Our leaders are important and integral to our medical communication community. We accomplish a great deal together, constantly working to engage new members and offer more networking opportunities, in order to learn from each other.
Board of Directors
IMMEDIATE PAST President:
Michelle y. Llamas
Michelle Llamas is a Board Certified Patient Advocate and has been writing consumer-centric articles and producing podcasts about health policy, drugs, medical devices and the FDA for over a decade. She focuses on taking complex medical information and making it understandable for consumers. She has written about various medical conditions, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health policy, COVID-19, LGBTQ health, mental health, and women’s health issues. Michelle collaborates with experts, including board-certified doctors, patients, and advocates, to provide trusted health information to the public.
She has been published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine and cited in The Lancet and British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. She has volunteered her time to help patient advocacy groups educate professionals and patients, including helping to produce a free medical writing workshop with the National Center for Health Research in DC that was made available to AMWA members and other medical writers and journalists. Michelle is currently a senior writer with the consumer websites Drugwatch.com and ConsumerNotice.org.
President:
blake gossard
Blake grew up an only child on his family farm in Ohio where he learned the value of hard work and personal integrity. Upon graduating high school, Blake decided he’d had enough cold weather and moved to South Florida, where he has lived since. Life on the farm fostered in Blake a love of the natural world and biology, and being an only child nurtured his imagination and creativity. Over time, this background evolved into a non-traditional pathway into the medical writing world. Blake now serves as the Chief Editor of Life Extension’s Disease Prevention & Treatment health educational content, a role he has held for 13 years. Blake has been an active member of AMWA for eight years and earned his MWC at the inaugural exam in 2015. He earned his ELS in 2017. Blake is pursuing his degree in business administration at Broward College and the University of Florida. Blake is also a licensed real estate broker in Florida. In his spare time, Blake enjoys saltwater and freshwater fishing, playing the drums, and studying the latest developments in the field of longevity science and the prospect of extending the healthy human lifespan. Blake lives in Plantation, Florida with his wonderful wife, Crystal; his two kids, Kaylyn and Roland; and his dog, Winston. Feel free to reach out to Blake via his LinkedIn profile.
president-elect:
Deborah M. Moore
Deborah M. Moore, BS, MS, CCRP, is a Protocol Writer II at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL for early phase investigator initiated clinical trials. Deborah has a passion for oncology clinical trials and research with a strong foundation in scientific research and writing. Her career includes over three years of experience as a Protocol Writer along with many years of experience in previous roles as an Oncology Clinical Research Specialist and Study Coordinator.
She earned her Master of Science in Biological Sciences with a Microbiology focus, in addition to a Bachelor of Science double majoring in Microbiology and Cellular/Molecular biology. During undergraduate and graduate training, she was heavily involved in scientific research being awarded several competitive grants and fellowships. Deborah is an active member of AMWA, Sigma Xi, and NRG Oncology, where she contributes to the Ovarian Clinical Trials Subcommittee.
Treasurer/Secretary:
Jerm Day-Storms
Dr. Jerm Day-Storms earned a PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan and an MA in Biochemistry from Duke University. Prior to becoming a full-time medical writer in 2018, he had worked in biomedical research and academia for 14 years, including serving as Department Chair for 4 years. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family as well as outdoor activities, especially hiking, cycling, and kayaking.
At-large Board Member:
Mary Katerine Haver
Mary Katherine (Mary-Kate) Haver, MLIS, AHIP-D is the Medical Librarian for the Biomedical Library at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. She creates a positive welcoming environment where each person feels comfortable asking questions and seeking assistance. Mary-Kate conducts literature searches, facilitates evidence synthesis projects, hosts training sessions utilizing library and information resources.
In collaborating with researchers, faculty, clinicians, patients, and their caregivers, Mary-Kate fosters access to accurate reliable health information. Recently she co-authored a Journal of Hospital Librarianship (JHL) article describing an initiative between the Florida Health Sciences Library Association (FHSLA) and Tampa Bay Library Consortium (TBLC). The purpose of this effort was to increase networking opportunities between academic/health sciences/hospital librarians and public librarians to promote awareness of vetted reliable consumer health information resources. Through the Medical Library Association (MLA), Mary-Kate maintains Specialization in Consumer Health Level II, is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) and is the 2024-2025 Systematic Review Caucus Chair. To view more about Mary-Kate or connect with her, please contact her via LinkedIn.
Local Networking Contacts
Gainesville Area
Karoun H. Bagamian
Karoun H. Bagamian is a medical and science writer and consultant, dedicated to producing clear and concise journal articles and competitive grant proposals for her clients. With nearly 20 years of research experience in infectious diseases, she manages large research and writing projects for international global health organizations and pharmaceutical companies. Karoun also hosts the podcast The Business of “Doing” Science, which explores different aspects of science-related careers and how science is done beyond the bench.
She obtained her PhD in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution from Emory University in 2012, and her research has been published in prominent journals, including Vaccine, The Lancet Global Health, and the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, among others. In addition to infectious diseases, her expertise encompasses health disparities, vaccines, and environmental, public, and global health.
Naples /Ft. Myers Area
Reggie Wilson
Reggie Wilson is a freelance medical education writer and the Guilt-free Health Coach for entrepreneurs based in Naples, Florida. With experience in personal training and public health, his career emphasizes the behaviors that help us manage stress, improve quality of life, and reduce chronic disease. He has been a speaker at national conference, past president of our chapter, and is a co-leader of First Thursdays remote networking sessions.
If you want to meet members of AMWA in the Naples and Fort Myers area, send a message to reggie@wilsonmedicalwriting.com.
Miami Area
Shara Pantry
Shara Pantry currently resides in Southeast Florida, and she is a medical writer/Associate Scientific Director at a continuing medical education company. She holds a PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of South Florida's College of Medicine and previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher before transitioning to medical writing. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and taking ballroom dance lessons.
Southeast FL AMWA members have been meeting on the First Thursday of the month for over 7 years. The meetings transitioned to Zoom during the pandemic and have continued our virtual meetups. Some months meetings include casual discussions about a variety of topics related to medical writing and other months there are guest speakers. For more information about Southeast Florida events, email me at spantry@gmail.com.