Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA)
Robert B. Wilson, MD, PhD has a diverse and extensive work experience. Currently, they are serving as the Chief of the Division of Pathology Informatics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation. Previously, they worked as a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Wilson has also made significant contributions to research and scientific advisory boards. Robert B. served as the Scientific Director and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) from 1998 to 2005. Additionally, they have been a member of the Medical Research Advisory Board at the National Ataxia Foundation since 2002.
In terms of their training and education, Dr. Wilson completed a Transfusion Medicine Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. Prior to that, they worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 1992 to 1993. Robert B. also completed a Clinical Pathology Residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1992.
Robert B. Wilson, MD, PhD has an extensive education history. Robert B. obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Brown University in the years 1977 to 1982. Robert B. then pursued a Doctor of Medicine and a Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, completing both degrees from 1982 to 1989. Additionally, they hold certifications including Diplomate in Clinical Pathology (obtained in 1992) and Diplomate in Molecular Genetic Pathology (obtained in 2001) from The American Board of Pathology (ABPath).
Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA)
The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) is a national, public, 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to curing Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) through research. FARA grants and activities provide support for basic and translational FA research, pharmaceutical/ biotech drug development, clinical trials, and scientific conferences. FARA also serves as a catalyst, between the public and scientific community, to create worldwide exchanges of information that drive medical advances. FARA was founded in September 1998 by a group of patient families and three of the world’s leading FA scientists — Drs. Rob Wilson, Bronya Keats, and Massimo Pandolfo. It was staffed and managed as an all volunteer organization until late 2005. FARA's leadership and numerous patient families and friends have raised critical funds over the years to support FA research. Thanks to the brilliant and committed efforts of many FA scientists, we now understand the cause of FA and specific mechanisms leading to damage in FA patients. These understandings allow for more targeted approaches to treatment which are currently being developed for clinical trials.