Deborah Stephens, DO is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Richter's Program at The University of North Carolina School of Medicine. She joined the medical profession and specifically blood cancer research because she likes to develop long-term relationships with patients and finds the science behind blood cancer to be fascinating. Her specific area of clinical interest is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). She is passionate about making life better for patients, whether it be through access to new therapies through clinical trials, education of patients, development of new clinical trials that improve quality of life and eliminate complications of living with CLL. She currently serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the CLL Society, leads the CLL Section for the SWOG Leukemia Working Group, where she plans and implements international clinical trials for patients with CLL, including her role as national chair of the S1925 EVOLVE CLL Trial evaluating early interventional for patients with high-risk CLL. Previously, she has served on the NCCN Guideline Panel to provide recommendations to clinicians for how to best manage patients with CLL. In addition to her research and clinical work, she enjoy spending time with her husband, son, and French bulldog. She loves outdoor activities and you can find her hiking or trail running in the natural beauty around North Carolina.

Megan joined HealthTree as the Program Manager for CLL in 2022. She is the daughter of a blood cancer patient and has found a passion for helping support patients and caregivers to advance research for their cure and improve their quality of life.