Leah M. Howard is the president and chief executive officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). She is a lawyer and patient-rights advocate leading the largest psoriatic-disease support and research nonprofit organization in the world. The NPF represents more than eight million individuals in the United States who live with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, with the shared vision of creating a world free from the burdens of psoriatic disease.

Leah has lived with psoriasis for twenty-one years and has more than two decades of experience working with national health and disability organizations, local governments, and leading health-care and research institutions. She believes that solving today’s health-care challenges begins with talking with individuals living with chronic diseases, such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Over the last decade, Leah has empowered people with psoriatic disease to share their challenges with policymakers at the state and federal levels, as well as with regulators and health-agency leadership. This work has resulted in numerous improvements for the community, including more than forty new state laws improving access to treatment.

Leah has positioned the NPF as a leading voice in efforts to measure value and reflect patient preferences in health outcomes. She has also piloted efforts to engage non-traditional patient-advocacy partners, including health insurers, pharmacy-benefit managers, and employers, beginning with the launch of the NPF Payer Roundtable series in 2016. Under Leah’s leadership, the NPF has prioritized serving all segments of the community. Today, the foundation connects with more than 2.75 million individuals each year through its highly accessible website.

Leah holds a bachelor of arts degree in government and international relations from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from George Mason University School of Law. She is based at NPF headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.