Kirsten McGowan

Kirsten joined the CF Parent Advisory Council in 2014 and is serving as Co-Lead Parent along with Amy Baugh.  Her eldest son, Patrick, is 5 years old and was diagnosed with CF in utero at LPCH in 2009 and he has received care at the Stanford CF Center his entire life.  Kirsten and her husband, Boyd, are appreciative of the relationships they have developed at Stanford both to help Pat thrive but also to provide education and support for them.  She has a BA in Biology and has worked her entire career in the biotech industry, with focused experience on quality management systems.  Kirsten and her family live in Redwood City and she enjoys cooking, baking, running, spending time with her husband and two sons, and watching football.

Arek Puzia

Arek Puzia has been a member of the Stanford/LPCH CF community for nearly three years now.  Arek's daughter, Natalie, was diagnosed 5 years ago from the newborn blood screen.  Arek and his family are very involved in various conferences, boards, and fundraising events in the quest to find a cure for CF.  Natalie's mutation is one of the less known nonsense mutation and none of the current medical breakthroughs apply to her.  Arek became part of the LPCH family when Natalie's care team, Bay Area Pediatrics Pulmonary was acquired by Stanford.  Arek is very excited to be a part of the Stanford community and to help improve outcomes for all CF  patients and their families.  Arek enjoys travel, the outdoors,  and has an insatiable appetite for learning.   

Rohini Thukral

Rohini joined the CF Parent Council in 2019.  Her daughter, Ria, was born diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis through the newborn screening process in 2016.  Rohini, her husband Richard, and daughter Ria, and son Rory are deeply appreciative of the partnership and friendship that each member of their CF care team provides them through the good times and the hard times.  When not working, you can find Rohini running after her kids at the park, scoping out new treats at Trader Joe's, or attempting to run up and down the Dish.