Dr. Susan Apkon
Dr. Susan Apkon, MD is the Fischahs Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO) and Professor and Executive Vice-Chair in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Apkon has focused her professional career on the care of children and young adults with neuromuscular conditions. She co-directs the Neuromuscular Program at CHCO and provides clinical care in the many multidisciplinary clinics in that program. As a Rehabilitation Medicine physician, Dr. Apkon focuses on the physical and cognitive impact of the specific neuromuscular condition with a goal of maximizing a child’s function abilities.
Dr. Apkon’s academic pursuits focus on the advancement of novel treatments for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She has started two clinical trials programs. The programs have allowed children with these rare and progressive genetic conditions to participate in trials providing them with early access to potential life changing and life saving drugs prior to FDA approval.
Dr. Apkon has served the greater community in different capacities to support national organizations including Muscular Dystrophy Association, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, and Cure SMA. She is currently a Board Director of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Nora Renthal
Dr. Nora Renthal, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an attending physician in the Division of Endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital. She serves as the Medical Director of the Bone Health Program and Director of the DXA Program for Pediatric Bone Density at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Clinically, she is an attending physician in endocrinology and directs key programs related to bone health and pediatric bone density. She leads endocrine care in the PPMD Certified Duchenne Care Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Renthal’s research has two primary branches: basic science exploring the genetics of growth plate chondrocyte maturation and health equity research focused on understanding and improving sexual health care delivery for young adults with musculoskeletal disabilities.
Dr. Renthal chairs the Boston Children’s Hospital Collaborative for Disability Health Equity and Inclusion (CDHEI) and the Disability Health Equity Research Collaborative. She is the founder of the Endocrinology Network for Diversity, Openness, Awareness, Respect, and Community (EndoARC). As co-chair of the OPTIMIZE DMD Sexuality and Fertility Working Group, Dr. Renthal focuses on developing and refining care protocols related to sexual health and fertility for individuals with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Dr. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan
Dr. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan is a pediatric neuromuscular specialist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He serves as the Director of the Comprehensive Neuromuscular Program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
He is the Co-Director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center and Director of the PPMD Certified Duchenne Care Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Veerapandiyan earned his medical degree from the K.A.P. Vishwanatham Government Medical College in India. He completed a residency in Child Neurology at Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey and a fellowship in Neuromuscular Medicine at University of Rochester – Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.
Dr. Veerapandiyan has a passion for clinical research and education. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and has presented his work at national and international meetings. He is actively involved in industry-sponsored clinical trials including gene therapy trials focusing on neuromuscular disorders in children.
Dr. Amanda Appel
Dr. Appel MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado and Physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Dr. Appel currently works on the acute inpatient rehabilitation unit, consult service, and outpatient. Her research and education interests are currently focused on creating, implementing, and measure the impact of interventions to provide accurate and comprehensive disability specific sexual health education for adolescents and young adults with disabilities.
Dr. Appel is an engaged member of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. As a part of Optimize DMD Dr. Appel currently works to help create and provide content for disability specific sexual education resources.
A fun fact about Dr. Appel is that she loves to tap dance. For any inquires for Dr. Appel please direct them at amanda.appel@cuanschutz.edu
Dr. Claire Wood
Dr. Claire Wood, (MBChB, PhD, BMedSci) is an Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology at the Great North Children’s Hospital and Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University.
Her primary research focuses are bone and growth in DMD and thyroid disease in young people and she works closely with young people with DMD. With funding from Duchenne UK, she completed a clinical trial investigating the role of testosterone therapy in DMD.
She received the William Dick medal for best overall PhD student for her thesis entitled “Characterisation of skeletal development and the use of anabolic agents in murine models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy” .
She is a member of the Duchenne UK bone and endocrine steering group, involved in developing UK guidance for managing osteoporosis in adults with DMD and a member of the DMD Care UK corticosteroid use in DMD group. She is the co-chair of the growth and puberty working group and a member of the sexual health and fertility group. For inquires please reach out at Claire.wood@ncl.ac.uk
Colin Wreth
Colin Werth is a proud Virginian and lifelong resident of Farmville. He has an Associate’s degree in Information Technology from Southside Virginia Community College. Colin works as an IT Specialist for Letterpress Communications, a marketing firm. Colin is a consultant working with multiple pharmaceutical companies to integrate the perspective of the Duchenne adult community in their drug development and access programs.
Colin is an advocate for the rare disease community. He was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at age 3 in 1998. Colin became involved with PPMD in 2016 by joining the PPMD Adult Advisory Committee (PAAC) to provide guidance on Duchenne related programs as an individual living with the disease. He currently serves as the president of the PAAC and enjoys leading a group of 50 individuals living with Duchenne and Becker. He also serves as a member of PPMD’s Duchenne Registry Steering Committee and is a coordinator for PPMD’s Connect Virginia group. Colin strives to be a mentor to parents and others living with Duchenne through his public speaking and networking.
In his free time, Colin enjoys traveling, going to concerts, and spending time with his friends and family.
Dr. Gabriela Vargas
Gabriela Vargas, MD, MPH is an instructor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and physician in young adult medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.
She works with adolescent and young adults in both primary care and consultative care. In her consultative role she also sees young men with DMD to address their adolescent/young adult needs.
She is the Director of the Young Men’s Health Site, which is an international website run by the Boston Children’s Hospital Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine aimed at addressing the unique health needs of young men.
Dr. Vargas is a board member for the Partnership for Male Youth, a national non-profit dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of young men. She is also a member of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. She is a member of the Sexuality and Fertility Workgroup.
For inquires please direct them towards gabriela.vargas@childrens.harvard.edu
Janet Hoskin
Bio Coming Soon!
Dr. Lindsey Bratland
Bio Coming Soon!
Dr. Nat Nasomyont
Dr. Nat Nasomyont, MD, MS, is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA. He is also an associate program director for the pediatric endocrinology fellowship training program.
Dr. Nasomyont’s primary clinical interest is metabolic bone disease and osteoporosis in children and adolescents. Dr. Nasomyont has been a member of Cincinnati Children’s interdisciplinary neuromuscular care team since 2021.
His current research focuses on the treatment of osteoporosis in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). He has published studies on the uses of bisphosphonates and parathyroid hormone for osteoporosis in DMD.
Dr. Nasomyont currently serves as a junior co-chair for the osteoporosis work group and is a member of the sexuality and fertility work group within the OPTIMIZE DMD Consortium.
Dr. Natalie Truba
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Patrick Moeschen
A human being since 1972, Patrick Moeschen recently retired after 28 years of teaching music at the middle school level in a public school setting. He was diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy in 1985, and re-diagnosed with Limb-Girdle 2E MD in 2012.Inaddition to his Bachelor of music, Mr. Moeschen also holds a Master’s degree in counseling and human relations with a specialization on adolescence.
Today, Patrick works with the non profit Parent Project muscular dystrophy, where he advocates for individuals living with muscular dystrophy and manages the Patient Adult Advisory Committee (PAAC), a group that elevates the lives of others through advocacy, connection, mental and social health. Patrick is also an instructional coach for new teachers throughout the United States, as well as an international motivational speaker. Mr. Moeschen lives with his wife Vanessa, and two sons, Timothy and Teddy in a handicap accessible home that they designed in New Hampshire, where he continues to instruct kids in percussion, and the art of making music. Patrick joins the OPTIMIZEDMD Consortium as a patient advocate.
Prasanth N Surampudi
Bio Coming Soon!