The Celiac Kids Connections Board of Directors is comprised of staff from Boston Children's Hospital and volunteers from the group. Their focus is to guide the group and serve the needs of our members. Board meetings are open to all and are held the second Tuesday of the month from September thru June. If you are interested in attending a meeting or would like additional information please email us.

Dr. Dascha Weir, Medical Director

Dascha C. Weir first became interested in celiac disease during her medical training and is now a board certified pediatric gastroenterologist with expertise in Celiac Disease in children. She is the associate director of the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children's Hospital and serves as the medical advisor of Celiac Kids Connection.

Originally a Boston area native, she attended Dartmouth College and graduated with a BA in History in 1995. She subsequently graduated from Case Western School of Medicine in 2000. She returned to Boston and completed her internship and residency in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. After finishing her pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital, she joined the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition there and is involved both in clinical care and celiac related clinical research. She is also on the executive committee of the Harvard Medical School Celiac Research Program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and settling into a good book.

Alan M. Leichtner, MD, MSHPEd

Alan M. Leichtner, MD, MSHPEd, is the founder of Celiac Kids Connection and the Director of the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). He also serves as Chief Education Officer and Director of the Department of Medical Education at BCH. He is the founder of the BCH Academy for Teaching and Educational Innovation and Scholarship.  Dr. Leichtner is a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School (HMS). He received his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and his MD from HMS.  He completed his Pediatric Residency and his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Boston Children’s Hospital. He also has a Master’s of Science in Health Professions Education from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions.  As the former Associate Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at BCH, Dr. Leichtner expanded the clinical practice to include multiple centers and subspecialty programs as well as satellite offices. Dr. Leichtner is the author of dozens of scholarly articles and has been recognized locally and nationally for his clinical and education leadership.

Janis Arnold, LICSW

Janis received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago. She worked in the field of juvenile justice within the juvenile courts, before transitioning to social work within the healthcare field. She previously worked with pediatric diabetes, cardiac and kidney transplantation programs as a clinical social worker at Children’s Memorial Hospital (affiliate of Northwestern University) in Chicago. In 2004, Janis began working as a clinical social worker and mental health clinician in the Celiac Disease Program, as well as in as in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center to provide psychosocial support to families at Boston Children's Hospital,

She frequently speaks to parent, sibling and family groups, provides both regional and national presentations and has published on topics including the mental health considerations and impact of chronic illness on families, state and federal equity programs for effective advocacy for patients with chronic illness, school advocacy and educational equity, transitioning from pediatric to adult medical care, and impact of chronic illness on rights and medical coverage. Her research focus includes transitioning from pediatric to adult centered care with chronic illnesses.

Francie Kelley, Executive Director

Francie first learned about celiac disease in December, 1998 when her then 3-year-old daughter was diagnosed. She immediately became active in the celiac community and with two other Moms started a support group in Austin, TX.

Francie and her family moved to the Boston area in 2013 and in 2014 she began volunteering with Celiac Kids Connection. She served on the board and eventually served as the board chair. She became Executive Director in December, 2015.

Francie studied business at St. Anselm College and received an MBA from Babson College. She spent 15 years working in human resource management and benefits administration. She took time out of the workforce after the birth of her daughter. At that time she got involved in volunteer work. She was active in PTA and led the celiac group in central Texas for many years.

In her free time, Francie likes to travel, ride horses and cook. Prior to her daughter’s celiac diagnosis she was an expert at finding ways to get out of cooking. But once she had to learn gluten-free cooking and baking, she discovered that she really enjoyed it.

Janet Ciciarelli, Board Chair

Janet has multiple family members with celiac disease including her husband, daughters, father, nephew, and a cousin. Janet became involved with Celiac Kids Connection because she feels that it is a great resource for families in the Boston area and beyond - Janet lives in Herndon, VA with her family. Janet enjoys introducing newly diagnosed families to CKC and providing them with support during a time that can be very confusing and stressful as they are transitioning to the gluten free lifestyle.

Janet has an BA in Anthropology from the University of Virginia and an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Kansas. After working in Federal grants management for over 10 years, she took a step back from work to spend time with her young daughters. She currently works in HR and recruiting.

In her free time Janet enjoys hiking, traveling, and baking delicious gluten free treats for her family to eat.

