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Beginning in 2019, a group of thought leaders within the peripheral nerve field began to discuss the possibility of forming a non-profit organization that would focus on improving the awareness and care of patients with peripheral nerve injuries. This future organization would include all perspectives ranging from the public to patients to health care providers.
Over the next three years, these thought leaders, with the support of Axogen Inc., held multiple planning meetings using many post-it note pads (see picture right) to define the foundation and its focus.
Early GNF planning meeting in 2019
From left to right: Dr. John Zuniga, Isabelle Billet, Wyndell Merritt, Dr. Dominic Power, Karen Zaderej, Dr. Jeffrey Greenberg, Xeve Silver, Dr. Harry Hoyen, Dr. Jayme Bertelli
GNF planning meeting in April, 2019
From left to right: Xeve Silver, Dr. Ivica Ducic, Dr. Harry Hoyen, Isabelle Billet, Orlando Merced-O’Neill, Dr. Dominic Power, Erick DeVinney
The Foundation was structured into four strategic pillars of Awareness, Education, Research, and Advocacy. Goals and objectives were developed for each of them, in order to bring to life the mission and vision of the Global Nerve Foundation.
After forming its board and incorporating in 2021, the Foundation hired its first Executive Director, Stephen McConoughey. As the infrastructure for the foundation was established, committees aligned with strategic pillars were formed to focus on key execution initiatives. Each committee is developing the programming for a particular pillar that will be available to the members of the foundation.
Millions of people worldwide live with peripheral nerve injuries that could be treated to improve their quality of life or regain function of an extremity. The Global Nerve Foundation finds this unacceptable and is working with doctors, researchers, and patient advocacy groups across the world to raise awareness of this issue potential treatments, and improve clinical care.
Mission and vision
Our mission is to improve the lives of people with nerve problems
Our vision is advancing and promoting excellence in nerve care.
2023 Annual Report
Read about everything the GNF accomplished in its first year! Our 2023 Annual Report is now available. Click below to open the PDF in a new window, and thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the GNF!
Board of Directors
All board positions of the GNF are volunteer positions. No board member is compensated for their time.
Isabelle Billet, President
Principal
IBHC Advisors, LLC
Bio
Ms. Billet was the Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer of Axogen between October 2018 and January 2023 and has now returned to her activities of Principal of IBHC Advisors LLC, a consulting firm she founded in 2013. She brings more than 35 years of global medical device strategy, marketing, and business development experience to the company. From July 2013-2018, Ms. Billet worked for IBHC Advisors LLC, a consulting firm she founded, focused on organic and inorganic growth strategies and execution with medical devices companies and private equity firms. Prior to that Ms. Billet worked at Cardinal Health, Inc. from 2010-2013, where she served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for the Medical segment focusing on their private brand portfolio development. She was Vice President Marketing and New Business Development for C.R. Bard Medical division from 2005-2010. She also worked for Johnson & Johnson from 1992 to 2005, splitting her tenure between Advanced Sterilization Products and Ethicon, Inc. in positions of increasing responsibility in marketing and new business development in France, Europe, and the U.S. Ms. Billet spent the first seven years of her career as the Head Pharmacist and Material Manager for a private hospital in France. Ms. Billet served as a member of the Clinical Innovations Board of Directors under its ownership by EQT Partners from 2017 to 2019. She earned an MBA from EM Lyon Business School, France and Cranfield School of Management, UK, and a Doctorate in Pharmacy from Montpellier University in France.
Marc Began
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Axogen
Bio
Mr. Began assumed the role of Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Axogen, Inc. in March of 2023. He brings more than 25 years of experience representing life science companies as in-house and external counsel. From June 2018 until its acquisition in December 2022 by Johnson and Johnson, Inc., he served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Abiomed, Inc., a publicly traded med-tech company specializing in heart, lung and kidney recovery and was responsible for leading its legal, compliance and business development functions. While at Abiomed, he oversaw the acquisitions of new companies and new products. From August of 2017 until June of 2018, he was Vice President of Legal and Intellectual Property at Boehringer Ingelheim, a privately held pharmaceutical and biologics company, where he was responsible for medical device, pharmaceutical, and biologic legal and intellectual property issues. Before joining Boehringer Ingelheim, he held various positions of increasing responsibility over a 15-year period at Novo Nordisk, a publicly traded company specializing in metabolic and endocrinological diseases. Prior to becoming an in-house lawyer for Novo Nordisk, Mr. Began was in private practice at the law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and White & Case LLP in New York, where he handled a broad range of legal matters, including litigation, intellectual property, corporate transactions, regulatory and compliance for private and public companies. Mr. Began earned a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School at Union University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Harry Hoyen, MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon
MetroHealth
DOMINIC POWER, MA MB BChir
Consultant Peripheral Nerve Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Birmingham University
Bio
Dr. Power works as a hand and nerve surgeon within the National Health Service at the Birmingham Hand Centre and the West Midlands Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury Service which he founded in 2007. The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is a major trauma centre and, also home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. Here, Dr Power treats complex civilian trauma as well as military personnel with combat injuries. He has led the development of the peripheral nerve specialty in the United Kingdom with services for brachial plexus injury reconstruction, surgical management of neuropathic pain, upper limb reconstruction after spinal cord injury, hyper-selective neurectomy for spasticity management, reconstruction of paralysis after oncological resection and targeted muscle reinnervation for amputees.
In 2012, Dr. Power established the first designated Peripheral Nerve Fellowship programme in Europe and has provided highly specialised training for peripheral nerve surgeons from across the globe. He leads a programme of multi-professional training courses and cadaveric training workshops in the field of nerve surgery.
