LUMIND IDSC FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Research Team
- Senior Manager, Strategy & Research
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Harvard College
Currently working towards a master's degree from William James College
Amit brings his experience in biotech, healthcare, and finance to the LuMind IDSC Research Team to help execute our research and advocacy mission.
Before joining LuMind IDSC, Amit helped manage the administration and accounting of Omar's World of Comics, an entertainment center in Lexington, MA with a mission to provide vocational training to youth with intellectual disabilities in a safe, inclusive, and fun environment. He has also worked as an analyst for Bain Capital Life Sciences and as a corporate strategy intern at Biogen.
Amit brings a personal connection to the LuMind IDSC mission. He has an older brother, Rohan, who is 37 years old and has Down syndrome.
Job Titles:
- Management Consultant
- Member of the Board
- Member at Large / President Emerita
Ann W. Caldwell is a non-profit management consultant, working with CEOs and boards on issues of leadership, strategic planning and governance. She served as President of the MGH Institute of Health Professions for ten years, where she was awarded an honorary degree in 2021. She is the former Vice President of Development at Brown University. She has served on many non-profit boards, including the American College of Greece in Athens. A graduate of the University of Michigan, She lives in Boston overlooking the North End with her dog Nick and her cat Soot.
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive
- Chairman, LuMind IDSC Board of Trustees
- Chairman, LuMind IDSC Board of Trustees / EVP, Corporate Development
Anthony Providenti is a senior executive within Mars Corporation's Science and Diagnostics Division which provides diagnostic solutions to veterinarians across the globe with a vision of making a better world for pets. Anthony has extensive management experience within the healthcare industry with a focus on veterinary and animal health. In addition, Anthony is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of New York. Anthony is a co-founder of events and programs, including the Romp For Research and the Double Dip, which benefit the Down syndrome and special needs communities. Anthony holds a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University and a J.D. from Fordham University's School of Law where he served as a member and editor of the Fordham Law Review. Anthony lives in East Hampton, NY with his wife Erin, three children and dog Rex.
Job Titles:
- Member at Large
- Member at Large / Chief Operating Officer
- Senior Level Drug Development Consultant
Beverly Paperiello is a senior level drug development consultant working with biotechnology companies to progress their pipeline. She is an accomplished executive/leader with over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has an extensive background in the management of clinical development programs and related departments with responsibility for clinical research spanning from early stage to late-stage development in multiple therapeutic areas. She holds a B. S. in Health Administration from Northern Illinois University. Bev resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband Vince and their two dogs, Henry and Hudson.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member at Large
- Member at Large / Principal
Education:
BA History, The College of the Holy Cross,
MBA, Georgetown University
Christian Senna is a partner with Middlesex Real Estate Management, a Boston-based commercial real estate investor. Chris is responsible for the day-to-day management of assets within the portfolio. He has served on several non-profit boards, including as the board chair of the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce, the executive committee of the Italian Home for Children, and currently on the Board of Directors of the Stoneham & Wakefield Boys & Girls Club. Chris graduated with a BA in History from The College of the Holy Cross and with an MBA from Georgetown University. In his spare time, Chris enjoys coaching flag football, golfing and cheering on Boston's sports teams. He resides in Lexington, MA with his wife and three children.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Marketing & Community Engagement Team
- Director of Community Programs
Education:
East Carolina University and State University of New York at Jefferson
Christina joins the LuMind IDSC Marketing and Community Engagement team where she will foster the expansion and development of our community programs.
Previously, Christina served as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance where she managed the successful merger/acquisition of smaller organizations and oversaw the extensive expansion of programs, initiatives, events, and communications. Her prior experience also includes coordinating programs and events for a community-based nonprofit, and operating crisis support programs for military families.
Christina is the mother of a daughter with Down syndrome. It is her passion to ensure that every baby born with Down syndrome receives a joyous welcome and every parent or caregiver of a child with Down syndrome is connected to equitable resources, medical care, and the community.
