The Advisory Board chooses the semi-finalists from the field of nominations. Members of the Steering Committee have dedicated their valuable time to the program, providing guidance to NeurologyLive® as it further develops this initiative. Most importantly, the Steering Committee votes on the semi-finalists and eventually, the top vote-getter is the Giant in a specific category.

Scott Newsome, DO, MSCS, FAAN, FANA

Associate Professor of Neurology

Director, Neurosciences Consultation and Infusion Center

Director, Stiff Person Syndrome Center

Co-Director, Multiple Sclerosis Experimental Therapeutics Program

Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Neuroimmunology Clinical Fellowship Program

Member, Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

Dr. Scott Newsome specializes in the care of patients with neuroimmunological and neuroinflammatory disorders of the central nervous system. He has a special interest in evaluating and treating patients with multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and stiff person syndrome. Dr. Newsome works within the division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological Infections at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He joined the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis and Transverse Myelitis centers after completing a neuroimmunology fellowship at Johns Hopkins with the support of a Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is currently the director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosciences Consultation and Infusion Center and Stiff Person Syndrome Center. Dr. Newsome is also Co-Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Experimental Therapeutics Program and the Johns Hopkins Neuroimmunology Clinical Fellowship Program. Dr. Newsome’s main research focuses on helping identify and test novel therapies and therapeutic strategies in multiple sclerosis and other neuroimmunological disorders. In addition, other research endeavors include validating the use of new quantitative clinical outcome measures and imaging techniques in multiple sclerosis and identifying risk factors of disease onset and severity, response to treatment and long-term outcomes in neuroimmunological disorders. Dr. Newsome is also serving as President of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, is an advisor for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and a member of the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence. 

Jacquelyn L. Bainbridge, BSPharm, PharmD, FCCP, MSCS, FAES

Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Professor, Department of Neurology

Anschutz Medical Campus

University of Colorado

Jacquelyn L. Bainbridge, BSPharm, PharmD, FCCP, MSCS, FAES, is a Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where she holds joint appointments in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, and the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine. Dr Bainbridge received her doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Colorado in Denver, where she subsequently completed a specialty residency in neurology.

Dr. Bainbridge is a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist (MSCS) who is actively involved in clinical research in many areas of neurology, including multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease (PD), back pain, and cannabis. Currently, she is working on 3 clinical trials investigating cannabis for the treatment of back pain, PD, and autism, sponsored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), 1 synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) study involving patients with Fragile X syndrome.  Dr. Bainbridge is involved in 1 additional clinical trial sponsored by the CDPHE, for back pain in patients not on opiates or on opiates, with a dose reduction. Dr Bainbridge continues to study the safety and efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in older adults. She was previously an investigator for several National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded trials researching drugs that may be neuroprotective in PD. Dr. Bainbridge has completed 1 clinical trial using a synthetic CBD product in patients with scleroderma. She has published several articles in professional journals, including Epilepsia, Pharmacotherapy, and the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. She has reviewed and written several book chapters on MS, epilepsy, migraine, chronic pain, women’s issues, pharmacokinetics, and the practice of pharmacy. Dr Bainbridge is a frequent lecturer on topics of neurologic and pharmacologic interest, including MS, chronic pain disorders, epilepsy, migraines, movement disorders, neuroprotection, restless legs syndrome, Huntington’s disease, and the administration of cannabis for therapeutic intent. * Dr Bainbridge is a member of numerous professional organizations, including The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS)  Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation of America, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Colorado Pharmacists Society, and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She is the past president of the board of directors for The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation and The Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado. Dr. Bainbridge is currently on the Board of Governors for The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, and on the Board of Directors for The Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado Professional Advisory Board and The American Lung Association.  Dr. Bainbridge has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP), Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society (FAES) and has won several student preceptor and teaching class awards.

