Research Assistant for the Transitions in Epilepsy Care Collaborative as well as the Department of Pediatric Neurology at Boston Medical Center.

Ali leads a team of undergraduate volunteer navigators who provide transition support for youth ages 12+ in the pediatric neurology clinic. She oversees innovative tools that support youth with epilepsy and developmental disabilities, including transition readiness and mental health screening programs. Passionate about elevating youth and family voices, Ali works to advance inclusive, values-based care and improve health outcomes for adolescents and young adults. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Michigan State University.

Chief of the Division of Child Neurology and Director of Pediatric Epilepsy at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Dr. Douglass is a child neurologist and pediatric epileptologist, she leads clinical, research, and health-system initiatives to improve access, quality, and continuity of care for children and youth with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan.

Dr. Douglass founded and leads the Telehealth Epilepsy Care Collaborative, supported by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funding. Her work has advanced innovative, family-centered models of care, including telehealth and mobile-health strategies, a Virtual Patient-Centered Medical Home, and a successful seizure screening program for children and youth that supports earlier identification and connection to specialty care.

Her current work focuses on strengthening transition supports for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities, including coaching and mentorship programs that promote self-advocacy, independence, and successful movement from pediatric to adult health systems. Through clinical leadership, research, and community partnership, Dr. Douglass works to strengthen the network of families, health professionals, and community organizations supporting youth as they navigate adulthood.

Dr. Dwyer is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with 20+ years of experience working in interprofessional translational research teams at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) in Switzerland. He is a professor of nursing at Boston College, a 2023 Macy Faculty Scholar, and principal investigator in the P50 MGH-Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine. He has clinical expertise in reproductive endocrinology, rare disorders of growth/puberty, genomics, and transitional care. He has published more than 130 articles and presents internationally. He serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Genomics Nursing Alliance and is a Fellow in the National Academies of Practice and the American Academy of Nursing. He currently serves on the Massachusetts Rare Disease Advisory Council and is a faculty member of the ITINERARE Rare Diseases Summer (Switzerland). Dr. Dwyer is an NIH-funded researcher who utilizes patient engagement, co-creation, and digital solutions to develop person-centered approaches to care and overcome genomic health disparities.

Terri Farrell, MBA

Terri Ferrell is the Project Director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. She provides expertise and technical assistance to families, providers, and agencies navigating public and private insurance resources related to autism and behavioral health services.

Terri is a recognized advocate for individuals with autism and their families, serving in leadership roles with organizations including Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM) and contributing to statewide initiatives focused on autism services, transition planning, and access to care. She has presented widely on autism insurance, behavioral health coverage, and systems of support. Terri holds an MBA from Northeastern University and completed a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship at UMass Chan Medical School.

Elaine Gabovitch serves as the State Title V Family Leader at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health following her 2025 retirement as Director of the Division for Children & Youth with Special Health Needs (CYSHN) and State Title V CYSHN Director. She also holds faculty appointments at the UMass Chan Medical School-Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program and Department of Family Medicine & Community Health.

With more than two decades of experience advancing care for children and youth with special health needs, Elaine has led initiatives focused on family-centered care, health equity, developmental monitoring, autism awareness, and successful transitions to adult healthcare systems. She has contributed to numerous state and federally funded projects, including efforts to improve access, reduce disparities, and strengthen systems of support for individuals with disabilities and their families.

Elaine is a recognized disability advocate and family leader, with her work inspired by her experience as the parent of an adult son with autism spectrum disorder.

Program Coordinator for the Transitions in Epilepsy Care Collaborative, within Boston Medical Center Pediatric Neurology.

Meenal coordinates community engagement initiatives around supporting transition-aged youth with epilepsy and developmental disabilities, including a Professional and Family Advisory Council, community needs assessments, and learning/development symposiums. Previously, Meenal worked as a researcher with the team, leading projects such as development of the “Transition Needs Survey,” a survey and resource navigation program allowing youth with epilepsy (YWE) to set goals and identify their interests within the transition to adulthood. She has extensive experience in youth leadership and mentorship, including co-directing an epilepsy anti-stigma social media campaign with YWE and serving as a mentor/coach for multiple other programs for YWE. She earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology from New York University.

Peggy McManus, MHS
President, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
Co-Director, Got Transition

Peggy McManus is President of The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health and Co-Director of Got Transition, the national resource center dedicated to improving the transition from pediatric to adult health care. Alongside Dr. Patience White, she co-led the development of the nationally recognized Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition, a framework widely used to improve transition planning and care. She has also guided the creation of numerous resources for youth, families, and clinicians, as well as influential research and policy initiatives focused on health care transition.

With more than 40 years of leadership in health policy and program development, Peggy has directed federal, state, and foundation-funded projects addressing adolescent and young adult health, children and youth with special health care needs, Medicaid and commercial insurance policy, managed care, payment innovation, and public health program development. Her work has helped shape national policy and improve access to high-quality, coordinated care for young people with chronic and complex health conditions.

Peggy earned her Master of Health Science degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. A native of Palmer, Massachusetts, she is honored to share her expertise with colleagues across the Commonwealth and beyond.

Susan Shanske, LICSW, is the Director of Transitional Care Support with the BRIDGES Adult Transition Program at Boston Children’s Hospital where her full time job is improving the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.  Susan received her MSW from Simmons College School of Social Work and has been a social worker at Boston Children’s Hospital for over 25 years, with experience in multiple outpatient medical programs.  In her BRIDGES role, she provides leadership as a content matter expert on transition, actively involved in presentations and research on the topic.  She leads several initiatives to improve care, including a Transition Learning Collaborative internal to BCH where teams are coached by the BRIDGES team through various quality improvement transition efforts in their areas.  She is a previous hospital Family Advisory Council co-chair and also co-led the statewide initiative to improve healthcare transition for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities in the state of Massachusetts.  The initiative allowed her to partner with stakeholders across the state to address related systems issues and she co-directed the previous 2 summits to engage participants in the work.  She is passionate about the topic of healthcare transition and a national social work leader in the space. Susan is currently pursuing a doctorate in health science with a focus on organizational excellence and is actively engaged in multiple national research projects, leading several.

Seth connects transition-aged youth with epilepsy and developmental disabilities with resources to help navigate the transition from pediatric services to adult services. Seth helps families to find and understand resources related to transition, such as finding healthcare providers, accessing transportation, finding employment, self-advocacy, and daily life/recreation. Seth also facilitates a Teen and Young Adult Networking SHARE group for individuals with epilepsy to help foster connections between one another. Prior to his current role, Seth was a community health worker for Epilepsy Foundation New England. He also received his Master of Public Health from Boston University. 

Amy Weinstock

Amy Weinstock is the Director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center and an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry. She is a nationally recognized advocate and expert on autism insurance policy, helping advance legislation that expands access to medically necessary autism services in Massachusetts.

Amy has extensive experience supporting individuals with autism and their families through advocacy, education, and systems change. She serves as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Autism Commission and contributes to statewide initiatives focused on improving access to care and services. She completed a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship at the Shriver Center and has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership and advocacy efforts.