NHF Board

Jill Dehlin, R.N., CHES

Secretary

Lansing, MI

Jill Dehlin serves as Chairperson of the NHF’s Patient Leadership Council. Jill also sits on the Boards of the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP) and the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA).

Jill earned an Associate degree in Nursing from Kellogg Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from Central Michigan University, and Master of Arts degrees from Michigan State University in Education Technology, and from Central Michigan University in Health Promotion and Program Management. Jill was working towards a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, until having to withdraw due to chronic migraine.

Jaclyn R. Duvall, MD, FAAN, FAHS

Headache Medicine: UCNS
Board Member

Tulsa, OK

Dr. Duvall is a board-certified Neurologist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is Oklahoma’s only fellowship-trained Headache Specialist, having completed her Headache Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Placing great value on the doctor-patient relationship, Dr. Duvall has a special interest in Chronic Migraine, post-traumatic headache, and migraine education. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Duvall has published research in several medical journals, including Headache, Neurology and Cephalalgia.

Mark Green, MD, FAAN

Board Member

New York, NY

Dr. Mark W. Green is the Director of Headache and Pain Medicine and Professor of Neurology and Anesthesiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  He recently came to Mt. Sinai from Columbia University, where he was Director of Headache Medicine and Clinical Professor of Neurology (in Neurology, Anesthesiology and Dentistry) at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Dental Medicine.  He is certified in Neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in Headache Medicine through the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties.

Dr. Green graduated from Case Western Reserve University, and then received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  He received his neurology training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and during that period worked in the Montefiore Headache Unit of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  He was later appointed director of that unit.  He came to Columbia University in 1981, and then New York Medical College.  He returned to Columbia University 12 years ago to organize a section on headache and facial pain in the department of neurology.

Dr. Green was one of the founding editors of CEPHALAGIA, the international headache journal.  He also served as the Associate Editor of HEADACHE, the journal of the American Headache Society. He has a long-standing interest in neuropharmacology and is a panel member of the Advisory Board of the Food and Drug Administration’s Section on Peripheral and Central Neurological Drugs.

Dr. Green has been active in the practice of headache and facial pain since 1978.  He has lectured throughout the world on this subject and has written numerous articles on various subjects concerning headache and facial pain.

Katherine Allen Kessler, Esq.

Board Member

Mount Kisco, NY

Katherine Allen Kessler is a Managing Director and Associate General Counsel at Citigroup Inc. in New York City. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2004, Katie was an attorney in the litigation departments at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Latham & Watkins. Katie grew up in New York City and attended the Fieldston School. She has a BA from Emory University and a JD from Duke University School of Law.  Katie and her husband Gordon live in Westchester County, NY and have two sons, Noah and Zach.

Paul G. Mathew, MD, DNBPAS, FAAN, FAHS

Board Member

Boston, MA

Paul G. Mathew, MD, DNBPAS, FAAN, FAHS completed his neurology residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and then completed a fellowship in headache medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He is board-certified in neurology and headache medicine. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and an Affiliate Member of the HMS Division of Sleep Medicine. He holds positions at three HMS-affiliated institutions. He has clinical appointments at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates/Atrius Health, as well as a teaching appointment at the Cambridge Health Alliance. As part of his headache and sports neurology/concussion practice, Dr. Mathew performs Botox injections, nerve blocks, and trigger point injections.

In terms of his academic responsibilities, he has been involved in the education of countless neurology, psychiatry, internal medicine, family medicine, dental medicine, pain medicine, and headache medicine trainees. He has written over 90 publications and has presented at both national and international conferences. Dr. Mathew has served as a peer reviewer for multiple journals including the American Journal of Managed Care, the British Medical Journal, Cephalalgia, the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, Headache, Headache Currents, the Journal of Neuroimaging, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine, Neurology, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Pain Medicine. He is the Co-Chief Medical Editor of the journal Practical Neurology. He is an active member of several medical societies including the American Academy of Neurology, the Massachusetts Neurological Association, the American Headache Society, the International Headache Society, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, and the Indian Medical Association of New England. He is the current Chairman of the American Headache Society Procedural Special Interest Section, a Member of the Board of the Directors of the National Headache Foundation, and an Executive Board Member of the Indian Medical Association of New England.

As a graduate of the American Academy of Neurology’s Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, Dr. Mathew applies his passion and expertise to the role of advocate for both patients and fellow physicians. He has participated in multiple successful lobbying efforts in Washington, DC headed by the American Academy of Neurology to improve patient access to healthcare and research funding. In March 2015, Dr. Mathew was appointed as the neurology representative on the advisory board of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (www.NBPAS.org), and in January 2019 was appointed Director of Legislative Affairs. The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons is an organization committed to providing board re-certification that ensures physician compliance with national standards and lifelong learning after completing initial board certification with a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS).

Dr. Mathew resides in Massachusetts with his wife and two children.

Hope O’Brien, MD, MBA, FAHS, FAAN

Headache Medicine: UCNS
Board Member

Cincinnati, OH

Dr. Hope O’Brien is originally from Queens, New York, with parents of Jamaican descent.  She is board certified in Neurology and Headache Medicine and holds an Executive MBA degree. She serves as founder, CEO and medical director of Headache Center of Hope, a direct-patient care and concierge Neurology practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, with specialized focus on patients of all ages impacted by recurrent headaches.  Her research focuses on late adolescents and young adults with headaches, and she has written and contributed to over 75 peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and book chapters.

Dr. O’Brien is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is a consultant for TriHealth hospital physicians.  She is a Fellow of the American Headache Society and American Academy of Neurology.  Currently, she is a member of the accreditation committee of the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties and the Medscape/AHS Advisory Board Migraine Center of Excellence.  She is also the Vice Chair of the Meeting Management Committee of the American Academy of Neurology.

She is married to Dr. Tom O’Brien, cardiologist, and heart failure specialist at The Christ Hospital with whom she enjoys traveling, shopping, and designing spaces. They have a giant Yorkie, Luke, who you may see watching them dance on TikTok videos that have received over 1 million views!

Michael D. Pollack

Board Member

New York, NY

Michael Pollack is Vice President, Creative Director, CBS Marketing.  An Emmy-award-winning producer, he has developed numerous strategic campaigns promoting CBS News, Sports, Entertainment, and Late Night franchises. His work appears nationally in network programming and includes an extensive range of public service announcements addressing health and wellness topics, crisis relief efforts, and other social impact initiatives. He earned his A.B from Brown University and M.A. from Boston University.

Michael and his wife Janine reside in Westchester County, New York where they raised their two children, Zachary and Katie.

John Richards

Board Member

Carmel, IN

John Richards has thirty plus years with broad organizational experience and success including sales management, brand management, new product planning, global advocacy and professional relations. Widely recognized for leadership, execution, customer engagement and patient advocacy. Received the Jefferson Award in 2011 for outstanding commitment to public service.

Jason Sico, MD, MHS, FAHA, FAAN, FANA, FACP

Headache Medicine: UCNS
Board Member

West Haven, CT

Dr. Jason Sico is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and a board-certified neurologist and primary care internist within the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, providing both specialty and general care services for Veterans with neurological disease, specifically headache and ischemic stroke.

After completing a dual residency in neurology and internal medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, I completed a VA Special Fellowship in Psychiatry and Neuroscience with a focus on health services research and epidemiology within the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven campus. I am an active investigator within the VA Precision Monitoring to Transform Care QUERI, the HSR&D Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME), Clinical Epidemiology Research Centers, and the Center for Neuroepidemiology and Clinical Neurological Research.

As a previous VA HSR&D Career Development awardee with implementation science project goals of improving care coordination and communication between primary care and specialty care providers within the context of a Learning Healthcare System, Dr. Sico’s research interests include developing and assessing theory-based improvement interventions and using Lean Six Sigma/Systems Redesign approaches to improving the efficient delivery of high-quality health care.

Dr. Sico is the National Lead for the Headache Centers of Excellence (HCoE) Program within the Veterans Health Administration. The HCoE is a national initiative to improve headache care delivery through educational programs, innovative care delivery models, including telehealth, and standardized care algorithms which incorporate patient self-management and interdisciplinary headache care. I also serve as the Director of the HCoE Research and Evaluation Center (REC), which is integrated with the HCoE clinical enterprise and is tasked with understanding the epidemiology and role of military exposures in headache among Veterans.

Dr. Sico is also keenly interested in the policy implications of research and am actively involved in several American Academy of Neurology Committees and Subcommittees, including Advocacy, Health Policy, and Members Research. I also serve as the Veterans Health Administration liaison to the American Academy of Neurology.

Bio courtesy of the Yale School of Medicine

Timothy R. Smith, MD, RPh, FACP

Headache Medicine: AQH
Board Member

St. Louis, MO

Dr. Timothy R. Smith is President and CEO StudyMetrix Research and StudyMetrix Consulting in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Smith’s background and training include pharmacy, internal medicine physician, headache specialist, researcher, consultant, and healthcare business owner/executive.

Dr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree in 1983 from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, and his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1989 from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Smith completed his residency in Internal Medicine at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, in 1992 and received his Internal Medicine Board Certification that same year. Dr. Smith earned a Certificate of Added Qualification in Headache Management from the National Headache Foundation in 2001 and a Subspecialty Certification in Headache Management from the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties in 2006.

Dr. Smith held several roles with a large health system in the mid-west including Director of Research for a large clinical trials center, Medical Director of a tertiary headache center, and Vice President of Research for the health system. In 2016, Dr. Smith established his own clinical trials center, StudyMetrix Research. In his 22 years of clinical trials and original research, Smith has been an investigator for more than 800 clinical trials and original research projects. He has over 40 peer-reviewed publications to his credit and has written over 200 other articles, abstracts, and book chapters in his career.

Dr. Smith has been awarded several recognitions in the field of headache management, including the Migraine Innovators Award, the NHF Lectureship Award and the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award with Special Commendation. His research has twice been awarded the AHS’s Kaplan Award for Research in Chronic Daily Headache. In 2015, Dr. Smith was honored with the National Headache Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a Fellow of the American Headache Society, a Certified Physician Investigator of the Academy of Clinical Research Professionals, and recently served as First Vice President of the National Headache Foundation.

He lives in St. Louis County, Missouri with his wife, four children, and two grandchildren.

Susan Lane Stone

CEO & Executive Director

Fort Worth, TX

Susan is the founder of SLStone Consulting, LLC.

Commerical Clients: B2B2C strategic advisor enterprise-wide from Clinical Discovery & Development to go-to market access planning, development, and execution. Experience in ensuring patient access and choice to innovate treatments that solve unmet needs across 15 therapeutic areas.

Non-Profit Clients: Executive leadership, strategic planning, development, marketing, and communications coordination that aligns and supports the mission of awareness, education, advocacy, and research programs that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Raised in California, Susan currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas where she enjoys honing her master gardener skills in fellow neighbor’s yards, playing tennis and pickleball and engaging in ballroom dancing.

Nelson Costa

Board Member

Newtown, PA

Nelson Costa brings a variety of experience, knowledge and passion to the National Headache Foundation board. Dedicating a majority of his professional career to headache medicine, Nelson has worked with acute and preventive therapies to treat headache disorders throughout the many changes and advancements in headache treatments. Nelson always hoped that someday he could combine his experience in global marketing and sales with his passion for patient care and headache treatment. It has always been a life goal of Nelson’s to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those experiencing headache disorders in partnership with their healthcare providers.

Nelson achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Trade from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Business Administration from Lake Forest College. He and his wife of over 40 years are currently residing in the Philadelphia area and have two grown daughters and an adorable corgi.

Nelson’s professional background and enthusiasm for making a difference make him an asset to the National Headache Foundation’s board.

Fred Cohen, MD

Board Member

New York, NY

Dr. Fred Cohen is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  Dr. Cohen received his medical degree from Stony Brook University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Headache Medicine at the Jefferson Headache Center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Cohen’s research interests include treatments for chronic migraine and evaluating the epidemiology, burden, and impact of migraine. His research has been published in several medical journals and textbooks, including Headache, Cephalalgia, Stroke, Current Pain and Headache Reports, Pain Medicine, and Neurotherapeutics.

Prior to medical school, Dr. Cohen performed research in materials chemistry and studied under Nobel Laureate M.S. Whittingham at Binghamton University. Dr. Cohen is the section chair of the Primary Care Special Interest Section within the American Headache Society. He also serves on their media committee and Headache in Primary Care Program committee.

Dr. Cohen serves on the editorial boards for Headache and Current Pain and Headache Reports.  He has presented at several headache conferences and societies, including the American Headache Society, The International Headache Society, the Migraine World Summit, and the Migraine Trust Symposium.