Rich Granfield, Board Vice-Chair

Rich has worked in the biopharmaceutical industry for over 20 years. Today he works at Takeda, which continues to invest significantly in celiac disease research. Rich was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 40, with seemingly no outward symptoms. He also has a son with celiac disease.

Originally from Western Massachusetts, Rich obtained an engineering degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and spend 10 years consulting in multiple manufacturing industries before starting at Genzyme. From that time, the ability to contribute to satisfying unmet medical needs in underserved patient populations has driven his professional aspirations.

Rich lives in Sudbury, MA with his wife, two high school sons, and labradoodle (of course).

Deborah Ferguson, Treasurer

Deborah Ferguson became a member of the Celiac Kids Connection (formerly Celiac Support Group) in 2014, when she first learned that her young son had celiac disease. In 2016, she became a board member.

Deborah attended the University of Manitoba and graduated with a BSc in Genetics. She subsequently earned a PhD in Experimental Medicine from McGill University and completed her postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Currently, Deborah works in the Boston area as a medical writer and scientific consultant.
In her free time, Deborah enjoys reading, gardening, trying out new recipes, and watching her two boys play hockey.

Abby Baird

Abby Baird is a sophomore in college who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 8th grade. She is studying applied health science with hopes to be a Physician Assistant in the emergency room. She is on the NCAA D3 track and field team at Wheaton College.

She further helps with the social media committee for Celiac Kids Connection. She joined the group in 2020 and was a teen board member for two years. She enjoys knowing that she is making a difference in other people’s lives, especially when it comes to children with Celiac Disease.

 

Maureen Basye,  MS

Maureen is a native Floridian turned Virginian by way of the University of Virginia where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. After UVA, Maureen attended Syracuse University and earned her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. For several years, Maureen worked in hospitals helping adults and children with speech, swallowing, and feeding challenges and then started a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy practice specializing in autism and feeding disorders. After numerous diagnoses of celiac disease in her immediate family, Maureen identified the limitations of awareness of celiac disease in the travel industry and made the transition from Speech Pathologist to Celiac Travel Consultant. Maureen now shares her passion for helping families in a different way, by ensuring safe, care-free adventures for all.

Maureen started Celiac Cruise in 2018 with a dream to be able to provide families impacted by celiac disease the opportunity to sail the open seas in a safe, gluten-free environment. Celiac Cruise hosts various sailings around the world and has partnerships with Royal Caribbean International and AmaWaterways. Maureen resides in Leesburg, VA with her husband and three children.

Michael Frolichstein

Michael Frolichstein is thrilled to be a member of the Celiac Kids Connection board. He struggled since his teens with multiple health issues, finally receiving a celiac diagnosis at age 40. Michael’s background as an editor, director, writer and producer in television and film was instrumental in making The Celiac Project documentary to help raise awareness and increase rates of diagnosis.

His journey to unravel the mystery of his lifetime of health challenges was only the beginning of this road. Michael’s daughter, Jessica, who was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 3, and his asymptomatic nephew, Sam, who was diagnosed at age 15, solidified Michael’s mission to continue helping educate people of all ages about the realities of celiac disease.

Soon after the documentary was finished, Michael met Cam Weiner and they launched a weekly podcast in January of 2016 to discuss and highlight issues and topics important to the celiac and gluten free community.  To date, they have created over 350 podcasts, covering ongoing topics of interest to the gluten free community as well as many special guests. In his free time, Michael enjoys spending as much fun time with his family as possible, is an avid sports fan, enjoys pickle ball, bowling, and of course, pizza Friday’s!

Christoph Hwang, Teen Board Member

Christoph Hwang, diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 5, is a junior in high school. He has been interested in biology and medicine from a young age and hopes to contribute to scientific research regarding celiac disease in the future.

In addition to his experience with celiac, Christoph loves to play volleyball, being a member of his high school varsity team. Outside of school he enjoys cooking gluten-free foods, trying new gluten-free restaurants, and spending time with his dog.

He joined the board in 2024 and hopes to make a difference in the community by sharing his experiences to younger kids, helping them feel understood.

Eve Jeffries

Ever since she was three, celiac disease has been a part of Eve's life. The diagnosis of her younger sister as a baby unraveled a familial connection to the condition, leading to her mother's diagnosis. Eve enjoyed a gluten-free childhood until she ventured off to college in 2015. However, her gluten-friendly college experience was unexpectedly disrupted when she was diagnosed with celiac disease during her sophomore year at Providence College.

