Who's Who at MGFA?

 

 

  

 

 

Marcia Lorimer

Dr. Ruff is the chair of the Medical/ Scientific Advisory Board. He is the retired chief of neurology at the Cleveland VA Medical Center and National Director of Neurology for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a neurologist and biophysicist. He is professor of Neurology and Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and acting Director of Rehabilitation Research and Development Science for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Dr. Ruff has been involved in MG research and treatment for more than 30 years. Dr. Ruff serves as a member of the Communications Committee.

  

 

 

Charlene Hafer-Macko, M.D. 

 

Charlene Hafer-Macko, M.D., Associate Professor of Neurology, is a clinician and researcher affiliated with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Neurology and the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center. She holds a BS in Chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University, MS in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western University, MD from Ohio State University, School of Medicine, Neurology Residency at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Neuromuscular Disease Fellowships at UCLA and Johns Hopkins University. Her research interest focuses on disability-adjusted exercise programs to promote health and wellness for individuals with myasthenia gravis (MG) and other neurological disabilities. Her research identifies the factors that contribute to the fatigue of chronic, stable MG. It explores whether a multi-modal (pulmonary, aerobic, and resistive / dynamic balance) exercise program and a focused MG education program are safe and effective to improve fitness, strength, endurance, function, and cardio-metabolic health. Charlene is a member of MGFA's Medical / Scientific Advisory Board and serves on the Education and Advocacy Committees. She serves on the MGFA Board of Directors and the ad hoc Outreach committee. She also supports individuals living with MG in the mid-Atlantic region.

 

 

Steve Hawco

 

Steven Hawco is a global digital marketing and eCommerce executive, leader and creative thinker with over twenty years of transforming companies and brands into new and emerging channels and experiences. He brings to MGFA a passion for building brands by delivering emotionally engaging customer experiences across all touchpoints while striving for operational excellence. Steve is currently the global head of Digital Pets for Merial. He was held senior digital executive positions with Maidenform, Wyndham Worldwide – Exchange and Rental, and the LEGO Group. He holds an MBA in Finance and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut. Steve has served on the Board of Directors at eBillme, the leading provider of payment solutions that extend online banking to a merchant’s account.   He is currently serving on the MGFA Finance Committee.

 

 

Henry Kaminski, MD

 

Henry J. Kaminski, MD serves as the Meta A. Neumann Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is an internationally recognized expert in the care of patients with myasthenia gravis. His research work focuses on the development of novel therapeutics for myasthenia gravis. He is a member of the executive committee of the National Institutes of Health funded trial of Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis and directs the Biomarker in MG study.   Dr. Kaminski is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association. He is immediate past president of the Association of University Professors of Neurology and former chair of Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. He serves as Chief Medical Officer of ARC Biotechnology, a company established to develop treatments for myasthenia gravis.

 

 

 

 

Marilyn Ricci is the current chairperson of the MGFA Nurses Advisory Board and has been a Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for over 45 years. She was employed by St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center/Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona in the roles of CNS, Research Nurse Clinician, and Faculty at Grand Canyon University College of Nursing in partnership with St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center. She has served appointments on the Nursing Faculty at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, University of North Dakota, and Texas Woman's University. She received her MS and Clinical Specialty in Neuroscience Nursing from Texas Women's University in Dallas Texas in 1972. She is currently the Nurse Facilitator for the MGFA Phoenix Support Group and was the Nurse Advisor and member of the Jim L. Walker Arizona Chapter MGFA Board of Directors. She has made multiple presentations related to Myasthenia Gravis at the local, state, national and international venues, and has several publications related to Myasthenia Gravis in addition to other neuroscience nursing topics.   Other professional activities include being the past president of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN), founding member and past president of the American Board of Neuroscience Nurses (ABNN - the Neuroscience Nursing certifying organization), an ABNN representative to the American Board of Nursing Specialty and founding member and President of the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC).