Scott Heinlein, P.T.

I am a Maryland-licensed Physical Therapist with extensive training and experience in manual therapy techniques. I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, Baltimore with a B.S. in Physical Therapy in 1992. I have developed an interest in helping people with Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease after seeing several patients who presented with orthopedic problems and injuries associated with the underlying neurological damage from CMT.

My aim in working with people with CMT is to keep them safe, independent, and active. I’ve helped to design effective strengthening programs that can be done at home in a short amount of time to help busy people with CMT get the most out of their exercises with the least interruption of their day. I am honored to help the foundation in its endeavor to make helpful information more accessible to CMT-patients everywhere.

Jon Lai, Ph.D.

I am a Professor of Biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, and was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I received my B.Sc. Hons. in Biochemistry at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, and then obtained a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biophysics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, working on peptide structure and function, followed by fellowship research at Harvard Medical School in Biological Chemistry, studying enzymology, protein chemistry, and structural virology. I started my independent career in 2007 at Einstein as an Assistant Professor, rising through the ranks to become Full Professor in 2018. I have been recipient of the Arnold and Mabel Young investigator Award (2009), and the Irma T. Hirschl/Monique Weill-Caulier Career Scientist Award (2015).

Rudolf Martini, Ph.D.

I am a University Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital of Würzburg (Germany), where I am Head of its Developmental Neurobiology Section. I studied Biology at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany) and received my doctoral degree there in Zoology. I started an independent research laboratory in Würzburg (Germany) following fellowships at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) and at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (Switzerland).

My laboratory is known internationally for its work on the pathogenesis of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The particular emphasis of the research group is on inflammation as a disease amplifier, and the emerging opportunities for treatment related to this. I have received several awards for his work in this area, including the Felix-Jerusalem-Award for neuromuscular disorders, and the Sobek Award for Multiple Sclerosis Research. My research work on CMT disorders goes back to the early 1990’s; this notably includes the recent discovery of a role for the inflammatory cytokine CSF-1 in CMT disease pathogenesis.

My team is currently working with TIN to initiate several new approaches to CMT therapy and treatment.

Wendy Quitasol

Owner and Founder, MindBody PT

I am the founder and owner of Mind Body Physical Therapy & Wellness Center, Inc., a practice that is focused on Physical Therapy (PT) and Wellness. The practice has been shaped by her awareness that PT is often the first step to creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s why my team and I focus on achieving a healthy recovery following injury, and on transitioning clients to a fitness routine that helps mitigate and avoid future injury. Importantly, the practice brings together PT and Pilates to place an emphasis on lifelong fitness and wellness. This combined approach impacts a broad and diverse clientele, and is critical for people with CMT to incorporate into their daily life as a means to manage long-term movement issues.

I have worked as a Physical Therapist for more than two decades; this has spanned work at both the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Greater Baltimore Medical Center, and as an independent Physical Therapist. I received my Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Temple University and Bachelors of Science from the School of Public Health at Indiana University. My Pilates Training came from one of the original, esteemed founders and teachers of the method, and since then I have taught many continuing education classes for healthcare professionals about integrating Pilates into therapy programs. I also serve as a volunteer for Swim Across America-Baltimore, which has raised over $4.2 million for cancer research since 2009.

E. Richard Stanley, Ph.D.

I am the Renee and Robert A. Belfer Professor of Developmental Biology, and Professor of Developmental and Molecular Biology, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. I received my B.Sc. Hons. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Western Australia and Ph.D. in Medical Biology from the University of Melbourne (Australia). Following fellowship work there, I was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Medical Biophysics of the University of Toronto (Canada) in 1972, and joined the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1977, leading the Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology as its Chair for a number of years. I have received a number of awards for my research, including a Leukemia Society of America Scholar Award, a Hirschl Career Scientist Award, a Markey Charitable Trust Award, the Bonazinga Research Award of the Society for Leukocyte Biology, the E. Donnall Thomas Award of the American Society of Hematology and two NIH Merit Awards.

The work of my research group has notably led to the identification of a growth factor called colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), its receptor (CSF-1R), and the related interleukin-34 (IL-34). The team has worked to define their biological roles in development and disease, for which the lab is considered expert in the field. Recent efforts of the Stanley laboratory have leveraged our knowledge in this area to develop an approach to treat a rare neurological disorder called Adult Onset Leukoencephalopathy with Axonal Spheroids and Pigmented Glia (ALSP), an Alzheimer’s disease-like adult-onset dementia in man. The laboratory has notably identified a therapeutic target for ALSP that may also be targeted in other neurodegenerative diseases.

My research team is currently working to develop an immunotherapy for Charcot Marie Tooth Disease Type 1X as part of a TIN-supported team.

Mike Studer, P.T., M.H.S. (Also; NCS, CEEAA, CWT, CSST and FAPTA)

I am the owner and lead therapist at Northwest Rehabilitation Associates in Salem, Oregon. I’ve been a physical therapist since 1991 and a Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy since 1995. I’ve authored over 30 journal articles and 6 book chapters in this subject area, and am recognized nationally and internationally as a speaker on topics including; aging, stroke, motor learning, motivation in rehabilitation, cognition, balance, dizziness, and Parkinson’s disease.

I am the only therapist in the nation to be awarded the Clinician of the Year by two different national academies of the American Physical Therapy Association, receiving the Clinical Excellence Award in both Neurology and Geriatrics. In 2020, I was made a Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association for lifetime and diverse contributions to the profession in clinical, research and educational fields, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a physical therapist. That year, I was also selected to present a TED talk on neuroplasticity.

Recently, I’ve led the development of instructional physical therapy videos for TIN, with the aim of broadly benefiting CMT patients through their usage.