Lisa was born and raised in San Mateo, California. She first had pain when walking at age 3 1/2. However, she was not diagnosed with CMT until age 14, when her Stanford orthopedist treating her for scoliosis, noticed all the common CMT symptoms. Her diagnosis of CMT1A via spontaneous mutation came later, at age 26, when her neurologist found normal nerve conduction in both her parents. Ten years later, her genetic blood test confirmed the 1A subtype. Lisa’s great love was dancing, taking classes and performing throughout her youth. She now enjoys playing mah-jongg with friends twice weekly, reading avidly, listening to numerous podcasts, and taking creative writing classes. She keeps active with Pilates mat and reformer classes, along with yoga, strength training, and swimming. Lisa became involved in CMTA’s SF/Bay Area branch approximately 15 years ago and is thrilled to take on this new role as branch leader.