HCWP Staff

Native to Wisconsin, Bruce completed his undergraduate degree at Marquette University. Following years of working as a technologist in genetic laboratories he completed his genetic counseling training at Sarah Lawrence College. Upon graduation he was employed by the Division of Pediatric Hematology at The New York Hospital which is where he began his service to Hemophilia Treatment Center families. After four years at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, he became the Associate Director of the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at his alma mater. In 2014, given his years of work in hematology, he was recruited to co-coordinate the Thalassemia Screening Program for NCAL Kaiser Permanente. Bruce is married and has an adult step-daughter and step-son. He met his spouse when each joined the same New York City chorus.

Kathaleen joined the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania in 2013. Kathaleen has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh. She serves on several national professional groups and educational planning committees for both professionals and consumers. Kathaleen works closely with the local chapter of NHF to develop and plan targeted education to the community. She has co-organized new parent groups, teen groups, carrier groups, and education weekends, and is also the co-director of Camp Hot-to-Clot. Kathaleen was the recipient of the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Social Work Excellence Fellowship in collaboration with three of her national cohorts. When with her family, Kathaleen loves being outside with her husband and two children, looking after her backyard chickens, and going on family road trips. 

Katherine earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland. She has prior work experience as a case manager, outpatient therapist, residential treatment therapist, and behavior specialist. Katherine joined the HCWP in 2017 and has been enjoying getting to know the patients ever since. Katherine is one of the co-directors of Camp Hot-to-Clot, helps facilitate the Consumer Advocacy Committee, and also coordinates the teen group together with the Western Pennsylvania Bleeding Disorders Foundation. When not working, she enjoys spending her spare time knitting, cooking, spending time with her husband, and playing with her two sons

Clayton joined the HCWP in 2023 as the Center’s physical therapist. Clayton received his Bachelor's of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2012, and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2015. He has been practicing in the greater Pittsburgh area since graduating in both outpatient and home health. During this time, his primary focus was orthopedic pre/post operative, sports injury, and vestibular rehabilitation. He also has multiple years of experience in management as a director of an outpatient clinic. 
 
Clayton uses current evidence-based practice during his assessment to determine a precise diagnosis and plan of care. He has a strong understanding of orthopedics and holds the Registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography (RMSK) credential, demonstrating advanced expertise in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound. He has always had a passion for treating and learning about patients with bleeding disorders from his family history of hemophilia and von Willebrand’s disease. 
 
A soccer player in college, he still enjoys playing competitively. Some of Clayton’s other interests involve fly fishing, cooking, gardening, and spending time with his family. Clayton is a Pittsburgh native and currently resides in Allison Park with his wife, two kids, and German Shepherd dog. 

Dana joined the HCWP research team in early 2019. Her medical background started with Emergency Medicine in 1996, and after her move to Pittsburgh in 2000 she began her career in research at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator for the past nineteen years; and has done patient care, budgeting, regulatory work with Phase I-IV studies. She has been on the local ACRP board for Clinical Researchers since 2007 and remains active today. She also serves as a committee member with our local IRB.

Debbie has been with Vitalant (formerly ITxM) for 5 years, joining the HCWP research staff in 2019. She earned her MSN at Waynesburg University. For over 39 years, Debbie worked at UPMC McKeesport as a staff nurse in the CCU, eventually becoming Unit Director of Stepdown, CCU and ICU before accepting a position at ITxM as the Manager of Special Programs. In this position, she worked closely with the National Marrow Donor Program in recruiting and guiding the donors as they donated marrow or stem cells anonymously to patients in need of a transplant for various blood cancers.

Alyssa joined HCWP as a research nurse in 2025. She received her Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) in 2019 and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2022, both from La Roche University. Her background includes inpatient nursing at Allegheny General Hospital on the General Surgery/Trauma unit as well as experience working with gastroenterology procedures in the GI lab. She has worked as a research nurse at the Allegheny Singer Research Institute covering hematology, neurology, and head/neck malignancy clinical trials. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys staying active and spending time with family, friends, and her two cats.

Ed joined the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania (HCWP) as Executive Director, in October 2025. In this leadership role, Ed  oversees the launch of new services and strengthens partnerships with health care providers across the hemophilia treatment center region. Ed brings more than 15 years of experience integrating genomic technologies into large health systems, advancing personalized medicine, and leading cross-functional teams. Most recently, he served as Head of Clinical Omics Services at Psomagen, Inc., in Maryland. Prior to that, he spent 15+ years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) enterprise in roles including Senior Director of the UPMC Genome Center, Director of Laboratory Services Center - Genetics, and Administrative Director of the Department of Genetics at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.

Jeff joined The Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania in 2012 and serves as the Director, Operations. In this role, he pursues the Center’s strategic direction and manages the day-to-day business operations. He has over twenty years of experience with various roles in the accounting, finance and business administration fields, including twenty-seven years in the medical community. Prior to joining the Center, Jeff worked for ZOLL Medical’s LifeVest unit and was responsible for the Company’s financial reporting and planning. Previously, Jeff held the roles of Finance Manager and Controller at Precision Therapeutics and invivodata, respectively. Jeff has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from The Pennsylvanian State University and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Pittsburgh.

Diann joined HCWP in 2016. She is a Navy Veteran who attended the Naval School of Dental Assisting and Technology in San Diego, CA. She cross trained as a Navy Corpsman doing blood draws and immunizations. She has worked in every aspect of a Dental Office from front desk to assisting the dentist to ordering supplies to billing insurance and patient collections.

Devera joined HCWP in 2020. She is a Navy Veteran who served on the USS Cape Cod as a Hospital Corpsman. She has an Associate Degree in Business. Devera has extensive administrative experience and has worked at UPMC as the Administrative Coordinator to the CIO and at Management Science Associates as the assistant to the VP of IT and other managers and support staff in the IT Department.