Building on her well-founded background and comprehensive set of skills, Christina is driven to enhance the quality and impact of LuMind IDSC's community-facing programs.
Job Titles:
- Member at Large
- Member at Large / Project Manager
- Scientific Consultant at Alana
Education:
MS.D., Biological Science (Molecular Biology), Universidade Federal de São Paulo
Claudia Moreira graduated in Pharmacy and Biochemistry and completed both master's and doctoral degrees in Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology) at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo, collaborating with the University of Michigan. With a specialization in Immunology, Claudia has been dedicated to validating diagnostic tests for Infectious Diseases. Having worked on projects in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Claudia contributed to improving laboratory infrastructure in Mozambique and participated in HIV prevalence studies in Angola. She was involved in implementing genetic tests using the filter paper technique for collecting biological samples for laboratory analysis.
Currently serving as a scientific consultant at Alana, Claudia played a part in establishing the Alana Down Syndrome Center at MIT. She is actively involved in projects related to Down Syndrome, contributing to research funding processes and initiatives on the subject. Claudia is currently participating in the creation of the BURITI - DS Network, the first Brazilian research network focused on Down Syndrome.
Das Narayandas is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and prior roles included Senior Associate Dean of Harvard Business Publishing, External Relations and Executive Education; he also chaired the HBS Executive Education Advanced Management Program and the Program for Leadership Development. Das's background includes sales and marketing and his current research interests focus on business-to-business marketing and management of client relationships in professional service firms. Das currently serves on the Boards of AllianceBernstein, Neurolens, Harvard Business Publishing and Harvard University Press and Indian Institute of Management (IIMB) and the Harvard-IESE Committee.
He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IITB), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), and a Ph.D. in Management from Purdue University. Importantly, Das has two sons, the older one of which has Down syndrome.
Job Titles:
- Founder, Chairman and CEO of KabaFusion
- Member at Large
- Member at Large / CEO
Education:
Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Southern California
Dr. Sohail Masood received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Southern California (USC), in 1988. He completed a pharmacy residency at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, in 1989.
Dr. Masood is the founder, Chairman and CEO of KabaFusion. Kaba is the largest privately held, independently owned home infusion company in the USA valued at more than $1 billion by Novo Holdings of Denmark
Dr. Masood is a serial entrepreneur with several businesses built over the last 30 years. In 1992, he established Crescent Healthcare, Inc. with his wife, Mona Masood. Dr. Masood received several awards including the most prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the greater Los Angeles in 1999 for Crescent; He then received his second Ernst & Year Regional Entrepreneur of the Year for KabaFusion in 2017. Dr. Masood won Ernst & Young's National Entrepreneur of the Year for Kaba in 2023. He also received the Most Distinguished Alumni award for USC; and a Lifetime Achievement Award from National Home Infusion Association.
Dr. Masood lives in Weston, MA with his wife Mona and children Laila and Omar. Omar has Down Syndrome. As a self-advocate, he is very active in the Down Syndrome community. Recently he met with President Biden and Vice President Harris in the White House where President Biden called him out and praised him for his work with disabled communities. Omar owns a comic bookstore in Lexington, MA called Omar's World of Comics.
Job Titles:
- Business Administration at the Harvard Business School
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member of the Board President & CEO
Education:
MS Economics, University of St. Gallen,
MBA, Harvard Business School,
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Board, LuMind IDSC / Partner
Education:
University of Oxford
Hector is a partner with Hg, based in New York, where he focuses on software investments. He moved to the US in 2019 to help establish Hg's US presence, and now lives in New York with his wife, Lucy, and three children.
Hector first got involved with LuMind IDSC after his son Alfred was diagnosed with Down Syndrome after he was born in 2015. Hector previously lived in London and Mumbai, and graduated from the University of Oxford.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Research Team
- Clinical Trial Recruitment Associate
Education:
M.S. in Human Genetics & Genetic Counseling from Stanford University
B.S. in Biology from Boston College
Jackie brings a combination of genetics and clinical trial experiences to LuMind IDSC. Recently earning her degree in genetic counseling, Jackie has gained important insight on the journey families go through when discussing the diagnosis, risk, and impact of different genetic conditions. Previously, she worked as a study coordinator for investigational drug trials in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. She has also spent some time working at the laboratory benchside, furthering academic research in cancer genetics.
