The work of the Hereditary Disease Foundation is guided by our Board of Directors and the Scientific Advisory Board. The Board of Directors focuses on the Foundation’s mission by setting goals, overseeing programs and activities, and providing fiscal guidance. The Scientific Advisory Board, composed of distinguished scientists from around the world, sets the scientific priorities for the Foundation, reviews grant and fellowship applications and selects the most innovative and promising research projects for funding.
Leadership Team
Meghan Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer
Nancy S. Wexler, PhD, President
Travis Carey, Chief Financial Officer
Julie Porter, Director of Administration
Sarah Hernandez, PhD, Director of Research Programs
Erica Matisz, Director of Development
Meghan Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer
Meghan joined the HDF after a successful banking career with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., First Chicago Bank, N.A, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Macquarie Group. Meghan has had a life-long interest in Huntington's disease and is passionate about finding a cure for HD and helping families affected by HD. At the HDF, Meghan focuses on general business management and fundraising. Meghan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Mathematics from William Smith College.
Nancy S. Wexler, PhD, President
Dr. Nancy Wexler has devoted her career to finding treatments and cures for Huntington’s disease. She led the HDF’s history making Venezuela Project, a 22- year international collaborative team, studying the world’s largest Huntington’s disease family in Venezuela, collecting tissue samples, and developing a family tree of over 18,000 individuals spanning 10 generations.
This work led to the discovery of the DNA marker for Huntington’s disease in 1983 and the HD gene itself in 1993. This same genetic material has assisted in the mapping of other disease genes, including those responsible for familial Alzheimer’s disease, kidney cancer, two kinds of neurofibromatosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), dwarfism and others. One important result of this work was the development of a genetic test to determine if an individual carries the HD gene.
In 2020, the HDF established the Nancy S. Wexler Young Investigator Prize to be awarded annually to researchers whose work reflects the highest caliber of excellence, diligence and creative thinking. Dr. Wexler has received numerous awards and honors for her work including honorary doctorates from the University of Michigan, Bard College and Yale. She headed a landmark Congressional Commission on the Control and Consequences of Huntington’s Disease from 1976-1978 and chaired the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Working Group of the Human Genome Project.
Travis J. Carey, Chief Financial Officer
Travis has over 15 years combined experience as a consultant, employee, board member, auditor, and volunteer serving the not-for-profit industry. He has provided accounting services for foundations, schools, human rights organizations, religious organizations, associations and other tax-exempt organizations. Travis was previously Vice President of Finance and Operations at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors where his responsibilities included reporting to the Board of Directors, reviewing grantee financial statements, monitoring internal controls, supervision of the annual audit, tracking restricted funds, legal compliance, investment performance monitoring, management reporting and operational oversight.
Travis holds a BS-Accounting from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and is a CPA licensed to practice in New York. He has taught Advanced Accounting for Not-for-Profits at NYU School of Continuing Professional Education. He is also member and past Chairman of the NYSSCPA Tax Exempt Organizations Committee and a member of the NYSSCPA Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee.
Julie Porter, Director of Administration
Julie oversees the administration of the Hereditary Disease Foundation. She plays a key role in fundraising, advocacy, outreach, communications, event and Workshop coordination. Julie also played a unique role in the oversight of the data collected during the HDF’s Venezuelan Project. She has been with the HDF since 1996.
Sarah Hernandez, PhD, Director of Research Programs
Dr. Sarah Hernandez oversees the Foundation’s scientific research portfolio by managing the grants program, acting as the scientific liaison, and coordinating scientific programming through webinars, workshops, and conferences. Sarah enthusiastically supports the mission of the HDF, working closely with its Scientific Advisory Board to identify the most promising research and accelerate treatments for Huntington’s disease.
Sarah learned at a young age that her family was affected by Huntington's disease, motivating her to learn more and inspiring her to become a scientist. In 2015, she received a PhD in Biology and Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. For her postdoctoral studies, she joined the lab of renowned Huntington’s disease scientist Leslie Thompson, PhD, at the University of California, Irvine and Chair-Elect, HDF Scientific Advisory Board. There she worked on understanding the molecular consequences of Huntington’s disease to cells of the brain using stem cells and fruit flies. In 2021, she was honored as the recipient of the Hereditary Disease Foundation Nancy S. Wexler Young Investigator Prize, presented to a researcher whose work represents the highest caliber of excellence, diligence, and creative thinking. Additionally, Sarah is an editor for HDBuzz, writing articles about Huntington’s disease-related science and research news in plain language for the patient community.
Erica Matisz, Director of Development
Erica oversees all fundraising and philanthropic efforts of the Foundation, working to strengthen relationships with donors, supporters, and partners while strategizing and executing initiatives to further the mission of the HDF. She joins the team with nearly twenty years of fundraising experience, and a proven track record in securing funds for impactful causes in the nonprofit sector. Erica is passionate about making a meaningful difference for all affected by Huntington’s disease and other neurological disorders and is committed to contributing to the HDF’s growth and success.
The Hereditary Disease Foundation, based in New York City, is a California non-profit tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.