APDA - Key Persons
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- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Schwendler - President / Community Member
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Director, Stephen & Denise Adams Center for Parkinson
Director, Stephen & Denise Adams Center for Parkinson's Disease Research, Stephen and Denise Adams Professor of Neurology Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology / Department of Neurology / Perelman School of Medicine
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- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board
- Scientific and Medical Affairs Advisory
David G. Standaert, MD, PhD is the John N. Whitaker Professor & Chair of Neurology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, where he serves as Director of the Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Director of the Division of Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology, and Vice-Chair of Neurology. He sees patients in a weekly clinic and through the course of clinical trials of new therapeutics for Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Standaert received his MD and PhD degrees from Washington University in St. Louis in medicine and pharmacology. He completed a medicine internship at Jewish Hospital of St. Louis and neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania after which he completed a three-year research and clinical fellowship in neurology (movement disorders) at Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Standaert is an APDA George C. Cotzias, MD Fellowship recipient, and joined the Scientific Advisory Board in 2002. He is the board's fourth chairman.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Professor of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Media Contact
- Vice President, Marketing & Communications
- Program Director at the Avon Foundation for Women
Eloise Caggiano joined APDA in November 2015 after serving as Program Director at the Avon Foundation for Women, the largest corporate-affiliated foundation focused on causes that most impact women. Through 2014, Avon global philanthropy, led by the Avon Foundation, has contributed nearly $1 billion in over 50 countries. While at the Avon Foundation Ms. Caggiano focused largely on the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, a successful nationwide fundraising event series. Her role encompassed everything from recruitment and peer to peer fundraising, communications and public relations, event logistics and customer service to social media, public speaking and more. She served as the official spokesperson for the Avon Walks, partaking in more than 250 media interviews and hosting 120 opening/closing ceremonies. She also helped create and manage fundraising events for the Foundation's Speak Out Against Domestic Violence campaign and managed the organization's annual fundraising reception.
Prior to the Avon Foundation, Ms. Caggiano spent 11 years in the PR/communications world, most recently as a Vice President at MSL Group, developing and implementing top-notch public relations plans for major brands and consumer products. She offers a unique combination of for-profit, agency-side experience, together with impactful non-profit experience, where she helped engage and empower event participants to raise millions of dollars for an important cause.
Her cause-related work continues outside her full time career, often lending her time and talents to deserving organizations via volunteer work. Ms. Caggiano earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena College in Loudonville, NY.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Director, Stem Cell & Regeneration Program / the Burnham Institute
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- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Vice President of Development
Heather joined APDA as the Vice President of Development in July 2023. She has an extensive background in Development and Fundraising, holding non-profit leadership roles within a variety of organizations throughout her career. Heather comes to APDA most recently from the RWJBarnabas Health hospital system in New Jersey and prior to her role there as Vice President of Development, she was the Executive Director of the Autism Speaks New Jersey Chapter.
In Heather's early career, she was a practicing occupational therapist with extensive experience in the complex and challenging needs of the Parkinson's community. She earned her degree in occupational therapy at the University of Minnesota and is a licensed occupational therapist. Heather received her master's in health administration at George Washington University (GWU), and is board certified as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an International Certified Fund Raising Executive. While at GWU, Heather received honors from the Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society and served as an appointed member of the Accessibility and Inclusivity Council in the town of Westfield, NJ.
Job Titles:
- Fundraising Events Manager
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Love Family Professor & Vice - Chair of Neurology / University of Pittsburgh
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Professor of Neurology Division Chief, UCSF Movement Disorder and Neuromodulation Center / Weill Institute for Neurosciences
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Elliot Stein Family Professor of Neurology, Professor of Radiology, Neurobiology, Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy / Washington University
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Chairman of Neurology
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- Fundraising and Planned Giving
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- Community Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary
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- Manager of Program & Community Engagement
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Seattle Elder Care Connection
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- CEO
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- President
- President and CEO of the American Parkinson Disease Association
Leslie Chambers was appointed President and CEO of the American Parkinson Disease Association in August 2012, bringing to the role a rich background in successful leadership and management experience with more than 30 years the non-profit, voluntary health sector.
