Board of Directors

Founder
SHAYNA COBURN, PhD
Dr. Coburn is an Assistant Professor and Pediatric Psychologist at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services and Children's National Hospital. She is the attending psychologist in the multidisciplinary Celiac Disease Program at Children's National. Dr. Coburn has received a number of grants to investigate psychosocial challenges in celiac disease, including an NIH K award. Dr. Coburn founded the Consortium and has been an advocate for collaborative projects in celiac disease service, research, and education since the Consortium's inception.

Co-Chair
Monique Germone, phd
Dr. Germone is an Associate Professor and Pediatric Psychologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado. She is the attending psychologist at the Colorado Center for Celiac Disease in the Digestive Health Institute at Children's Colorado. She has over a decade of personal experience supporting a loved one with non-celiac gluten sensitivity and she has been with the Colorado Center for Celiac Disease since 2015. Her research and clinical focus include behavioral health supports for children and families with celiac disease.

Co-Chair
Sonya Meyer, phd
Dr. Sonya Meyer is an occupational therapist and senior lecturer at Ariel University in Israel. With nearly 15 years of research experience, she specializes in self-management, daily participation, and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and adults with celiac disease. Dr. Meyer brings 30 years of expertise as a pediatric occupational therapist and nearly two decades of personal experience as the mother of a child diagnosed with celiac disease at age seven, now supporting him as a young adult. She is passionate about applying an occupational and multidisciplinary approach to promote self-management and enhance the quality of life for individuals living with celiac disease.

Secretary
MARGO SZABO, PHD
Dr. Szabo is a Pediatric Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She has worked closely with the Celiac Disease Program at CHOP, including presenting on psychosocial health topics at their Annual Celiac Education Days and seeing many patients with celiac disease in her own clinical practice. Dr. Szabo has also held leadership positions on the Society of Pediatric Psychology’s Gastroenterology SIG, including Board Secretary and Co-Chair. Dr. Szabo is passionate about advancing psychological care for individuals with chronic GI conditions such as celiac disease.

Social Media Representative
Kate Raber, MA
Kate Raber is the Program Coordinator of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Hospital. Her role involves educating newly diagnosed celiac patients about the gluten-free diet, advocating for patients’ accommodations at school, clinical and administrative work, and participating in research aimed at improving the quality of life for children with celiac disease. Her experience with receiving a diagnosis of celiac disease at age 16 drives her to ensure no patient feels alone or unsupported during and after the diagnostic process. She hopes that she can bring awareness to CDBSC’s mission and vision, providing important information for providers as well as boosting public awareness of our efforts.

Marketing and Outreach Coordinator
Jack Vagadori, BS
Jack Vagadori serves as the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for the CDBSC and as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Children’s National Hospital, focusing on NIH-funded studies for behavioral interventions in adolescents with celiac disease. He coordinates randomized controlled trials, adapts interventions, and presents findings at national conferences on the psychosocial challenges of living with celiac disease. Jack has co-authored several manuscripts on celiac disease-specific quality of life measures and behavioral interventions. As Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, he leverages his research background and communication skills to promote awareness of behavioral science in celiac disease, aligning with the consortium's mission to optimize the well-being of individuals with celiac disease and their families.

Student Representative
Cecelia Nelson, phd
Cecelia Nelson, Ph.D., is a postodoctoral fellow in clinical pain research under Dr. Susmita Kashikar-Zuck at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center. She previously served the CDBSC for multiple years as the social media chair and is currently serving as a student representative to the board. Dr. Nelson's clinical work and research focus on assessment and behavioral intervention for pediatric pain and functional conditions, including abdominal pain and gastrointestinal diseases. She also comes to the board with lived experience of Celiac Disease.