After 45 years of service, Donald S. Wood has retired from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), an organization dedicated to empowering individuals with conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the association announced.
Dr. Wood began his career at the MDA as a research director in 1980, after working in the neurology department of New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he conducted groundbreaking research on muscle biopsies in individuals with muscular dystrophies, the group said in a recent press release.
After 10 years of service, he became director of science and technology, a role he held until 2002. From 2017 to 2020, he served as vice chair of the board of directors before becoming president.
During his tenure, the MDA elevated the standard of multidisciplinary care across the MDA Care Center Network, accelerated research that led to FDA-approved therapies, and developed key initiatives such as MDA Kickstart and the MDA Gene Therapy Support Network, the group said.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the families who inspire everything we do,” Dr. Wood said.
“As MDA marks its 75th anniversary, I’ve reflected on the tremendous progress we’ve made together and the formidable momentum now propelling the organization forward. This is the right moment to pass the baton. I have every confidence in the strength of MDA’s mission, the exceptional leadership of governor [Brad] Henry and the board of directors, and the incredible community that powers our work every day,” he added.
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Sharon Hesterlee, who previously served as chief research officer at the MDA, has been named interim president and CEO. Dr. Hesterlee has also worked as executive vice president for portfolio development and head of neuromuscular programs at Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc., an adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy company.
“The board of directors is entirely confident in Dr. Hesterlee and the MDA executive team to move forward seamlessly, and I know Dr. Wood shares that sentiment,” said governor Brad Henry, chair of the board of directors at MDA. “This team is visionary, determined, and is meeting this moment of transition with their sleeves rolled up.”
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