Wenora is a three-time cancer survivor, having battled colorectal, endometrial, and basal cell carcinoma. She is also a dedicated volunteer research and patient advocate, as well as a proud Navy veteran.
Through her volunteer work with multiple organizations, Wenora shares her expertise in a variety of areas, including healthcare policy, research, genetic testing, hereditary cancer, patient engagement, and clinical trials. As a Lynch Syndrome patient, she is particularly passionate about promoting genetic testing and raising awareness within the healthcare community.
Wenora serves on numerous panels and review boards, offering invaluable feedback from the perspective of a patient and research advocate. Her involvement includes roles with prestigious organizations such as the College of American Pathologists (CAP), Fight CRC as Clinical Trials Curator, FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) as a Research Advocate, Peer Navigator, and Board Member, and the Department of Defense (DoD) Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program as a Consumer Reviewer. Additionally, she is a PCORI Ambassador, Clinical Trials Panel Member, and serves on the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of a local community hospital. She is a member of the NRG Oncology Patient Advocate Committee, the AACR Scientist-Survivor Program (where she presented on financial toxicities and disparities among minority patients), and served on the Center for Genomic Interpretation (CGI) Acceptable Thresholds Committee, as Chair. Wenora also contributes to several boards, including Connect My Variant and Health Literacy Media (HLM), and serves as an External Advisory Board Member for WCG Clinical Services.
A passionate writer, Wenora has authored numerous patient advocacy blogs and has been a guest speaker and panelist at various events. She currently serves as the Community Patient Advocate for both the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Comprehensive Cancer Center.
In addition to her advocacy work, Wenora is an administrative professional in the greater Chicagoland area. She enjoys reading and traveling with her family.