Jackie is excited to work with families and research teams to help support the mission of increasing access and awareness of research opportunities.
Jackie is from New York City but has lived in various places along the East and West coast, including 10 years in the Boston area.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Development Team
- Donor Relations Systems Manager
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, University of New Hampshire
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer of Bluegrass Natural Resources LLC
- Member at Large
- Member at Large / Chief Restructuring Officer
Jeff Strobel is the Chief Financial officer of Bluegrass Natural Resources LLC, a metallurgical coal mining company that produces a primary component for the global steel industry. He has extensive experience as CEO, CRO, VP and Director in the energy and mining industries. He began his career as a US Navy officer, flying F-14 Tomcats, before earning an MBA at Columbia Business School and becoming an investment banker. He lives in Wildwood, Missouri with his wife Linda and their daughter Grace, who is a model, public speaker and advocate for people with Down syndrome. Jeff and Linda also have another daughter, Laine, who lives in New York City and is currently in post-graduate studies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Research Team
- Clinical Trial Monitor
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, University of Connecticut
Master of Public Health, San Diego State University
Jill brings experience in clinical trials, global regulatory submissions, and project management to the LuMind IDSC Research Team in her role overseeing the Life-DSR and sub-study sites.
Joining LuMind IDSC in 2022 as a part-time contractor, Jill's services providing site monitoring activities quickly excelled as the LIFE-DSR study grew. Jill is now the "face" of LuMind IDSC for study staff at each location, and she interacts with the study sites on a regular basis to ensure participant study data is accurately recorded, and that questions are answered to ensure seamless experiences for participants.
Jill has over 10 years of experience in clinical trials. She started as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the site level where she managed study participant recruitment and enrollment activities. She has also previously held a Regulatory position where she gained expertise in global regulatory submissions, as well as positions in Project Management that have all contributed to her proficiency in the clinical trial space.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Marketing & Community Engagement Team
- Vice President of Marketing & Community Engagement
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, St. Michael's College in Vermont
Kate leads cross-organization efforts to implement an integrated marketing, communications, and outreach strategy. With the Marketing and Community Engagement teams, Kate is tasked with strengthening LuMind IDSC's brand identity; broadening the Down syndrome community's awareness of and engagement with research initiatives; and supporting programmatic and fundraising initiatives across all audiences.
As Director of Marketing at the International Institute of New England and the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, Kate led complex communications strategies to serve multiple audiences.
She previously served as a Senior Director of Field Development at Autism Speaks - New England, where she coordinated awareness and fundraising initiatives in five states and led volunteers to raise $400,000 annually.
Kate has worked in the human services field for more than 20 years in roles that incorporate mission marketing, fundraising, and grassroots advocacy. She has served on the boards of several local non-profit organizations and still volunteers as time permits.
Kate is a singer. She is also a part-time resident of Prince Edward Island in Canada, and frequently visits Ireland where she gets her fill of traditional music and windswept weather.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Marketing & Community Engagement Team
- Community Programs Coordinator
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Administration from Drury University
Kim worked in the accounting field for 27 years. In her most recent job, she worked as an accountant in an accounting firm preparing various types of tax returns (individual, partnership, corporation, trust and nonprofit). Prior to that she worked as a technology consultant/accountant for another accounting firm.
Kim also worked for the Staffmark LLC corporate office as a Senior Accountant. She did extensive analysis of accounts and assisted with the preparation of forecasts and budgets.
Kim was introduced to the Down syndrome community when her daughter, who has Down syndrome, was born in2005. Kim got involved in her local DS group from 2007 - 2011, serving as treasurer, then president.
