ALS Association Board of Trustees Elects Two New Members

Leaders come from Greater New York and Greater San Diego Boards

Washington, D.C. (March 7, 2018) -- The ALS Association announced that long-time ALS advocates Dr. Eugene P. Brandon and Wendy J. Schriber were elected as members of the national Board of Trustees. Brandon is a scientific leader with over 20 years of experience in cell and gene therapy, stem cell biotechnology, neurodegenerative disease, and translational biomedicine. Schriber is an attorney who recently retired from the practice of law and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Greater New York Chapter Board of Directors. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Eugene and Wendy to the Board of Trustees,” said Stephen Winthrop, Board Chair of The ALS Association. “They bring critical experience and a deep understanding of our mission from their extensive work with our chapters.”

In addition, the Association announced that Nancy Frates will be transitioning to a position on The ALS Association Chair’s Council. Members of the Chair’s Council provide strategic vision and guidance to the Association, its Board of Trustees, and its committees, work groups, and task forces. Frates, whose son Pete has had ALS for six years, joined the Association’s Board of Trustees in 2014.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons (nerve cells) in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which usually leads to total paralysis and death within five years of diagnosis. There is no cure and no life-prolonging treatments for the disease.

About Eugene Brandon

Dr. Brandon is an expert in cell and gene therapy and currently serves as a senior director at ViaCyte. He has served on The ALS Association’s Greater San Diego Chapter Board of Directors since 2005. He earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology and neurobiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He studied motor neuron degeneration at The Salk Institute and previously led the ALS research program at Ceregene. In addition to his professional connection with ALS, Dr. Brandon became personally connected to the disease when a neighbor and close friend was diagnosed with ALS. 

About Wendy Schriber

Schriber was a partner with an active corporate and real estate practice at the international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP until her recent retirement. She has been active with The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter since 1995 and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Greater New York Chapter Board of Directors. She earned her J.D. from Columbia University. Her life was touched by ALS when her father was diagnosed and died from the disease. 

About The ALS Association

The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The ALS Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.  For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.