Patty Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP

UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center

Patty Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP received her physical therapy degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and her master’s degree in neuro-dysfunction from the University of Florida. She was an integral member of the team that established the Orlando Health MS Comprehensive Care Center in Orlando, FL where she provided rehab services for persons living with MS for over 25 years. Currently, she is caring for individuals with neurological conditions at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, CO. She has been an MS Certified Specialist (MSCS) since 2004, as well as an Assistive Technology Professional, assisting individuals to obtain complex rehab technology. Patty’s service to the MS community includes Co-Chair of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Therapists, Treasurer for the Executive Committee of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC), a member of the National MS Society’s (NMSS) Healthcare Provider Council Mountain West and NMSS Medical Advisory Committee. She received the “ARTY” award for excellence in MS rehabilitation care from the CMSC in 2018.

Nora Fritz, PhD, PT, DPT, NCS

Associate Professor

Departments of Health Care Sciences & Neurology

Wayne State University 

Nora Fritz, PhD, PT, DPT, NCS, is a neurologic physical therapist and Director of the Neuroimaging and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at Wayne State University. The overarching goal of her lab is to optimize the recovery of individuals with neurodegenerative disease through rehabilitation. She has been working with individuals with multiple sclerosis for more than 10 years and her laboratory has been funded by NIH, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Consortium of MS Centers.

Terry Lee-Wilk, PhD

Director of Neuropsychology

MS Center of Excellence – East neuropsychology liaison

VA Maryland Health Care System

Terry Lee-Wilk, PhD is the Program Manager of Neuropsychology at the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is the primary neuropsychology liaison at the VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence-East and serves as co-chair of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Mental Health Providers Special Interest Group. She provides neuropsychological assessment and treatment to Veterans with MS and enjoys supervising psychology trainees. Dr. Lee-Wilk received her doctoral degree from the University of Maryland College Park in clinical psychology and her undergraduate degree from UCLA. 

Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, FAAN

Neurologist & MS Specialist

CEO & Founder of Joi Life Wellness Group

Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Joi Life Wellness Foundation

Mitzi Joi Williams is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Fellowship trained Multiple Sclerosis Specialist who serves as the Founder & CEO of the Joi Life Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center in Smyrna, GA. She is considered a subject matter expert in Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis and Health Disparities. Dr. Williams has over 15 years of experience in the field of Multiple Sclerosis. She received her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and received her Doctor of Medicine Degree from Morehouse School of Medicine also in Atlanta, Georgia. She completed her Internal Medicine Internship, Neurology Residency, and Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship at Georgia Health Sciences University (formerly MCG) in Augusta, GA, where she received numerous accolades and served as Chief Resident of the Neurology Residency Program.

Dr. Williams has spearheaded and participated in multiple steering committees and work groups to further research in underserved populations with MS with a focus on the African American population. She has recently joined efforts to increase diversity in clinical trials and educate the community about the importance of research participation. Through collaborations with national and international committees, she advocates for people living with MS to share in the decision-making process with their healthcare teams to combat this disease. Dr. Williams is the author of “MS Made Simple: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis.” She continues to live out her mission to provide personalized Multiple Sclerosis Care delivered with expertise, compassion and joy.  

Amy Perrin Ross, APN, MSN, CNRN, MSCN

Neuroscience Program Coordinator

Loyola University

Amy Perrin Ross, APN, MSN, CNRN, MSCN, is a Neuroscience Program coordinator and is board certified as a neuroscience nurse. As an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), she has coordinated numerous clinical research trials in multiple sclerosis. She is also a Past President of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses and recipient of the June Halper Award for Excellence in MS Nursing, representing leadership and creativity in the care of people with MS and their families, an award that signifies an energy of purpose to provide the most up-to-date comprehensive care possible. & Ms. Perrin Ross has authored articles and book chapters on multiple sclerosis. In addition, she has been a clinical nurse consultant with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a member of the Health Care Advisory Council for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, and a board member of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. She has been an invited speaker at national and international meetings and conferences.