She began volunteering with IDSC by helping to edit photos for the IDSC photo campaign, joined the board of IDSC in 2015, and later joined the LuMind IDSC board before becoming a staff member.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Board, LuMind IDSC / VP, Global Digital Marketing
- VP of Global Digital Marketing at NVIDIA
Education:
BS, Business Management, San Jose State University
As the VP of Global Digital Marketing at NVIDIA, LaSandra is an innovative leader in AI and data-driven marketing. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles leading digital transformation at Symantec and Cisco. Beyond her professional accomplishments, LaSandra is deeply committed to making a positive impact on the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. She has previously served on the board of Abilities United and Special Olympics Northern California, and currently serves on the executive leadership council with Parents Helping Parents (PHP). LaSandra's dedication extends to her personal life as well. She wrote a book titled "Let's Be Friends" to help introduce her child with Down syndrome to her school community and peers. LaSandra holds a B.S. in Business Management from San Jose State University. She resides in the Bay Area with her husband Jonathan, three children, two dogs, and a flock of thirteen chickens.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Research Team
- Vice President, Clinical Operations
Education:
M.S. from Lesley University
Registered Nurse from Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing
B.S. from Springfield College
Prior to joining LuMind IDSC, Lois worked for six years as a Senior Director in Clinical Operations, overseeing international clinical trials studying the impact of chronic kidney disease. In the US alone, there are 37 million Americans with kidney disease and this number continues to rapidly grow to where it currently affects 1 in 7 of American adults. Because the early stages of kidney disease usually do not have symptoms, people are unaware they have chronic kidney disease until it is very advanced.
Most recently, Lois worked with a biopharmaceutical company studying advanced chronic kidney disease leading to kidney failure with a subsequent need for a kidney transplant, and a potential anti-rejection medicine to prevent the rejection of their newly transplanted kidney.
Lois said her past experiences in caring for diverse populations and her background in the clinical trials field all led her to this point in her career, working to advance and accelerate Down syndrome research.
She is looking forward to raising awareness of the unique needs of the Down syndrome community, and promoting the development of clinical trial protocols for inclusion criteria that will allow someone with Down syndrome to participate in future clinical trials.
"As a Registered Nurse, I worked in hospitals providing care for people who were acutely ill or injured, and in community settings providing in-home nursing care and caregiver support. I worked in specialty units such as the Burn Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Renal Unit. I also worked in schools with diverse populations of students, some of whom had extremely challenging physical and emotional conditions requiring tremendous medical care in the school setting in order to successfully attend their classroom studies. These experiences in the early years of my nursing career led to my pursuing a path where I could provide care and support to people at an earlier point in their disease process and this was when I pursued a career in clinical trials. I now have more than 20 years of experience in the research field and in a multitude of therapeutic areas.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- General Manager
Education:
Burdette Executive/Secretarial School
Lori has over 20 years of experience as an office manager. Her last position was with Bartlett Tree Experts, making sure the office ran smoothly day-to-day.
Before joining LuMind IDSC, Lori worked at Tewksbury State Hospital, Department of Mental Health, as an Administrative Assistant to the Director of Quality Control, handling hospital daily number counts, meetings, and travel.
Lori helps organize all the administrative activities that facilitate a smooth running of the organization.
Job Titles:
- Senior Operations Manager
Ludivine Van der Heyden is an attorney working to develop and manage Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP's pro bono immigration practice. Ludivine maintains an active docket of pro bono immigration cases, and also represents families in special education litigation in New York. She previously worked as a litigation associate at the firm and before rejoining the firm, Ludivine was a senior staff attorney in Sanctuary for Families' Immigration Intervention Project, where she represented survivors of gender-based violence in seeking humanitarian immigration relief. Ludivine holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School. She lives in Brooklyn Heights, NY with her husband Augusto and their three children, one of which has Down Syndrome.
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- Member of the Development Team
Education:
Masters in Law and Social Policy, Bryn Mawr College
Before she joined the LuMind IDSC team, Michelle worked at Agassiz Village as Director of Development. At Agassiz, she was responsible for setting strategic direction and executing comprehensive fundraising and communication effort serving at risk youth.
