Kimberly Parekh

Kimberly Parekh was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38 in February 2015 and has since then been an active cancer advocate. Her breast cancer interest lies in evidence-based holistic and complementary approaches for treatment and wellbeing. In that regard, Kimberly is the founder of a community support group for young persons with metastatic breast cancer in the DC region hosted by the Smith Center. She has supported Komen Foundation in organizing their annual DC regional metastatic breast cancer conference, moderating the ‘Complementary Approaches to Treatment and Wellbeing’ panel in 2020, and speaking about her experience on a patient panel in 2019. She wrote a chapter on her experiences with holistic approaches in Confessions of a Radiation Oncologist (2017). In addition, she focuses on research while serving as a panel reviewer for the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program and as a former member of the Georgetown Breast Cancer Research Advocates. Finally, Kimberly recently co-authored an essay with her best friend on experiences with breast cancer in Untold: Defining Moments of the Uprooted (forthcoming, 2021).

Kimberly works as a Senior Education Advisor for UNICEF and is based out of Washington, DC. She continues to enjoy traveling internationally both for work and pleasure and spends much of her time in various holistic practices such as yoga and a plant-based diet. She has an ED.S. in Education Policy & Leadership, M.A. in International Education, and a B.A. in Foreign Affairs.