Katie joined the HealthTree Foundation as the Community Director for AML in 2021. She is a registered dietitian who previously worked at the VA hospital in Dallas, Texas where she coached veterans with blood cancer on how to use nutrition to improve their treatment outcomes and minimize cancer-related side effects. Katie is passionate about health education and patient empowerment. In her spare time, she loves to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen, spend time running outdoors, and travel to new places.

Steve Buechler is professor emeritus of sociology and a Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Minnesota State University, Mankato. On the eve of his retirement, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and turned his writing skills to narrating his cancer odyssey. This writing became the basis for his memoir “How Steve Became Ralph: A Cancer/Stem Cell Odyssey (with Jokes). He has since pursued a second career and calling as a peer volunteer and patient advocate in the cancer community. Steve’s numerous talks, blog posts, video presentations, and more may be found at www.stevebuechlerauthor.com.