Our Administration & Clinicians

Dr. Mari Galle, LAc, DACM

Co-Founder & Executive Director; Oncology Acupuncturist; Patient Navigator

Mari co-founded MBCC in 2020 with Dr. Angela Wicker-Ramos after recognizing a significant gap in access to integrative oncology services. An oncology acupuncturist and patient navigator, she has spent over a decade working alongside individuals navigating cancer diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and survivorship. Her work is rooted in the belief that cancer care should address not only the disease itself, but the symptoms, side effects, and quality-of-life challenges that can accompany treatment.

Under her leadership, MBCC has grown to provide acupuncture, acupressure, oncology massage, exercise and mind-body programming, educational resources, and other supportive services designed to help patients manage treatment-related symptoms.

Through MBCC, Mari works to build a model of cancer support that is evidence-informed, collaborative, compassionate, and financially accessible— ensuring patients and their families have meaningful support during treatment and throughout survivorship.

Hanna Liebermann, LAc, MAcCHM

Lead Oncology Acupuncturist; Director of Patient Care

Hanna is an oncology-specialized licensed acupuncturist skilled in treating pain, neuropathy, digestive complaints, fatigue, stress, anxiety, insomnia, hot flashes, and more. Her practice is shaped by several years of working closely with the oncology community as a practitioner and a caregiver. Using personalized, holistic, evidence-based treatment plans, she aims to mitigate patients’ side effects and promote wellbeing on physical and psycho-emotional levels.

She helps new patients navigate their integrative cancer care and coordinates MBCC’s research efforts, exercise classes, and events.

Hanna is dedicated to providing empathetic, affirming care to those navigating cancer and the loved ones supporting them through it.

Dr. Vanessa Huffman, LAc, DACM, LMT, CMLDT, RYT, CMMT

Community Acupuncturist

Vanessa is a Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, a Licensed Acupuncturist, and a Licensed Massage Therapist.  She is both a trained and clinically experienced Oncology Massage Therapist certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, and an Integrative Oncology Acupuncturist.   

With 20 years of experience in holistic medicine, her passion is for providing heart-centered, empathic care using an integrative and evidence-based approach. She serves as the Community Acupuncturist for Moving Beyond Cancer Collaborative, supporting patients, survivors and caregivers on their path toward healing. She holds additional certifications as a Registered Yoga Teacher and a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher.  

Laura Srygley, LMT, CWP

Massage Therapist

Laura has been a licensed massage therapist for over 20 years, and specializes in working with people who are navigating cancer, serious illness, recovery from surgery, and end of life issues. She is a Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist, a Certified End of Life Doula,  and a preferred provider with the Society for Oncology Massage.

Her approach is centered on listening deeply and offering a comforting, caring presence. She believes that skilled touch can provide relief from pain, side effects from treatment, fatigue and stress, but just as importantly, it can create a space of safety and connection. Her goal is to meet each client where they are with compassion and respect.

Samantha Kool, COE

Esthetician

Samantha Kool is a Licensed Esthetician in the State of Texas. After studying at the Aveda Institute of Austin, she went on to complete an advanced certification program in Oncology Esthetics through Oncology Training International. She has been working in Esthetics since 2013. Samantha believes that her work is a calling, and she remains steadfastly devoted to providing compassionate care to each and every client.

Shondi Pugh

Social Media Manager

Shondi loves connecting with the Austin community and beyond by sharing the inspiring work Moving Beyond Cancer Collaborative does to make cancer support more accessible. From donation-based exercise classes to sliding-scale holistic cancer care, she is passionate about spreading the word and helping more people discover the resources, hope, and community that MBCC offers.

Our Class Instructors

  • Gladys Nicholls PT, CPI

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    Gladys received her Bachelors in Physical Therapy in 1981 from the University of Puerto Rico and set out to further specialize in Orthopedics and Manual Therapy while traveling the world as a military wife. She took her first Pilates class 17 years ago at Pilates Center of Austin while she was opening a new Rehab Facility for Seton at Seton Southwest. She was hooked. She completed her Pilates Certification Program in 2001 and incorporates the principles in her patient care. She believe in mind-body exercise as a tool to assist with conventional medical treatment.