Michelle also worked at DCA as senior consultant to non-profits in board development, fundraising, strategic planning, major campaign planning and execution, and partnership development.
Michelle is motivated by the dedication of families who work tirelessly to ensure their loved ones with Down syndrome have the opportunity to live their best lives.
Building on the expertise of the full Development team, Michelle will increase philanthropic support in all its forms to accelerate Down syndrome research, and empower families with outreach, support, and resources to improve the lives of people with DS.
Job Titles:
- Chief Scientific Officer
- Member of the Research Team
Education:
Education: Post-doctoral fellowship: University of Chicago (Biophysics)
PhD: University of Iowa College of Medicine (Microbiology/Molecular Genetics)
BA: University of Iowa (Zoology)
Recently, Dr. Fisher was the Chief Scientific Officer at Vigil Neuroscience, where he helped build the microglia-focused biology team.
Previously, Dr. Fisher served in a senior scientific leadership role for Flagship Pioneering FL60 (now Vesalius Therapeutics); where he worked with the founders in building a stem cell-based biology team.
Dr. Fisher served as the Chief Scientific Officer at Proclara Bioscience, where he helped establish the scientific team. He was a key member in the development of a novel approach, called GAIM, to lower amyloid loads in Alzheimer's disease, culminating in the clinical trials of two novel drug candidates.
Dr. Fisher worked in the neurodegenerative disease space for more than 20 years. He believes that working at LuMind IDSC will be "a great opportunity to be able to apply his experience toward the treatment and prevention of neurodegeneration in individuals with Down syndrome." One of his primary objectives is to solidify and extend the research platform built by the LuMind IDSC team in order to effectively maximize the impact of the organization.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Communications Manager
- Member of the Marketing & Community Engagement Team
- Manager, Marketing & Communications
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, University at Buffalo
Shannon brings more than 15 years of experience in building brand awareness and community engagement through public relations, marketing, and event planning initiatives. As an integral part of the Marketing team, Shannon will advance the engagement and awareness of LuMind IDSC's mission of accelerating research to increase the availability of therapeutic, diagnostic, and medical care options for people with Down syndrome, while also empowering their families through education, connections, and support.
Shannon previously held the position of Public Relations Officer for a school district in upstate NY where she managed the creation and messaging for all district initiatives, events, and campaigns to increase stakeholder and community engagement.
Helping individuals with Down syndrome and their families is a personal mission for Shannon. In 2017 she welcomed her son, Dayton, into the world. Dayton brings joy to everyone he meets, and he also happens to have Down syndrome.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Research Team
- Senior Project Manager, Clinical Operations
Education:
Master of Science - University of Cincinnati
Tashia brings over 20 years of research experience to the LuMind IDSC team.
Her prior experience includes Stroke research at the University of Cincinnati/NIH where she was responsible for over 100 clinical trial sites in Neurology as the Sr. Clinical Project Manager. She has also worked in pediatric and adult Oncology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and UC where she was responsible for building a quality control program, monitoring and auditing site for several multi-center trials. Additionally, Tashia has worked as a project manager and as an inspection readiness auditor.
Tashia's passion for research comes from real world evidence of what it can do. She is motivated to use this passion to help move Down syndrome research forward.
Tashia is a photographer and has traveled to West Africa and Europe for photos. She also has a 2-year old cockapoo dog named Puma.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Co - Founder of Pulsar
- Vice Chair, LuMind IDSC Board
- Vice Chair, LuMind IDSC Board / CEO & Co - Founder
Education:
BS Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
MBS, Harvard Business School
Tony Hung is the CEO and Co-Founder of Pulsar Bio. A life sciences drug discovery startup that works with major pharmaceutical companies. Tony has been an entrepreneur and helped start several companies in the diagnostics, drug delivery and synthetic biology space. Tony was also previously an investor and venture capitalist with Correlation Ventures. He holds a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and a Masters from Harvard University. He lives in Cambridge, MA.