Home » News & Announcements » Event Recap – Salt Lake City Patient Day

Event Recap – Salt Lake City Patient Day

Posted by: The Sumaira Foundation in News & Announcements

On Saturday, August 16, 2025, TSF hosted a Patient Day in Salt Lake City for Rare Neuroinflammatory Disorders in collaboration with the University of Utah Health at University of Utah Health’s HELIX building. Our in-person event hosted 125+ attendees including patients, caregivers, clinicians, advocates and industry representatives impacted or involved in:

• autoimmune encephalitis (AE) 
• CNS vasculitis 
• myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorder (MOGAD)
• neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD)
• stiff person syndrome (SPS)

We were proud to partner with the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance and The Stiff Person Syndrome Research Foundation. Clinician experts joined us from University of Utah Health, St. Luke’s Health and Intermountain Health.

Click here or the button below to view our photo gallery

Click here or the button below to WATCH SESSION REPLAYS

meet our patient and care partner panelists

Adamaris (NMOSD) | Brandon (AE) | Cassidee (AE) | Danielle (MOGAD) | Danny (SPS) | Esther (NMOSD) | Jordin (AE) | Joyce (MOGAD) | Kylee (MOGAD) | Lisa (SPS) | Marie (NMOSD) | Michelle (SPS) | Shane (SPS) | Taylor (NMOSD) | Teri (Neurosarcoidosis) | Vanessa (CNS Vasculitis)

meet our clinician speakers

• Dr. Stacey Clardy (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Melissa Cortez (University of Utah)
• Dr. Jonathan Galli (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Vanessa Galli (Intermountain Health)
• Dr. Robert Kadish (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Bradley Katz (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Olga Lane (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Sydney Lee (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Sara Lenherr (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Brittany Lovascio (St. Luke’s Clinic – Neurology)
• Dr. John Rose (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Jeffrey Rosenbluth (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Tammy Smith (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. David Turok (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Timothy West (Intermountain Health)
• Dr. Melissa Wright (University of Utah Health)
• Dr. Yibing Zhang (University of Utah Health)

meet our Allied health professional speakers

• Julia Klein, RN, MSN, FNP-C, MScN – family nurse practitioner (FNP)
• Hina Garg, PT, MS, PhD, NCS, CEEAA – board-certified neurologic clinical specialist
• Taylor Berhow, LCSW – clinical social work/therapist
• Regina Farley, BSN, RN – pediatric neurology nurse educator & neuroimmunology clinical nurse coordinator
• Erica Marini, PharmD, MS, BCPS – clinical pharmacist
• Tracy Schaffer, RN – clinical nurse

special thanks

Volunteers: Abigail Sorenson, Addison Robinson, Annamaria Clardy, Aster Peck, Ben Klemesrud, Caroline Woodbury, Grayson Campbell, Lillie Memmott, Jack Wilson, Madeline Page, Melissa Sorenson, Tracy Schaffer, DNP, RN

Ka-Ho Wong & Dayana Acireale (University of Utah Health), Katie Lasak Photography, Flower Imagination and On Call AVNext Day Access

this event was made possible with support from

Amgen (platinum sponsor) and UCB