Board of Directors

Dr. Linda Vignozzi is Associate Professor in Endocrinology at the University of Florence, and deputy Director of the Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio". She is Director of Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit of Careggi Hospital in Florence, Italy, an accreditated training center of the European Academy of Andrology, reference regional center for diagnosis and therapy of erectile dysfunction, reference regional center for semen cryopreservation, reference center for management of subjects with gender incongruence (CRIG). She is Vice President of the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Florence and General Secretary of the Permanent Conference of the Presidents of the Italian Schools of Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Vignozzi received her MD and PhD in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the University of Florence. At the School of Endocrinology and Metabolism - University of Pisa, she received her Postgraduate Specialty Certification in 2011. She is the co-author of over 150 manuscripts, has written several book chapters and invited reviews in the field of male and female sexual and reproductive medicine, hypogonadism and metabolic diseases, male and female genital tract diseases. She has served as a committee member of the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine, Italy Society of Endocrinology, Italian Society of Obesity, International Society for Sexual Medicine, European Society for Sexual Medicine, and most recently served as Chair of the 2021 ISSWSH Scientific Program Committee.

Dr. MacPhedran is an Associate Professor of Reproductive Biology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and an OB/GYN at University Hospitals. She earned her bachelor’s degree, masters of science in Developmental Neurobiology and medical degree from Case Western Reserve University. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. She is a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH) and is a North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP). She is active in national organization including being chair of The Menopause Society Education Committee and President-elect for the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH).

Her main clinical interests are in female sexual health and function; while her research interests and publications focus on sexual activity in high risk pregnancies and anogasmia, health disparities in menopause treatment and medical education. She is a journal reviewer for the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Sexual Medicine Reviews. She has been an invited lecturer to numerous organizations, providing professional presentations on women's sexual dysfunction, menopause and sexual changes, sexual pain and hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

Dr. Rowen is an obstetrician and gynecologist whose care and research focuses on sexual health and transgender health, as well as complex gynecologic care for people with cancer. A lead gynecologic surgeon at UCSF, Rowen has expertise in laparoscopy (surgical diagnostic procedure to examine the inside of the abdomen) and vaginal and vulvar surgery, including especially hysterectomy. She is medical director of perioperative services for the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Rowen earned her medical degree and a master's degree in health and medical sciences through a joint program of the University of California, Berkeley and UCSF. She completed a residency in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF.

Rowen is an international expert in sexual health. She has served as a board member for the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health and as an associate editor for the Journal of Sexual Medicine. She is a sought-after speaker on sexual medicine and has published dozens of papers and book chapters on the topics of sexual health and family planning and safe motherhood in developing countries. She is a member of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, World Professional Association for Transgender Health and American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Heather Quaile, (she/her) is a clinical and academic leader and entrepreneur. A double board certified, women’s and gender health nurse practitioner and advanced forensic nurse specializing in human trafficking and female sexual health. Dr. Quaile is also trained and certified as an AASECT sex counselor and sexual assault nurse examiner providing sexual health education, trauma-informed care, and information to patients of all ages. She created and implemented a medical program for emergency stabilization for commercial sexual exploitation of youth in Georgia. Dr. Quaile has been working in all aspects of women’s healthcare for over 22 years caring for women of all ages across the health-illness continuum and recognized the lack of sexual health awareness not just in her community but in its providers as well and founded, developed, and implemented her private practice The Sexual Health Optimization and Wellness (SHOW) Center. Her goal is to help guide patients through their healthcare journey and provide a range of services that address the biopsychosocial aspects of health, wellness, optimization, and sexuality.  She is passionate about changing the systems and beliefs that have stigmatized women’s health and female sexuality through a non-judgmental, empathic approach grounded in evidence-based research. She has been a member of The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH) since 2015. She gained designation as a Fellow of ISSWSH and is a member of the education committee, website committee, peer reviewer for the Journal of Sexual Medicine, as well as co-chair for the scientific committee. She is Treasurer of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health and is widely published in the field of women’s health, trauma-informed care, and regularly lectures to local and national audiences.

