For release December 12, 2022 – Alexandria, Virginia
On April 29, 2023, members of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) community will gather at The Mayflower in Washington, D.C. to honor three leaders who have worked to better the lives of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Each of the Commit to Cure Gala: Many Voices, One Mission honorees has lent their expertise, time, and voice to the mission to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of those affected.
“This year, I’m so proud to share that we are recognizing the contributions of Drs. Abby Van Voorhees and Nehal Mehta, while also calling attention to the important work done by Sam Lichten, a youth ambassador for our community,” says Leah M. Howard, J.D., the President and CEO of NPF. “The work we have done in the past and the things we will accomplish in the future are made possible by the actions of thousands in this community, and these three honorees exemplify that idea.”
Abby S. Van Voorhees, M.D., is professor, chair, and residency director at the Department of Dermatology at Eastern Virginia Medical School. For six years, Dr. Van Voorhees was chair of the NPF Medical Board, and she served on the board for 13 years in total. As a key opinion leader in the research and treatment of psoriasis, Dr. Van Voorhees has been involved in a number of Medical Board projects and manuscripts. She is a guiding influence for NPF Patient Navigation Center resources and all patient education materials. She has been a leader in developing the NPF Medical School Curriculum and a number of continuing medical education programs centered on collaborative care.
Dr. Van Voorhees is a 2007 recipient of the University of Pennsylvania Teaching award and the 2016 recipient of the Presidential Citation from the American Academy of Dermatology for her work in psoriasis research. She is the author of over 100 publications and several books and chapters in the area of psoriasis.
Nehal N. Mehta, M.D., MS, MSCE, FAHA, is a clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University and a cardiovascular inflammatory specialist at the University of Pennsylvania. In his work with the National Institutes of Health and top institutions throughout the country, Dr. Mehta has offered up his expert voice to represent people impacted by psoriatic disease. He is a self-professed lover of lipids, saying in a 2020 NPF Advance article that medical school residency at the University of Pennsylvania was “where I really picked up the love for fat and inflammation.”
Dr. Mehta was the inaugural recipient of the Lasker Clinical Scholar Award in 2012 which brought him to the National Institutes of Health, where he served as Section Chief of Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases and was the founding Principal Investigator of the largest cohort study examining psoriasis impacts on cardiometabolic diseases from 2012 to 2022. He has published several papers on how psoriasis impacts cardiometabolic health.
Sam Lichten is a student at the University of Maryland in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. He has done work in many different areas, but most notable is his volunteer work, highlighted by the 5K Run/Walk to Cure Psoriasis that he founded and co-chaired in Columbus, Ohio. This event is now part of Team NPF Walk. He is the son of NPF board member Jason Lichten, M.D.
During eight years of cohosting the Run/Walk to Cure Psoriasis, Sam helped raise more than $150,000 for NPF to find a cure for psoriasis. He is an NPF Youth Ambassador where he aims to help kids across the country understand that they are not alone.
Do you know someone who speaks up for people impacted by chronic disease? NPF invites you to make a gift in honor of those who raise their voices to better the lives of people impacted by psoriasis and PsA. Your contributions make it possible for these honorees and NPF to continue the work that will lead to a cure.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
Serving its community through more than 55 years of support, advocacy, research, and education, the National Psoriasis Foundation is the world’s leading nonprofit organization representing individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The NPF mission is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created its Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. In recent years, NPF has funded more than $30 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to better treatments and ultimately a cure. Learn more at psoriasis.org