During her tenure with APDA, Leslie has successfully led the organization through its first-ever strategic plan, resulting in increased patient-focused programs and services, educational initiatives and expansion of its research funding. Well into APDA's next strategic plan, Leslie continues to push APDA forward with the drive and focus necessary to fulfill its mission of helping everyone impacted by Parkinson's disease live life to the fullest. Leslie leads a team that is responsible for implementing the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson's disease who work tirelessly every day to deliver impactful programs and services to local communities across the country.
Prior to APDA, Leslie has held leadership positions with several major non-profit health organizations including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer's Association and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Massachusetts, in the fields of human nutrition and public health. She received an award from U Mass in October 2016 for Significant Contributions to the field of Public Health and Health Sciences from the Dean of the School of Public Health and Health Sciences.
Leslie is a passionate advocate for the Parkinson's community and looks forward to the day when the mysteries of Parkinson's disease have been solved - once and for all.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Community Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
Michelle H. McDonald joined APDA in December 2012. Ms. McDonald brings nearly 30 years management experience in the non-profit sector having served in national, regional, and state leadership positions with the Alzheimer's Association, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and The Housing and Community Development Network of NJ.
Specializing in organizational development, she has a proven track record building chapter capacity with success in fundraising, program development, strategic business planning, board and staff development, and financial management. Before launching her non-profit career, she worked in the geriatric psychiatry and developmental disabilities fields.
While at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, with 80+ chapters and revenues of over $250M, she served at the national office (White Plains, NY) as a Vice President and Regional Director in Field Management. At the Alzheimer's Association, she served as a Chapter Executive Director, then Regional Director at the national office in Chicago, IL, where she assisted in the implementation of a nationwide strategic restructure initiative to enhance the capacity of a 200+ chapter network with revenues of $150M.
Ms. McDonald possesses Bachelor and Masters Degrees from Rutgers University's School of Social Work, with a concentration in Administration, Policy and Planning, and is a licensed social worker. While at Rutgers, she was the recipient of the Bryan C. Wright Values and Ethics Award and Alumni Leadership Award, and co-developed a volunteer program which linked university students with an elementary school homework center in inner-city Camden, NJ.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Rebecca Gilbert joined APDA in 2018, bringing a wealth of practical experience in diagnosing and treating Parkinson's disease, a strong background in the science behind PD, and a fundamental understanding of the challenges of living with PD. Rebecca plays a key role in developing APDA's long term mission strategy, oversees APDA's research portfolio and provides medical and clinical expertise to support APDA programming and educational content.
Dr. Gilbert received her MD degree at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and PhD in Cell Biology and Genetics at the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences. She then completed her Neurology Residency training as well as Movement Disorders Fellowship training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. She continues to maintain a limited schedule of patients one day a week through Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City.
Prior to joining APDA, she was an Associate Professor of Neurology at the Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, NYU Langone Medical Center where she saw Movement disorders patients at both NYU and Bellevue Hospital Center, initiated and directed the NYU Movement Disorders Fellowship, participated in clinical trials and other research initiatives for Parkinson's disease and lectured widely on Parkinson's disease.
Job Titles:
- Community Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
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- Vice President, Programs & Services
Rosa joined APDA in 2015 and oversees the strategy, implementation, operational development, management and evaluation of all national programs and services for the Parkinson's community and APDA's Information & Referral network. She provides training, tactical, and technical support to Chapters, and Information & Referral staff, and volunteers and develops best practices for outreach, support, and programs. She developed and executed the first APDA signature program, PRESS™ Support Program (Parkinson's Roadmap for Education and Support Services) which has expanded to more than 21 states.
Prior to joining APDA, Rosa was the Regional Director of the Alzheimer's Association Greater East Los Angeles Chapter serving as the National Field Operations Manager and a long tenure with The Leukemia & Lymphoma society in various leadership roles within the Patient Services Department.
Rosa is bilingual in English/Spanish and has developed and implemented many patient and community-based programs and has forged highly productive and collaborative community partnerships for a wide array of diverse populations. Rosa served on a nationally appointed steering committee at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to develop the organization's diversity strategy and policy.
Rosa provides valuable expertise to APDA with development of Spanish-language outreach strategies, materials, and focus groups in diverse communities.
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- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer / C. Don Filer Agency
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- Community Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Community Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Community Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Board
- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Associate Professor, Oregon Health & Science University / Department of Neurology / Jungers Center for Neurosciences Research / Parkinson Center of Oregon
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Professor of Neurology