Ms. Goldstein, a graduate of Brown University, is Sexuality Educator and Clinical Research Manager at San Diego Sexual Medicine, responsible for sexual medicine educational programming and clinical research. She works with the SDSM team to develop clinical research projects, write protocols and oversee clinical trials. She also arranges for training in sexual medicine for medical students, residents, fellows and clinicians from all over the country. She works with regional support groups to provide education to providers, students and the public. In addition, she develops programs for The Institute for Sexual Medicine, a charitable corporation dedicated to research and education in the field. Ms. Goldstein co-authored When Sex Isn’t Good to provide education and empowerment to women with sexual dysfunction. She is managing editor of Sexual Medicine Reviews. She is an associate editor of the Textbook of Female Sexual Function and Dysfunction, and Female Sexual Pain Disorders, and author of multiple peer reviewed papers. In addition to being President of ISSWSH and Industry Relations Chair, she serves on the Educational Projects, Fellowship and Female Sexual Function Committees of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) and on the Scientific Projects Committee of the International Society for Sexual Medicine. She has contributed educational content for multiple societies. She is also a member of the  American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). She is an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator and an ACRP Certified Clinical Research Coordinator. Ms. Goldstein received the Distinguished Service Award from ISSWSH in 2017 as well as from SMSNA in 2017.

Dr. James Pfaus is a basic preclinical researcher in behavioral neuroscience and neuroendocrinology with a focus on the neurobiology, neurochemistry, and molecular biology of sexual behavior. His research examines how the brain’s neurochemical and neuroanatomical systems are organized for sexual arousal, desire, pleasure, and inhibition. He is also interested in the role played by stimuli associated with sexual reward in priming sexual responses, and his research has revealed a strong epigenetic effect of experience with sexual pleasure on the crystallization of sexual attraction, preference, and performance. His laboratory has also played a major role in the preclinical development of drugs to treat sexual arousal and desire disorders. Research from his lab has been reported worldwide in the popular media and he has been interviewed for Time, Newsweek, Playboy, Scientific American, The Scientist, CBC, BBC, and ABC’s Nightline, and featured on the Discovery Channel’s Sex Files, Daily Planet, and The Nature of Things, along with several documentaries, including the joint HBO-BBC documentary “Middle Sex”.

Dr. Pfaus' research has been funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, USA, the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), and the European Society for Sexual Medicine. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Current Sexual Health Reports, Associate Editor of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, and he is on the editorial boards of Physiology & Behavior, Sexual Medicine Reviews, and Investigative and Clinical Urology. He is a Past President of the International Academy of Sex Research (2016-2017) and a past Director of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH). He was Co-Chair of the preclinical research committees for the 2010 and 2015 International Consultations in Sexual Medicine (ICSM) and serves currently as Chair of the Committee for Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorders and Hypersexuality of the ISSM, and as a member of the Orgasm Disorders Expert Committee for ISSWSH. He also serves as Chair of the European Psycho-Sexuality Accreditation Committee of the ESSM. Research awards include the Frank A. Beach Award in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (SBN), the Frank A. Beach Comparative Psychology Award (Division 6, APA), the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award (SSSS), and the Josef Hynie Prize (Sexology Division of the Czech Medical Association).

Dr. Rachel Rubin is a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist. She is an assistant clinical professor of Urology at Georgetown University and owns a private practice in the Washington DC region. She is one of only a handful of physicians fellowship trained in male and female sexual medicine. Dr. Rubin is a clinician, researcher, and vocal educator in the field of sexual medicine. She completed her medical and undergraduate training at Tufts University, her urology training at Georgetown University, and her fellowship training under Dr. Irwin Goldstein in San Diego. In addition to being Past ISSWSH Education chair, she also serves as associate editor for the Journal of Sexual Medicine and the Video Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Anita Mikkilineni, MD, joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The GW Medical Faculty Associates in September 2022. She primarily works at the GW Hospital and outpatient office as a generalist OBGYN. She also serves as faculty at the Sexual Health and Gender Affirmation (SAGA) Center at GW and is the OBGYN Resident SAGA Rotation Director. 

Dr. Mikkilineni has a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Biology degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

She then completed her Medical Degree at Drexel University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at The George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) in June 2020. While at GWUH she was actively involved in women’s health advocacy and legislation. She served as an officer for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and educated physicians on physician advocacy. She remains an active participant in the legislative priorities of her patient population. Dr. Mikkilineni was also a recipient of the Ryan Family Planning Award and Minimally Invasive Surgery Award while in residency. 

