Press Releases

Monica Coenraads
Director of Research, RSRF
Monica Coenraads
203.243.5733 July 20, 2005
Rett Syndrome Research Foundation Co-Founder Elected to the American Brain Coalition Board of Trustees

Monica Coenraads, co-founder and Director of Research of the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (RSRF) was recently elected to the Board of Trustees of the newly formed American Brain Coalition (ABC).

By establishing a presence in Washington, DC, the ABC will serve as a voice representing 50 million Americans with disabling brain disorders. ABC will bring together organizations that represent patients, families, and professionals to advocate for increased support of research that will lead to better treatment, for services and support that will improve patients' quality of life and for a national commitment toward finding cures for individuals with disabling neurological and psychiatric disorders.

"I am honored to serve on the board of the ABC and am committed to its urgent mission," comments Monica Coenraads. "After a substantial investment in basic science, tools are now at hand to translate scientific breakthroughs into clinical applications and improve the lives of children and adults suffering from brain disorders. ABC will be the unifying voice to Congress and the American people as we strive to obtain the necessary resources for this crucial transition," states Monica Coenraads.

Neurological disorders cost our economy more than $600 billion a year and untold death and suffering. In light of the recent budget reductions at the National Institutes of Health and other federal research programs, a united voice in support of brain research is imperative.

"ABC hopes to achieve the same level of public awareness and support for diseases of the brain that have been realized by the American Heart Association for heart disease and the American Cancer Society for cancer," said Francis I. Kittredge, Jr., MD, chair of the coalition. "Only when the public understands how mental illness and diseases of the brain affect 50 million of their relatives, friends, and neighbors will we attract the level of support for research and care needed to prevent, control, and cure these diseases. Each ABC member has a responsibility to network with colleagues in their field so that ABC can achieve this level of awareness."

Other ABC board members include Francis I. Kittredge Jr., M.D., Thomas Swift, M.D. and Catherine Rydell all of the American Academy of Neurology; Nancy S. Wexler, Ph.D., Columbia University and President of the Hereditary Disease Foundation; Mahlon R. DeLong, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Emory University; William C. Mobley, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University; Gregory L. Holmes, M.D., American Epilepsy Society; Robin Elliott, Executive Director of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation; Jeffrey A. Samuels, M.D., American Society of Neurorehabilitation.

Monica Coenraads, mother to an 8 year-old daughter afflicted with Rett Syndrome, co-founded RSRF almost six years ago and has served as the Director of Research since the foundation's inception.

Children with Rett Syndrome (RTT) appear to develop normally until 6 to 18 months of age, when they enter a period of regression, losing speech and motor skills. Most develop repetitive hand movements, irregular breathing patterns, seizures and motor control problems. RTT leaves its victims profoundly disabled, requiring maximum assistance with every aspect of daily living.

RSRF, a non-profit organization founded in 1999, is dedicated to accelerating the search for treatments and a cure for Rett Syndrome. Since its inception, RSRF has funded over $6.5 million in research and is the world's leading private funder of Rett Syndrome research.

For more information on the ABC and its advocacy issues, visit their Website at www.americanbraincoalition.org

For more information on Rett Syndrome and RSRF please visit www.rsrf.org.