after a transplant, AKF supports people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease.
Contact us at [email protected] if you have questions or need help registering.