ADVISORY PANEL
If the heart of an ALS charity is its Board, the wisdom comes from its Advisors. We are blessed to have an Advisory Panel made up of individuals regarded as "best in class" by their peers, patients and clients. As we sail toward our ultimate goal, these individuals will guide us with their technical expertise and collective wisdom.
Dr. Merit Cudkowicz - Director, A Clinic & Clinical Research Lab at MGH
Dr. Merit Cudkowicz is the Julianne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cudkowicz completed medical training at the Health Science and Technology program of Harvard Medical School, and she was a resident in Neurology at Mass General. She obtained a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Cudkowicz's research and clinical activities are dedicated to the study and treatment of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, in particular amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Cudkowicz directs the Mass General ALS clinic and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI) (formerly the NCTU). She is one of the founders and co-directors of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), a group of 92 clinical sites in the United States and Canada dedicated to performing collaborative academic led clinical trials in ALS. In conjunction with the NEALS consortium, she planned and completed seven multi-center clinical trials in ALS and is currently leading three new trials in ALS. Dr. Cudkowicz received the American Academy of Neurology 2009 Sheila Essay ALS award. She is actively mentoring young neurologists in clinical investigation. Dr. Cudkowicz is on the Research Council of the American Academy of Neurology and the medical advisory board for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Dr. William David - Physician & Neuromuscular Expert
Dr. Bill David is the Director of the EMG Laboratory and Neuromuscular Diagnostic Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as the Associate Program Director for the Harvard Partners Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship Program. He is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.His research, clinical activities and educational/administrative pursuits have centered on his subspecialty interests of neuromuscular medicine and clinical neurophysiology (EMG), with a particular focus on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).At MGH, he is an active participant in the ALS clinic and directs the Neuromuscular Diagnostic Center, which encompasses the EMG laboratory, the neuromuscular clinics, an infusion suite, a skin and muscle biopsy program, an autonomic laboratory and a botulinum toxin program for the treatment for dystonia and spasticity.Dr. David is a member of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), American Neurological Association (ANA) and serves on the Board of Directors for the National ALS Research Group the Scientific Advisory Board for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation
Dr. James Georgitis - Surgeon turned Teacher by fate
In the midst of a stellar 30 year career as a General/Vascular surgeon, Jim Georgitis had his world changed by a freak mountain biking accident in Colorado, which left him a quadriplegic. After months of rehabilitation at Craig Hospital, he returned home. While the injury forced him to retire, he has been a Professor of Anatomy at the University of New England since 2010...and he now walks onto the campus.
Dr. Georgitis graduated from Bowdoin College, Cum Laude and went on to attend Tufts School of Medicine. He has held seats on the Boards of Southern Maine Medical Center, Maine Medical Ethics Committee, Maine Health Partners and is a Co-Founder of Southern Maine Hospice.
Jim and his wife Debra own "Ewe & I Farm" and remain avid outdoor enthusiasts and they are both Registered Maine Guides. His professional background combined with his life experience, provide a unique perspective few individuals share
Robin Gentry McGee - Health Food Innnovator, Entrepreneur
Drawing upon years of experience in the health and wellness industry with a focus on nutrition, Robin Gentry McGee founded Functional Formularies — a commercial line of health promoting, functional foods — in 2006. The award winning idea for Liquid Hope came to Robin after her father suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Through this process, she begin to study the effects, influence and power of utilizing food as medicine which has led her to the work she is doing today. After many years of researching and investing her life savings to get the product to market, she created Liquid Hope, the world’s first and only feeding-tube meal replacement formula that is certified as 100 percent organic, nutritionally complete, made from whole foods, and shelf-stable. Billable through insurance and sold worldwide, Liquid Hope provides a nutritious, life sustaining alternative to traditionally produced foods. Robin was selected as one of the 2009 Miami Valley’s Women in Business Networking (WiBN) annual 25 Women to Watch. She was also the recipient the Cincinnati based Bad Girl Ventures 2011 award for her Functional Formularies product, as well as a winner of the 2012 Innov8 for Health Award. She has gone on to win the 2013 nationally recognized NEXTY Award, which is a much-sought nod from the natural products industry. She won the University of Dayton’s 2014 Business Plan Competition and was the third place winner for the commercialization category for The Dayton Innovator Index Award. Robin was also recognized as one of 35 World-Changing Women in Conscious Business-2019, by Conscious Company Magazine.
Functional Formularies was acquired by Swander Pace Capital in November 2019
David Pride - Motivational Speaker, Social Media Guru
WHAT WE DO: Social Impressions specializes is creating strategic and effective social media content for businesses around the United States. We offer total management of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and other social networks.
CONFERENCE SPEAKER: I speak frequently about social media marketing and offer the keynote presentation, "How to Dominate Your Market Strategy" to associations and business conferences around the country. Other topics include: Facebook Marketing 101, Tools and Tactics for Social Media Marketing, and How to Connect Better and Sell More through Social Media.
SPECIALTIES: Social Media Marketing, Content Creation, Social Media Marketing Strategy and Implementation, Corporate Social Media Training and Conference Speaker.