  • Kimberly Wharton RYT-500

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    Before relocating to Austin, Kimberly was named in Backstage Magazine's 'Best of L.A.' under favorite yoga class. She has gone thru trainings with Alan Finger (ISHTA lineage), Kia Miller (Yoga Works techniques), Jillian Pransky (Restoratives), Judith Lasater (Restoratives) and Jasmine Lieb, for Therapeutics, where she discovered the amazing healing abilities of yoga. As a result, Kimberly had the opportunity to teach for Team Survivor, a non-profit organization providing free healing modules for women living with cancer during her time in Los Angeles and continues that work here in Austin.

  • Catherine Pierce CPI

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    Catherine Pierce was an Irish step-dancer for over ten years in New York. Shortly after moving to Austin in 2001, she discovered Pilates while working in a rehabilitation/pain management clinic. After almost five years as a loyal student of the Pilates method, Catherine dedicated a full year in the comprehensive Power Pilates program. She has over 600 hours of self-practice, teaching and observation on apparatus and mat. She is also a certified massage therapist. Catherine happily teaches from my 25 ft Airstream home as she travels with her partner David & Bulldog, Maud.

  • Nancy Samano CQMI

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR


    Nancy is a Certified Medical Qi Gong Movement Instructor (CQMI). She discovered the practice of Qi Gong while undergoing treatments for Stage 3 breast cancer in 2016. Experiencing Qi Gong during her cancer journey proved so healing and transformative, that it awakened her to a new purpose. This new purpose resulted in Nancy undertaking a Medical Qi Gong program of study and dedicating herself to the practice of Qi Gong, as well as sharing this amazing ancient self healing art form with others.

    As a survivor, Nancy is keenly aware of the challenges associated with cancer and is sensitive to the emotional and physical demands of that journey. Nancy credits her Qi Gong practice with providing her with a perspective that allows her to be compassionate and empathetic to the healing journey of others.

  • Oriana Carrasco ACSM/ACS, CES, AFAA, NASM, ACE

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    Born and raised in Mexico City, Oriana has been an active Yoga practitioner since she moved to Austin in 2006 and as an avid fitness enthusiast, she has adopted weight lifting, biking, kickboxing and swimming as a part of her daily training. In 2016 Oriana decided to pursue a Fitness Certification. Motivated by a client and cancer survivor, she decided to focus in this particular population and has received advanced training and certifications as a cancer fitness specialist. She has been witness of how cancer patients and survivors thrive with the help of exercise and continue their treatments to get back to their lives.

  • Nanette Labastida

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    As a long time breast cancer thriver, Nanette has been a well known patient advocate in this space, teaching yoga to survivors and sharing her compassionate spirit with the community. Having completed training as a Cancer Support Coach she is now offering coaching services for fellow cancer patients and survivors. 

    Coaching helps survivors gain clarity, get out of overwhelm, and reduce stress so they can experience quality of life and true joy.  One on one , in person or online sessions available.

  • Patricia Belodoff RYT-200, BFA

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    Patricia is an artist, art educator and Yoga teacher residing in the Austin metro area. She delights in sharing the peace and serenity as well as the benefits of Yoga’s mind body connection.  Belodoff, originally from New York, trained in the US and Canada and teaches Vinyasa style Yoga. Her Art and Yoga Workshops focus on the stimulation of creativity and individual expression.  

    Patricia is a cancer survivor. During her experience as a cancer patient, she discovered Yoga helped her recovery, by increasing her strength and mobility while relieving stress. It motivated her to become certified in Oncology Yoga with “Yoga for Cancer“ author and Yoga teacher, Tari Prinster and share the practice with other cancer patients and survivors.

  • Shannon Prescher RYT-200, TIYT

    CLASS INSTRUCTOR

    Shannon is a Registered Yoga Teacher certified in Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy. She specializes in supporting individuals who are managing a medical diagnoses such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, chronic illness, pain and terminal illness. Shannon believes yoga and meditation are transformational healing tools that offer individuals the opportunity to reconnect with their body wisdom in empowering ways after a difficult health related journey. She welcomes all individuals to the mat to curiously explore and compassionately reconnect with their new bodies through mindful movement, deep breathing, and restorative rest. She supports individuals in re-aligning their bodies, minds and souls by introducing the experience of being a witness and a listener of self. Shannon finds her work to be rewarding and humbling and believes her students are her greatest teachers.

Our Board

Carolyn Kenny, MBA

President

Carolyn Kenny brings her expertise in business, nonprofit management and passion for oncology care to the MBCC Board President role. She volunteers for MBCC as a patient advocate and offers a wealth of knowledge not only to MBCC clients and community but also to the advisory board and staff. Carolyn is a VP of Product at Deloitte in Austin. When not working, she is most passionate about spending time with her husband and two sons.

