Valarie embarked on her myeloma journey back in 2015, and ever since she's been on a mission. As a resilient myeloma thriver, her passion lies in not just navigating her own path but also in illuminating the journey for others. With a steadfast commitment to understanding the intricacies of the disease, she champions education, shedding light on health inequities that often lurk in the shadows. Driven by a profound belief in fairness, Valarie tirelessly advocates for equitable access to top-tier healthcare, clinical trials, and tailored treatments. Her journey as a beacon of knowledge and support began when she assumed the role of a support group leader. Today, she continues to extend her hand as a myeloma coach, mentor angel, and the guiding force behind the Black Myeloma Health Community. Valarie's voice echoes far and wide as she fearlessly confronts the disparities faced by myeloma patients. Through collaborative efforts with healthcare providers, she strives to forge pathways to solutions, ensuring that every individual receives the care they deserve. Join Valarie on her journey of empowerment and advocacy as she lights the way toward a brighter, more equitable future in myeloma care.

Dr. Urvi Shah is a faculty on the myeloma service, division of hematologic malignancies at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her research focuses on studying the role of diet, microbiome, and other lifestyle-related risk factors in plasma cell disorders as well as identifying interventions to improve outcomes for these patients. She also studies immune therapies (including CAR T cell therapies) for myeloma. Being a lymphoma survivor herself she is passionate about helping patients make wise nutritional and lifestyle choices as they face a plasma cell disorder diagnosis as well as raising awareness about healthy choices to prevent cancer.