[November 24, 2014]

Global Genes Announces Formation of Medical Scientific Advisory Board-Adds New Members to Board of Directors

Global Genes™ announced today the formation of an inaugural leadership team, the Medical and Science Advisory Board, as well as the addition of three new members to their board of directors.

"As Global Genes evolves and expands our strategic influence and reach, we are very excited to be adding insightful leadership to both our board of directors and a new multidisciplinary team of scientific and clinical thought leaders," said Nicole Boice, Global Genes Founder & CEO. "With the formation of the Medical Scientific Advisory Board, Global Genes will have the resources needed to accelerate our innovation efforts in technology, science, advocacy and research, and achieve our mission to eliminate the challenges of rare disease."

New strategic talent being added to the board of directors for Global Genes includes:

• Wendy White is the founder of Siren Interactive, a rare disease advertising and marketing agency. Siren's main focus is to find patients and connect them to appropriate therapies. Wendy's personal journey with her daughter, which began in 2001, was the impetus for Siren to focus solely on marketing rare disorder therapies. Wendy is also a parent advocate for nail-patella syndrome.
• Matt Wilsey is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, investor and advisor. Beyond consumer products and services, Matt advocates for and invests in biomedical research, drug development, and genetic sequencing technology. Wilsey is also the founder of the Grace Wilsey Foundation which supports the NGLY1 disorder.
• Brad Margus is the founder of Exigence Neurosciences, a new drug discovery company. In 2013, Margus started Genome Bridge, a non-profit subsidiary of the Broad Institute of Harvard and M.I.T., to build a computational platform for sharing genomic and clinical data. Margus is also founder and volunteer President of the A-T Children's Project, a non-profit that orchestrates research on a rare, brutal, genetic disease -- ataxia telangiectasia or "A-T"--which two of his sons have.

The Medical & Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) will provide strategic input, insight and expertise to the organization in the key areas of rare disease diagnostics, technology, drug development and potential partnerships related to rare disease science. The MSAB mission, goals and advisory role will be strategically aligned with the Global Genes mission 'To Eliminate the Challenges of Rare Disease.'

This multidisciplinary board will serve in an advisory capacity to the Global Genes executive leadership team and will convene quarterly to further specific initiatives and work together to broaden the impact of Global Genes by advancing innovation in technology, science, advocacy and research.

The MSAB consists of MDs, PhDs, MBAs, clinicians, geneticists, scientific researchers and professors. This expert team includes:

Beth Anne Baber, PhD, MBA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Nicholas Conor Institute

Hudson Freeze, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, Human Genetics Program Sanford Children's Health Research Center Sanford--Burnham Medical Research Institute

Deb Geraghty, PhD, MBA, Board of Trustees, Emma Willard School, Consultant

Peter Goodhand, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

Stephen C. Groft, PharmD, Senior Advisor to the Director, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATs) National Institutes of Health

Ayesha N. Khalid, MD, MBA, Clinical Instructor, Harvard Medical School, MIT I Sloan School of Management

Harry Leider, MD, MBA, FACPE, Chief Medical Officer, Walgreens

C. Jimmy Lin, MD, PhD, MHS, President, Rare Genomics Institute

Jeanette McCarthy, MPH, PhD, Adjunct Associate Professor, Duke University, Visiting Associate Professor UCSF, Editor-In-Chief, Genome Magazine

Sharon Moalem, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Recognyz Systems Technology

David Nielsen, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, American Academy of Otolaryngology-­Head and Neck Surgery

Ethan Perlstein, PhD, Founder Perlstein Lab, PBC

Anthony Philippakis, MD, PhD, Cardiologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Research Scientist, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Venture Partner, Google (News - Alert) Ventures

Ian Phillips, PhD, DSc, Center for Rare Disease Therapies, Professor, Keck Graduate Institute

Inderpal S. Randhawa, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Miller Children's Hospital at Long Beach Memorial

Katherine Rauen, MD, MS, PhD, Professor and Medical Geneticist, University of California, Davis "RASophathies" Researcher, Presidential Early Career Awardee for Scientists and Engineers

Christian Rubio, MBA, Community Director, SERMO

Ryan Taft, PhD, Director of Scientific Research, Illumina, Inc.

Christina Waters, PhD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, RARE Science

Keith Vaux, MD, PhD, Clinical Chief and Division Director, Medical Genetics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

For more information on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board, please visit www.globalgenes.org/msab/.

About Global Genes - Allies in Rare Disease

Global Genes™ is a leading rare disease patient advocacy organization. The group's mission is to eliminate the challenges of rare disease, by providing patients with educational tools, building awareness, providing critical connections to people and resources, and through investment in technologies that will positively impact affected patients and families. Recognized worldwide by the Blue Denim Genes Ribbon™, Global Genes unites experts, advocates and patients of all ages to stand together in hope for treatments and cures for the estimated 7,000 rare and genetic diseases that impact approximately 30 million Americans and over 350 million people worldwide.

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