Dr. Kathryn Hudson, MD

Dr. Hudson is a hematologist and oncologist in Austin, as well as the Director of Survivorship for Texas Oncology. She came to Texas Oncology in 2016 after completing her fellowship at Duke University. In her role as Director of Survivorship, she strives to improve the supportive care and quality of life of Texan cancer survivors and also prevent cancer recurrence. Dr. Hudson prides herself on staying up-to-date on the latest cancer research and strives to provide excellent care of the whole patient. She is passionate about clinical research and is proud that Texas Oncology offers cutting edge national clinical trials to our patients here in Austin. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals on topics including patient reported outcomes, quality of life of the cancer patient, and cancer therapeutics. She was honored to speak at the American Society of Clinically Oncology national meeting in June 2017 on breast cancer survivorship.

Krystle Zuniga, PhD, RD, LD

Dr. Krystle Zuniga is a registered and licensed dietitian at the Livestrong Cancer Institutes and an assistant professor in the department of oncology at Dell Medical School of the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her dietetic internship and earned her doctoral degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Zuniga has conducted nutrition and cancer research for over 13 years, and her research has been published in scientific journals including Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Cancer Prevention Research, Nutrition and Cancer, and Journal of Geriatric Oncology. Dr. Zuniga enjoys sharing her passion, experience and knowledge in nutrition to help cancer patients and survivors feel empowered, using nutrition to optimize outcomes and improve quality of life. 

Penelope DeCou, MSW, LCSW

Penny DeCou is a licensed clinical social worker with a focus on medical social work. She has specialized in oncology for the last 14 years through her work with the American Cancer Society, Cancer Connection and Texas Oncology.  Penny provides patients complex case management, individual counseling and facilitates cancer support groups through the TXO Paving the Way program.  In recent years Penny has partnered with the Yale School of Nursing’s ‘Screening for Psychosocial Distress Program’ and was active in the design and implementation of routine distress screening for patients at Central Texas TXO.  With a prior background in Naturopathy and passion for mind/body health, Penny has partnered frequently with Texas Oncology’s Survive and Thrive wellness programming and is a passionate advocate for the integrative services provided by Cancer Rehab & Integrative Medicine and MBCC.

Danyelle Weatherford

Danyelle Weatherford grew up in the bustling southeast, Texas town of Lake Jackson. Her oxygen comes from knowing her family is healthy and happy and that she is sharing inspiring life lessons her parents and God have impressed on her.

A professional doer, she has over 20 years of professional experiences: Strategic Planning, Financial Management, Project Management, Entertainment Management, and Breast Cancer Advocacy. She is a storyteller no matter the capacity. Her entertainment resume reflects work from HBO, Lifetime Women’s Network, Lives of Women, commercials, as well as writing, acting, producing and directing award winning independent films.

A dedicated Bob Cat, Danyelle holds a BBA in Marketing from Texas State University and is currently the Chief Operating Officer for the Austin, Texas production and technology company, Sparxs Studio/INDIE Sparxs.

Danyelle loves a great cinnamon roll, elevating others to their potential, living in the moment and “Saving The World From The Ordinary”.

Archie Imperial

Archie Imperial grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas. He’s a graduate of Trinity University and Dental School at the UTHSC San Antonio. After building a family dental practice in Austin for  21 years, he retired after neck and back issues. Until then he liked playing tennis, cycling and doing triathlons. He is married to his wife Carol, also from Lake Jackson. Together they raised three sons in the Austin community.

After dentistry, Archie has been volunteering at various organizations around Austin. He enjoys being a dad, photography, traveling and tinkering around building things. His connection to cancer began 6 years ago and it has touched  the family deeply. His oldest son Josh was diagnosed in 2017 with a rare cancer and  lost his battle in 2018. His wife Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and is now in remission.

As a caregiver he has acquired first hand knowledge of what the “job”  is. The stress, sacrifice, doubts and despair are experiences that Archie draws upon. He wants to help provide insights for the cancer community to enhance programs and knowledge for caregivers. 

Join our Board

Join us in shaping a more supportive future for people impacted by cancer. We invite individuals with diverse experiences, skills, and perspectives to apply for our Board of Directors and contribute to our mission-driven work.

APPLY