In 2023, Eve discovered Celiac Kids Connection and felt an instant bond with the community. Having navigated through the gluten-free transition with her family in the early 2000s, she knew she had to get involved.

Now a new member of the board, Eve, brings a diverse skill set and a passion for making a difference in the lives of children and families affected by celiac disease. She has taken on a mentor role in the mentorship program and looks forward to volunteering at various in-person events. Eve is committed to embodying the spirit of compassion and community that defines Celiac Kids Connection.

Caroline Johnson

Caroline Johnson is a junior in high school and was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was 13 years old. She loves running, theatre, science and cooking. She is a Celiac Kids Connection teen mentor and writes the teen recipe column and seasonal articles for the newsletter. She joined the board in 2019 and enjoys the comradery among the group’s teen members and being able to support the younger members by sharing what she has learned since being diagnosed.

Isha Mehrotra

Isha Mehrotra is a sophomore at MIT majoring in chemistry and biology and joined the Board in 2019. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at age four. The difficulties and lifestyle changes the disease presented inspired her to better understand the disease and advocate for fellow diseased individuals. At MIT, Isha is a coxswain for the women’s rowing team, volunteers at a hospital, is an executive member of the Biology Undergrad Student Association, tutors a biology class, is a Peer Mentor in her dormitory, and a Board member for the Harvard-MIT Cooperative Society.

Isha has long been involved with research, and currently conducts translational research at Massachusetts General Hospital on the role of the microbiome in Celiac Disease in pediatric patients. She hopes that this research may someday help the with the diagnosis of Celiac Disease.

Isha loves that being on the Board gives her the opportunity to connect with and help patients more directly than through her research, and especially wants to support teenagers in managing their disease and diet during college. Isha hopes to attend medical school after college in the hopes of one day becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist or hematologist.

In her free time, she loves to read classics and listen to classic rock music, travel, and go back home to California to visit her parents and twin brother.

Zachary Rosenthal

Zachary Rosenthal is a current undergraduate student at Boston University and originally comes from New Jersey. Zach was first diagnosed with celiac disease when he was 14 years old, and he is now channeling his own personal journey in pursuit of a career in medicine one day. In addition to his work at Celiac Kids Connection, he also currently works as an Undergraduate Researcher at Mass General Hospital.

Zach's dedication to making a difference extends beyond his academic and professional pursuits. His personal journey with celiac disease has inspired him to get involved with the Celiac Kids Connection, where he leverages his own experiences to support other children and families, helping them find a sense of belonging and understanding in the face of similar challenges.

Zach loves to try new recipes and taste test gluten free foods. He is also a big hockey fan, and in his free time, loves to play hockey and basketball with his friends. He has two dogs, Charlotte and Ziggy, who love to go on walks and play fetch.

Laura Warren

Laura was diagnosed with celiac in 2013. Along with Laura, one of her 4 children has also been diagnosed with celiac disease. As a member of the Children’s Hospital community, Laura joined the board of the Celiac Kids Connection in order to help other young families adapt their lives to a healthy, gluten-free lifestyle.

Laura graduated from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH in 2002 with a degree in pre-med and accounting.  In 2006 she completed a degree in Physician Assistant studies at Touro College and began working at Children’s hospital in the Orthopedic department. She continues to work on a per-diem basis and lives in Sudbury with her husband, Zack, and four young children. In her spare time, Laura love to garden, cook, play tennis and tries hard to keep up with her busy creative kids!

Vanessa Weisbrod

Vanessa Weisbrod is the Chief, Education and Community Engagement Officer at Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF). Prior to joining CDF Vanessa spent 3 years as Director, Education & Community Engagement, Celiac Disease Program here at Boston Children’s Hospital. Vanessa also spent 12 years as the Director of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC.

Vanessa has led the effort to create national recommendations for managing children with celiac disease in learning environments and research looking at cross contact with gluten in shared kitchens and schools. She developed innovative approaches to education that methodically allowed families to successfully adapt to the gluten-free diet including producing a series of cooking and nutrition videos, building an interactive digital app for celiac education, hosting a bi-monthly podcast and managing live and web-based educational forums.

Vanessa was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004 and her son was diagnosed in 2016 when he was three years old. She has authored four gluten-free cookbooks and whole heartedly loves gluten-free food. Vanessa sees herself as a passionate advocate for families living with celiac disease.