Meryl graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Florida in 2008 and completed a residency in cancer rehabilitation and pelvic health at UF Health. She went on to complete her PhD in Rehabilitation Science in 2014, which focused on the development and management of pain, particularly pelvic pain in women. She completed an NINDS-funded postdoctoral fellowship in the Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence at University of Florida and most recently completed Phase II of the NCMRR-funded Rehabilitation Research Career Development Program. In 2019, Meryl joined the Brooks Clinical Research Center as a Clinical Research Scientist and member of the Brooks/UF-PHHP Research Collaboration. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Pelvic Pain Society, American PT Association Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, and Florida Physical Therapy Association. She is also a contributor and content expert for Girls Gone Strong.

Dr. Green completed her OB GYN Residency in 2007 and then completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS). Her interest in pelvic pain developed as she cared for people with persistent and recurrent pain in her surgical endometriosis practice. She is committed to the multidisciplinary treatment of pelvic pain and trauma informed approach to patient care. She has served on the Board of Directors for the AAGL and is the Fellowship Director for the MIGS fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Dr. Carrillo received his medical degree from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá-Colombia (South America). He completed his internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rochester General Hospital. After this he completed a Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) through the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons (SRS) at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, this Fellowship had a focus on conventional laparoscopic, robotic assisted and hysteroscopic procedures, complemented with an emphasis in assessing and managing patients with chronic pelvic pain conditions. He worked 3 years for the University of Rochester as Assistant Professor and was part of their Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain and Vulvar Disorders, taking care of a large population of chronic pelvic pain patients and serving as a surgical consultant. He then completed a Dean’s Teaching Fellowship at the University of Rochester.

Currently he works at the Orlando VA Healthcare System as a chronic pelvic pain specialist and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon and is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology for the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Currently is completing a Master's of Health Professions Education, through the University of Maastricht. He serves as the President for the International Pelvic Pain Society and is the Scientific Program Director for the 2022 IPPS Annual Scientific Meeting.

Dr. Allaire is a Clinical Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and is Head of the Division of Gynaecologic Specialties.

Dr. Allaire graduated from McGill University medical school, did her specialty training in Obstetrics & Gynecology at UBC and then completed a SRS Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She was an early adopter of MIS techniques in Canada and has been a surgical mentor to many trainees and colleagues.

She is currently the Medical Director of the BC Women’s Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis and co-Director of the UBC Advanced Training Program in Minimally Invasive Surgery. She is past President of the World Congress on Endometriosis and past President of the Canadian Society for Advancement of Gynecologic Excellence (CanSAGE). She is co-lead of EndoACT Canada, a national advocacy movement aiming to drive policy action on endometriosis.

Dr. Allaire has co-authored national guidelines on benign gynaecologic conditions and has numerous peer reviewed research publications. Her current clinical and research focus is on the etiology and management of pelvic pain and endometriosis.

Dr. Innie Chen is an Associate Professor and Clinical Research Chair in Reproductive Population Health and Health Services in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa and an Associate Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Following her medical training at the University of British Columbia and residency specialist training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Alberta, she completed a Fellowship in Advanced Gynecologic Laparoscopy, Endometriosis, and Pelvic Pain, as well as a Master of Public Health at the University of British Columbia. She currently works at the Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre at the Ottawa Hospital, where she has a subspecialty practice for women with complex gynecologic conditions and chronic pelvic pain and offers minimally invasive and advanced laparoscopic surgery options. Dr. Innie Chen believes that patient education and shared decision-making are the keys to finding the optimal treatment options for each woman she cares for.

Mark W. Dassel, M.D. is an Assistant Professor and women's health provider, with a special interest in Minimally Invasive Gynecology at University of Utah Health. Dr. Dassel received two B.S. degrees and an M.D. degree from the University of Kentucky. He completed an Obstetrics & Gynecology residency program at the Phoenix Integrated Residency in OB/GYN and a 2 year fellowship program at University of Louisville in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery.

Dr. Dassel works as a minimally invasive gynecologic surgery consultant and obstetrician for the institution. Dr. Dassel’s clinical interests include chronic pelvic pain evaluation and treatment, and both the medical and surgical management of endometriosis. He has a strong background in minimally invasive hysterectomy and the management of fibroids and severe adhesive disease. He provides both gynecological and obstetrical care in both the ambulatory clinic and inpatient care settings.

Dustienne’s journey includes a career that blends together her experience in musical theater, dance, yoga and physical therapy. While living in New York City she worked for Beyond Basics Physical Therapy and Physioarts, working backstage at Broadway shows.

Dustienne's clinical practice, Flourish Physical Therapy, is in Boston where she also is on faculty at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is also on faculty for Herman and Wallace for whom she teaches Pelvic Function 1 and her two-day course Yoga for Pelvic Pain. She holds a board certification in women's health and is passionate about using mindfulness and yoga in her treatment approach to helping people navigating persistent pelvic pain.

Premier physical therapist, co-founder, and educator — Corey is a lifelong learner who has trained and been certified in a number of specialized therapeutic areas.

Corey has logged more than 1000 hours of continuing education coursework over her professional career. Corey is one of the five percent of physical therapists nationwide to become a board-certified orthopedic specialist (OCS). She also joined the elite group of Certified Functional Manual Therapists (CFMT), of which there are less than 300 in the world, and received Distinction on the exam with the second highest score in her class. She has recently achieved the title of Women’s Health Clinical Specialist with APTA.

Corey has worked in inpatient rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and outpatient orthopedics in New York City where she served as Clinical Director for Recovery Physical Therapy and Premiere Physical Therapy. Corey has completed the four visceral mobilization core courses with the Barral Institute, as well as Cranial Sacral I training with the Upledger Institute.

Corey is an active participant in mentoring and has assisted in teaching for the Institute of Physical Art (Functional Visceral Mobilization course). She has also had the honor of traveling to Japan to assist her husband in teaching Institute of Physical Art courses to Japanese physical therapists.

Dr. Patanwala is a Gynecologist and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon who directs the Pelvic Pain Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Insiyyah completed a fellowship in MIGS and Pelvic Pain with Dr. Lamvu at Florida Hospital. She also worked with Dr. Ade Oshinowo when she was faculty at Indiana University. She has been an IPPS member for several years and is currently a member of the research committee. Insiyyah has published research on vulvodynia, sexual pain and post-operative pain. She is also an educator of fellows, residents and medical students and currently serves as the Assistant Residency Program Director at University of Chicago. She has been an attending level pelvic pain practitioner for 7 years at two academic centers and developed multidisciplinary pain clinics at both institutions.

Dr. Oshinowo is a board certified gynecological surgeon and provides full spectrum gynecologic care for women of all ages. She specializes in advanced minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, including laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy, myomectomy, treatment of advanced endometriosis, operative hysteroscopy, and vaginal surgery. Other areas of interest and expertise include irregular bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic pain, menopause, and well woman exams. She has a passion for education at all levels. She also enjoys spending time with her new husband and salsa dancing.

Dr. Rukset Attar graduated from Istanbul University Istanbul Medical School in Turkey. She did her residency at Zeynep Kamil Women and Childrens’ Trainee and Research Hospital and received  a PhD in molecular Medicine at Molecular Medicine Department of DETAE at Istanbul University. She has a master’s degree in healthcare management and international certificates to practice as a Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner and Neuro Linguistic Programming Trainer. She is certified to practice Mindfulness, Coaching, Education and Student Coaching, and Executive and Team Coaching. She is studying Functional Medicine at Functional Medicine University in the US and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Yale University Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut.

She is working as a faculty at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and also at the Department of molecular medicine at Yeditepe University Medical School in Istanbul since 2007. She has been training residents and teaching students at the Medical school for the last 20 years. She specializes in pelvic pain and endometriosis along with infertility and has been treating pelvic pain and endometriosis, and infertility patients since 2004.

She serves on the Board of Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Society in Turkey and is a member of AAGL and serves on several IPPS committees. 

Since Christin developed chronic pain after a near-fatal accident in her teens, she’s worked to accelerate rigorous pain research and the translation of research findings into meaningful change for people with pain. She’s been a fervent advocate at the Congressional and federal agency levels to bring about overdue awareness of chronic pain’s impact, the urgent need for an increased federal research investment to address this crisis and the long-overlooked value of including patients and other stakeholders as partners in science. Her experiences led her to obtain a science degree, time conducting neuroscience research and to the pain research advocacy community. She’s served in advisory positions for pain initiatives within federal agencies; academic studies; and collaborative alliances and public-private partnerships working to promote pain research, care and education. Currently, she co-chairs the ENGAGE Working Group at the NIH, charged with developing an agency-wide vision and framework for the inclusion of patients and the public as partners in all NIH-funded clinical research. She co-founded and directs the Chronic Pain Research Alliance (CPRA, an initiative of The TMJ Association) - the nation’s only patient advocacy initiative focused on pain research. With the goal of advancing timely diagnoses and effective evidence-based care for people with chronic pain, and specifically those with chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), the CPRA works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to promote high-caliber COPCs research, translate research findings into educational programs, and drive the development of safe, effective treatments and team-based models of care. To promote public awareness and advocate for change, Christin continues to speak openly about the significant impact of chronic pain on her life. She’s authored a variety of scientific, policy and educational materials; presented at numerous medical, research, policy and federal agency meetings; and has been interviewed for print, television and radio media.

Dr. Howard is Associate Chair for Academic Affairs of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of the Division of Obstetric/Gynecologic Specialties, and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology. He earned his bachelors degree at Berea College in 1969, his masters degree at Purdue University in 1972, and his medical degree at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1976. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Colorado and served as a Major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Georgia and South Carolina. Dr. Howard was in private practice and on the faculties of the University of South Carolina Medical School and Medical University of South Carolina before moving to Rochester in 1991. He was Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rochester General Hospital, where he established the first center in upstate New York dedicated to the treatment of endometriosis and pelvic pain, prior to becoming a Division Director at Strong Memorial Hospital in May, 2000.

Dr. Howard is an internationally-recognized expert on chronic pelvic pain in women, and is senior editor of the textbook Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Management, published by Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins. He is the author of numerous scientific papers on pelvic pain, endometriosis, and laparoscopic surgery. In collaborative research with his wife he has also co-authored scientific papers on breastfeeding and neonatal circumcision. His current primary areas of research interest are in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery and chronic pelvic pain in women.

Dr. Howard is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and holds Certification in Advanced Operative Laparoscopy and Advanced Operative Hysteroscopy by the Accreditation Council for Gynecologic Endoscopy. He is Chairman of the board of directors of the International Pelvic Pain Society where he has served as president and vice president. He is on the Advisory Board of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology.

Dr. Howard has received a number of honors and awards. He was awarded a National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education in 1999 and 2007 by the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award from Rochester General Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency each year from 1995 to 2000. He was awarded the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics APGO Excellence in Teaching Award in 1993. He received the Residents' Teaching Award from the department of Obstetrics ad Gynecology at the University of Rochester in 1992 and 1993. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

Dr. Howard's practice is primarily a referral practice for the care of women with chronic pelvic pain or endometriosis, and for advanced operative laparoscopic surgery.

Current areas of clinical and research interest:

Gynecologic laparoscopic surgery and chronic pelvic pain women.