Page 7 - 2020 Winter CMTA Report

NIH AWARDS INHERITED NEUROPATHIES

CONSORTIUM $7.2 MILLION IN RENEWED

FUNDING FOR WORK ON CMT

he National and led by NIH’s
Institutes of National Center for
T Health granted Advancing Translational
the Inherited Sciences (NCATS) and
Neuropathies the NCATS Office of
Consortium (INC) Rare Diseases Research.
$7.2 million in The RDCRN grants
renewed funding in aim to foster collabora- forms of inherited peripheral neu-
October 2019 for tive research among ropathies. We will also be able to
continued clinical scientists to better continue our efforts to identify
research on different understand how rare novel genetic causes of CMT and
forms of inherited CMT Board Member diseases progress and continue to train the next genera-
Dr. Michael Shy leads the
peripheral to develop improved tion of young investigators in
Inherited Neuropathies
neuropathies and Consortium (INC), which is approaches for diagnosis our field.”
improving the care part of the Rare Diseases and treatment. In addition to seeking new and
Clinical Research Network
of patients. According to Shy, better treatments for patients with
Led by University professor of neurology inherited neuropathies, the consor-
of Iowa neurologist and CMTA and director of the CMT Clinic at tium also provides up-to-date
Board Member Michael Shy, MD, the University of Iowa Hospitals & information to help patients man-
the INC is part of the Rare Dis- Clinics, the funding means that age their diseases and assists in
eases Clinical Research Network Iowa will remain at the forefront of connecting patients with support
(RDCRN), a group of 20 teams of research in the field of inherited groups, expert doctors and clinical
scientists, clinicians, patients, fami- peripheral neuropathies. “We will research opportunities.
lies and patient advocates that continue to pioneer natural history While INC is primarily
study a wide range of rare diseases. studies and develop clinical and funded by NIH, the CMTA and
The RDCRN is supported by mul- biomarker outcome instruments the Muscular Dystrophy Associa-
tiple NIH Institutes and Centers for patients with multiple genetic tion also provide support. h

CMTA WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBER

anker David Coldiron joined the CMTA Board of Directors in
B2019, bringing almost two decades of business experience with him.
Currently the director of mortgage lending at Legends Bank, Dave
and his wife, Christina, live in Nashville with their two daughters.
“Our daughter, Hazel, was diagnosed with CMT in November
2015, Coldiron said, adding, “Christina and I were so fortunate to find
the CMTA, which has provided us with medical contacts and welcomed
us into their caring community. It is an honor to join a team that is
doing so much to support those impacted by CMT as well as leading
the charge for development of treatments.”
CMTA Board Chair Gilles Bouchard said of Coldiron’s appoint-
ment, “We are all looking forward to working with Dave on behalf of
all CMT patients during these exciting times for our organization.”

WINTER 2020 THE CMTA REPORT 7