Our Leadership
Joseph Arnold
Board Chair
Susan M. Manzi, MD, MPH
Medical Director
Louise Vetter
President & Chief Executive Officer
Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH
Chair, Medical-Scientific Advisory Council; Prof., Rheumatology, Harvard University Medical School; Director, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Editor, Arthritis and Rheumatology
The Board determines the Foundation's mission and strategic direction, sets policies, monitors progress toward goals, and provides oversight and accountability.
Officers
Directors
Brian Antonsen
Director - Texas
Judy Barlin
Director - Florida
Lynn Blandford
Director - Texas
Shannon Boxx
Director - Oregon
Lindsay Cafritz
Director – California
Kevin Cheung
Director - Missouri
Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH
Chair, Medical-Scientific Advisory Council; Prof., Rheumatology, Harvard University Medical School; Director, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Editor, Arthritis and Rheumatology | Read Bio
Conrad Gehrmann
Director - Washington
Theresa Juday
Director - Arizona
Sreedhar Mandayam, MD, MPH, MBA, FASN
Director – Texas
Susan M. Manzi, MD, MPH
Tim Nolan
Director – Florida
Cheri Perron
Director – Pennsylvania
The Medical-Scientific Advisory Council (MSAC) is composed of thought leaders from multiple medical specialty areas related to lupus, including adult and pediatric rheumatology, nephrology, dermatology and epidemiology. The Council plays a critical role for the Foundation, advancing the science and medicine of lupus not only through work in research and advocacy, but also by supporting professional and patient education efforts, conducting peer-review of our funding opportunities, and developing evidence-based research programs that address urgent and unmet needs. Each MSAC member serves on one of the three sub-committees listed below. Learn more about the subcommittee roles.
Grant Review Subcommittee
Cynthia Aranow, MD
Bonnie Bermas, MD
Professor of Internal Medicine, Rheumatic Disease Division, Dr. Morris Ziff Distinguished Professorship in Rheumatology | Read Bio
Cassandra Dolecki, Pharm.D., BCACP, TTS
Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital | Read Bio
Diane Kamen, MD, MSCR
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina | Read Bio
Alfred Hyoungju Kim, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Pathology & Immunology and Medicine, Clinical Track, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO | Read Bio
Mimi Kim, MS, ScD
Prof. and Head, Division of Biostatistics, Dept. of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Read Bio
Andrea Knight, MD, MSCE
Physician, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto; Associate Scientist, SickKids Research Institute; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Toronto | Read Bio
Chandra Mohan, MD, PhD
Hugh Roy & Lillie Cranz Cullen Endowed Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston | Read Bio
Timothy Niewold, MD, FACR
Brad Rovin, MD
Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Ohio State University; Director, Division of Nephrology Director, GN Fellowship Program | Read Bio
Zahi Touma, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto; Clinician Scientist, Krembil Research Institute | Read Bio
Betty P. Tsao, PhD
Prof.; Richard M. Silver Endowed Chair for Inflammation Research, Division of Rheumatology & Immunology | Read Bio
George C. Tsokos, MD
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Chief, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Read Bio
Jessica Williams, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Emory University School of Medicine | Read Bio
Research and Standards Subcommittee
Isabelle Ayoub, MD, FASN
Christie M. Bartels MD, MS
Assistant Professor Department of Medicine Rheumatology Division, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine & Public Health
Ashira D. Blazer, MD, MSCI
| Read Bio
May Choi, MD, FRCPC
Gary S. Gilkeson Lupus Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Rheumatology Assistant Professor, Cumming School of Medicine | Read Bio
Cassandra Dolecki, Pharm.D., BCACP, TTS
Jennifer M. Grossman, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine University of California, Los Angeles
Judith A. James, MD, PhD
VP, Clinical Affairs Chair, Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Program; Lou Kerr Chair, Biomedical Research, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation | Read Bio
Mariana J. Kaplan, MD
Sr. Investigator and Chief, Systemic Autoimmunity Branch; Acting Dir., Lupus Clinical Trials Unit, NIAMS/NIH
Mimi Kim, MS, ScD
Prof. and Head, Division of Biostatistics, Dept. of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Read Bio
Joseph F. Merola, M.D., M.M.Sc
Assoc. Prof. of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School; Vice Chair, Clinical Trials and Innovation, Dept. of Dermatology; Dir., Clinical Unit for Research Innovation and Trials (CUReIT); Dir., Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases | Read Bio
Laura E. Schanberg, MD
Prof. of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center; Co-Chair, Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry & Research Committee; Co-PI, CARRA Registry
Saira Z Sheikh, MD
Linda Coley Sewell Distinguished Professor of Medicine; Director, UNC Rheumatology Lupus Clinic; Director, Clinical Trials Program, UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center | Read Bio
Victoria P. Werth, MS, MD
Government Relations and Advocacy Subcommittee
Anca D. Askanase, MD, MPH
S. Sam Lim, MD, MPH
Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, M.D., Dr. P.H.
Professor of Medicine, Rheumatology; Research Professor, Solovy Arthritis Research Society Professor of Medicine Medical Director, Clinical Research Unit | Read Bio
The day-to-day affairs of the Foundation are led by a management team that possess years of experience in all aspects of nonprofit organization operations.
Louise Vetter
Susan M. Manzi, MD, MPH
Joan T. Merrill, MD
Joy Buie, PhD, MSCR, RN
Vice President, Research
Mary T. Crimmings
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Mike Donnelly
Vice President, Communications
Cynthia Meekins
Chief Financial Officer
Jamison Skala
Senior Vice President, Fundraising & Development
Jeanine Smith
Senior Vice President, Network Development
Patrick Wildman
Senior Vice President, Advocacy & Government Relations