Dr. Mikkilineni’s interests are focused on sexual health and pelvic pain, vulvar disorders, and women’s health advocacy. She has a passion for educating her patients and providing comprehensive and compassionate care. She looks forward to working with women as they navigate through the many joys and challenges of women’s health.

Dr. Jewel Kling is a Professor of Medicine, Chair of the Division of Women’s Health Internal Medicine, Assistant Director of the Women’s Health Center and Dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine AZ campus at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. She completed medical school and a master’s in public health at the University of Arizona Tucson and Internal Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Arizona, followed by a Chief Internal Medicine fellowship year. Her clinical and research interest are in menopause, sexual health, LGBT care, education, as well as efforts to expand the discipline of Sex and Gender specific medicine. Dr. Kling is recognized as an institutional and national expert and leader in menopause. She speaks at national meetings on topics related to menopause and hormone therapy and has published extensively in the field. She is a North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Certified Menopause Practitioner, a fellow and board member of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), and board member of the American Medical Women’s Association Sex and Gender Health Collaborative. She is also part of the transgender and intersex specialty clinic committee at Mayo Clinic Arizona and has been a past co-chair of the LGBTI Mayo Employee Resource Group.

Dr. Sarah Cigna is an academic OBGYN and Sexual Medicine specialist in Washington, DC. She is an Assistant Professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences where she provides comprehensive sexual health care and has developed curricula for medical student and resident learners. She currently serves as the Director of the SAGA Center (Sexual Health and Gender Affirmation Center) at GWU, which she founded in October 2022. She is the Program Director of the first Sexual Medicine Fellowship for OBGYN Physicians in the USA. Her academic and research interests include sexual health and vulvovaginal conditions, particularly in the context of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is determined to improve access to evidence-based and affordable sexual healthcare. Her clinical practice consists primarily of vulvar pain, sexual dysfunction, complex pelvic pain, and vulvar dermatoses. She is an ISSWSH fellow, has served on the ISSWSH education committee since 2020 and has lead multiple ISSWSH projects including creation of the Genitopelvic Pain virtual course and hands on workshop, expansion of the ISSWSH Slide Deck, and has taught at numerous ISSWSH Courses. She has been invited to speak at institutions all over the country regarding Sexual Medicine and aims to translate her clinical practice into a curriculum that can be shared with teaching programs. Dr. Cigna loves to teach above all else; her practice is based around teaching her patients, students, residents, and colleagues to better serve all people. 

Heather Howard, PhD, MPH is a sexuality counselor and mind-body health facilitator. She founded the Center for Sexual Health and Rehabilitation to help clients adjust sexually to challenges and transitions such as chronic health conditions, trauma, and family building. Heather developed her specialty in sexual adjustment to health conditions as a result of learning to manage her own chronic pelvic pain condition. She has created a private and non-threatening environment for clients to discuss sensitive topics. Her approach is sex-positive and nonjudgmental and she uses an educational approach to support embodiment, intimacy, comfort and pleasure. She also founded www.Ergoerotics.com to partner with patients and providers in offering comfortable sexual solutions related to physical limitations and pain.

Dr. Laura Hatzler is a medical doctor with a strong focus on gynecology and female sexual medicine. Next to her work as a physician at the gynecology department of the Charite University Hospital, her central aim is to increase the accessibility and the quality of diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic tools for women with gynecological conditions and concomitant sexual dysfunctions. Therefore, she initiated the research group Female Desire at the Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, where she and her team conduct research on female sexual functioning from a biopsychosocial perspective. They continuously work on developing new diagnostic tools and interventions and cooperate with a large network of scientists, doctors, psychologists and partners in the industry to promote evidence-based care for women.

Obstetrician-Gynecologist | Midlife Women’s Health Specialist | Sexual Medicine & Pelvic Pain Expert
Fellow, International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health

Dr. Roberta Renzelli-Cain is a dedicated physician, educator, and advocate with a career spanning clinical care, research, education, and policy reform in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Female Sexual Medicine, Menopause, and Pelvic Pain Disorders. A Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), she serves on its Board of Directors and chairs the Fellowship Committee. She has also been deeply involved in ISSWSH’s Membership Outreach efforts, fostering engagement, mentorship, and professional development—particularly in regions where access to specialized women’s healthcare is limited. Additionally, she has contributed to ISSWSH’s Special Interest Group on Deep Dyspareunia and the Sexual Health Core Curriculum Development Committees.

