Jim Omel is a retired family physician and multiple myeloma patient advocate. He practiced family medicine for over 25 years in Nebraska, serving primarily farming families. In 1997, at age 50, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma after experiencing persistent back pain that led to a broken vertebra. After delaying diagnosis for nine months, he underwent chemotherapy and radiation, achieving temporary remission before a recurrence in 2000 that required a stem cell transplant.

Following his retirement from clinical practice, Jim dedicated himself to multiple myeloma advocacy and patient support. He has served on committees with the National Cancer Institute, International Myeloma Foundation, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He also served on the Alliance Myeloma Committee as part of the National Intergroup for clinical trials, where he provided crucial patient perspective for the landmark DETERMINATION Study conducted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His advocacy work helped the trial achieve the highest African American participation rate for a myeloma treatment study to date.

Jim has written numerous journal articles on multiple myeloma, led myeloma support groups, and spoken widely to raise awareness about genetic abnormalities and warning signs for the disease. He has been living with myeloma for over 27 years and continues to mentor new research advocates. Jim has four children, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.