Welcome to the New England Chapter!
Thank you for visiting the New England Chapter of the FSHD Society which officially launched in June 2018. We are here to build a local community of patients, family and friends, and help them connect and advocate for themselves and each other. Our hope for the future is to find a cure – Until then, we hope to bring a greater awareness to the community, and to help improve the quality of life of all those affected.
To reach us directly, please email: NewEnglandChapter@fshdsociety.org.
Don’t forget to follow us on FACEBOOK!
“In regards to the studies we have going on, we really need more FSHD subjects to participate, especially people who have not participated before and/or are newly diagnosed. This is not a requirement to participate, but we are trying to reach new subjects. As you know, FSHD is a rare disease, so we tend to reach the same group of people every time we recruit. And these people have been wonderful in participating multiple times over many years. Their participation is still very valuable, but we’d love to reach out to new participants as well so they can help join the effort.
At the University of Rochester Medical Center, we have multiple FSHD studies going on all the time. We work with many other sites around the country and the world, so if potential subjects contact us, we can always refer them to a site that is closer or more convenient.
We have studies that are one-day only, or require multiple visits. Some of these studies involve invasive procedures like muscle biopsy, some involve study drugs, and others do not involve any invasive procedures. When potential subjects contact me, I can talk to them about the different studies we have going on and help them determine which study that person is best suited for based on eligibility, time commitment, preference, etc.
Another terrific resource is the FSHD Registry we have at the URMC. People can go to dystrophyregistry.org and sign up to join the Registry. Subjects will complete annual surveys to update their information regarding their condition and contact information so that their eligibility for studies can be prescreened. Then the Registry will send the subject information on the studies they are eligible for. The subject can then decide if they would like to contact the researchers of those studies to participate. Subject information is never released to other researchers.
Subjects can contact me at 585-275-7680.”
Leann Lewis, MS
Health Project Coordinator
Neurology-Neuromuscular Disease Center
University of Rochester
601 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14642
Phone: 585-275-7680
Those of you who attended the November 4 meeting at the Wellstone Center are very aware of how great the content was, so I am thrilled to share the following link with you. If you did not attend or need a refresher on the exciting possible solutions for FSHD, please see the meeting content here: https://www.fshdsociety.org/2018/12/new-england-chapter-meeting-talks/
FSHD Society News:
- CEO webinar – Mark Stone explains our strategy to accelerate therapy development and why the next three years are so critical. Worth sharing and discussing at your next chapter meeting!
- The FSH Society had a convening an Industry Collaborative Workshop on March 12, 2019, bringing together companies that have FSHD drug development programs with academic thought leaders and FDA representatives. This is a key part of our FSHD Therapeutics Accelerator project. If you would like to learn more, please contact June Kinoshita.
Research News:
- Fulcrum Therapeutics is actively recruiting patients to participate in important studies in preparation for their clinical trial. The studies are being conducted in Rochester, NY, Baltimore, MD, Kansas City, Seattle, WA, and Irvine, CA. For more information, please contact June Kinoshita.
- DUX4 structure unveiled. An important advance made by Dr. Michael Kyba (and FSH Society grantee), that can help with the design of new drugs to block DUX4 activity.
Educating our Members:
- “Building the house” for FSHD therapies. Why it’s so important for people to volunteer for research studies, especially now.
- Our Guide for Schools. One of our classic brochures, written by a team of experts in early-onset FSHD and school accommodations, this is a must-have for every family with school-age children who have been diagnosed with FSHD..
- The flu season is upon us. Should you get the vaccine? We asked FSHD experts and here’s what they recommended.
Upcoming Events
Jan
20
Webinar on the Voice of the Patient Forum
Informational Webinar Our webinar on January 20th at noon U.S. Eastern Time will introduce our Voice of the Patient Forum (taking place on April 21) and answer your questions about how to be involved. This meeting is the FSHD Community’s platform to present testimony by patients and family caregivers and educate the FDA on how FSHD has impacted your life or the life of your loved ones. Your input will result in a Voice of the Patient Report that will…
Find out more »Apr
21
Voice of the Patient Forum for Drug Development
This meeting is the FSHD Community’s forum to present testimony by patients and family caregivers and educate the FDA on how FSHD has impacted your life or the life of your loved ones. Your input will result in a Voice of the Patient Report that will be submitted to the FDA’s Division of Neurology Products, Office of New Drugs, for inclusion in the framework used to evaluate future FSHD therapies. Your views carry great weight with the agency when it considers whether…
Find out more »Jun
27
2020 FSHD Connect
The 2020 FSHD Connect. hosted by the FSHD Society, is the largest biennial educational and networking gathering of FSHD patients and families, researchers, and clinicians.
Find out more »
KRISTIN ZWICKAU
Chapter Director
Kristin first got involved with the FSHD Society in October 2017 after her daughter was clinically diagnosed with FSHD 2, the first in their family that they know of. They’d never heard about FSH Muscular Dystrophy before, and have jumped at the chance to do and learn as much as possible. With support and hope, FSHD has a chance of being cured sooner rather than later!
Kristin is passionate about people. Currently Kristin is the Director of Global Talent Aquistion (TA) for Care.com. Her mission is to building a TA function that supports the company in building best in class teams! Kristin is fascinated by learning about the twists and turns in people’s career paths, leading them to where they are today. Kristin also embraces a customized, personal approach to building partnerships. She does not believe in a one size fits all mentality.
Kristin enjoys spending time traveling, skiing and hiking with her family and in a quiet moment she also enjoys a good book.
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