As a researcher, Dr. Renzelli-Cain has led Phase 2 and Phase 3 FDA trials focused on improving treatments for endometriosis-related pelvic pain, PCOS-related androgen excess, and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause. Her work also explores the effects of hormonal therapy on cardiac perfusion using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, contributing to a deeper understanding of women’s cardiac health.

With 27 years of experience in teaching and mentorship, she has supported the growth of medical students, residents, and fellows in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Sexual Medicine. She has also helped train advanced trainees across allied health fields, including physical and occupational therapy, psychology, social services, nursing, advanced practice providers, and PhD candidates, recognizing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to patient care.

Committed to expanding access to women’s sexual healthcare, Dr. Renzelli-Cain has worked through direct patient care, research, education, and advocacy to improve healthcare delivery and reduce barriers to care, particularly for underserved communities.

Her commitment to service led to appointments on the West Virginia Women’s Commission and as Medical Director of the State of West Virginia’s Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and Research—one of the original 20 Centers of Excellence funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During her tenure, she worked to shape healthcare policy and expand services, with a particular focus on improving care for women in Appalachia. By addressing systemic barriers, she has helped bridge healthcare disparities and ensure that women in rural and economically disadvantaged areas receive the care they need.

Dr. Renzelli-Cain has advanced Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health through research, advocacy, and education. She continues to collaborate with healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to create meaningful, lasting improvements in women’s health.

Dr. Kris Christiansen attended medical school and completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She also completed a Bush Medical Fellowship Program, where she gained more training in sexual medicine. At the clinic, Dr. Christiansen and her team work closely with sex therapists and pelvic floor physical therapists for a multidisciplinary approach to an often complex problem. She enjoys working with women and their partners to help restore and enhance an important aspect of a person's life. She also considers it a privilege to be part of such an intimate part of life.

Jeff Kiesner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Developmental and Social Psychology at the University of Padova.

He has a broad background in both research and teaching, including courses taught in statistics, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, and neuroscience; and research publications across areas of developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology and psychoneuroendocrinology.

He has conducted pioneering research on individual differences in symptom experience associated with the menstrual cycle, with the goal of better understanding what characterizes Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). This work has focused on demonstrating the importance of studying each woman's individual profile and trajectory of physical and psychological changes across the menstrual cycle. Related to this research, he has published a cross-disciplinary theoretical paper connecting the development of affective disorders with the neuroendocrine, behavioral and social changes associated with pubertal development and the onset of the menstrual cycle among adolescent girls. Whereas Kiesner's past research in this area has focused on high-frequency longitudinal assessment of symptoms, future research will include neuroimaging studies and neuroendocrine studies to understand the neurological links between the multitude of physical and psychological symptoms associated with PMDD.

A recent extension of this research includes a focus on sexual function and dysfunction among women, including problems associated with sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm. This research focusses on affective and cognitive mechanisms associated with inhibition of sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm, and will include studies aimed at understanding brain activations and effective connectivity. In addition to these well recognized (though poorly understood) issues concerning female sexual functioning, a new focus of Kiesner's research will be on Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder/Genito-Pelvic Dysesthesia (PGAD/GPD). These less recognized and less studied disorders have important psychological implications and neuropathophysiological origins that will likely offer insights to prevention and treatment and will be an important part of Kiesner's future work.

Dr. Jill Krapf is a board-certified Obstetrician Gynecologist specializing in female sexual pain disorders and Director of Jill Krapf MD, Center for Vulvovaginal Disorders Florida in Tampa, FL. She is a Menopause Society-certified practitioner. Dr. Krapf is active in research and has published chapters and peer-reviewed articles on vulvodynia and vulvar lichen sclerosus. She is Associate Editor for the medical journal Sexual Medicine Online Access, as well as for the textbook Female Sexual Pain Disorders, 2nd Edition. She is an author of the trade book "When Sex Hurts." She is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), serving on the Education Committee and chairing the Social Media Committee.