He also established the HaPPeN Research Network at the Institute of Translational Medicine in 2015 and the UK Peripheral Nerve Clinical Research Network in 2018 to develop multi-centre clinical trial capabilities in peripheral nerve surgery. He is Co-Chief Investigator for the NIHR NEON study and Chief Investigator for the UNDER Study, both multi-centre trials funded through the National Institute for Health Research (Health Technology Assessment programme).
Dr. Power continues to lead the development of the specialty of peripheral nerve surgery with advisory roles for industry in the development and evaluation of new technologies for the benefit of patients, providing guidance on phase 1 trial design, surgeon usability training, post-market evaluation studies and market surveillance through registry studies.
John Zuniga, DMD, MS, PhD
Robert V. Walker, D.D.S. Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Bio
Dr. Zuniga is a Professor in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and holder of the Robert V. Walker D.D.S. Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He specializes in oral and maxillofacial surgery, specifically temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and neurosensory disorders.
Dr. Zuniga earned his dental degree at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He then completed separate residencies in general dentistry and in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Rochester. During the latter, he also earned an M.S. and and Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Rochester’s Center for Brain Research.
Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2006, Dr. Zuniga served as Director of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Graduate Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and as the Co-Director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Pain and Neurosensory Disorders Program. As an experienced trigeminal nerve microsurgeon, Dr. Zuniga has performed more than 300 nerve repairs. He also has a clinical interest in benign pathology, dentoalveolar surgery, and trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region.
His research interests are chronic and acute orofacial pain and trigeminal neurosensory disorders, including understanding sensory function and dysfunction and their response to surgical and nonsurgical treatments. He completed a multisite, randomized clinical trial on the benefits of a new analgesic medication to treat moderate to severe pain. He is also involved in trials on the benefits of processed nerve allograft on jaw reconstruction.
Erick DeVinney
Chief Innovation Officer
Axogen
Bio
Mr. DeVinney currently serves as Axogen’s Vice President of Peripheral Nerve Science and Clinical Innovation. Mr. DeVinney has more than 20 years of experience in the successful planning and management of clinical studies and has focused specifically in advancing peripheral nerve research for over the last 15 years. . He has a diverse background, including research at a large academic facility and management of clinical operations for a medical device and pharmaceutical company. Mr. DeVinney has been involved in basic science, clinical, and translational research at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, National Clinical Research, PRA International, Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, and Axogen. He has been involved in the successful submission of eight IDE or NDA applications, as well as numerous 510(k)s. He has a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Christi Pedra
Chief Revenue Officer
SOLURIA, LLC
Bio
An experienced senior executive (CEO/COO/SVP/GM), Christi Pedra has a history of success in driving top line and bottom-line growth. She is highly skilled in Sales, Marketing, Communications, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Strategy and Business Development.
Christi spent 10+ years at Cardinal Health- a $162 billion healthcare services company, in various leadership positions. Her most recent assignment was Commercial Leader for a strategic initiative that provided digital health solutions to the Self-Insured Employer market. In that role she designed and deployed the strategy and execution of all go-to-market activities including sales, business development, strategic partnerships, marketing communications, customer implementation & support.
During her tenure at Cardinal Health, Christi served as SVP/GM of Consumer Health, Managed Care, Customer Solutions & Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Distribution segment. She led the $2B Consumer Health business which encompassed the strategy and execution of merchandising, marketing, pricing, sales, inventory, and private label. Additionally, she was responsible for product/service marketing, managed care contracting and operations, the eCommerce customer experience and a portfolio of customer solutions designed to create value for customers and drive profitable growth.
Prior to joining Cardinal Health, Christi held senior executive positions at Siemens USA which included CEO, Siemens Hearing Instruments; SVP Strategic New Business Development and Marketing, Siemens Healthcare; and Chief Operating Officer/VP Sales, Siemens One.
Ms. Pedra earned a Master of Business Administration in marketing from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts from Montclair University. She has been recognized for her commitment to mentoring, diversity and talent management. Her passion for talent development has enabled her to pilot novel mentoring experiences, establish professional networks and create impactful internship programs both at Siemens and Cardinal Health.
Kevin Taylor
Chief Innovation Officer
The Ohio State University
Bio
Kevin Taylor serves as the Chief Innovation Officer at The Ohio State University’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development. In this role, he leads the technology commercialization office which works with researchers across the university and the Wexner Medical Center to protect and transfer innovations into the market to positively impact people’s lives.
Taylor’s career has spanned all aspects of commercialization from discovery and innovation through new company formation, launch, and global P&L management. He has a diverse background across healthcare, engineering and national security applications and is passionate about transforming innovations into meaningful products and services. Most recently, Taylor was Vice President for healthcare at Beyond Limits, a growth-stage artificial intelligence company based on technology licensed out of Caltech.
Prior to that, Taylor was Vice President of Global Market Development at Cardinal Health, a $150B distributor of pharmaceuticals and a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products. While at Cardinal Health, he led upstream marketing and global product management for the company’s medical products portfolio, driving the commercialization strategy for 7,000 products sold in 35 countries. Taylor started his career as a research scientist at Battelle, where his responsibilities grew from applied research and development to include R&D management, patent portfolio management, licensing, business development, and sales and marketing. He also worked in venture capital, managing a portfolio of pre-revenue, early-stage investments in technology companies.
Taylor is a proud Buckeye, earning his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering at Ohio State. He also earned his Master of Science in Technology and Innovation Management with Distinction from the University of Sussex (England). He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society (LES), a patent holder and a recipient of two R&D 100 Awards.
Jill Schiaparelli, MBA
Principal
JS Strategic Partners
Bio
Jill Schiaparelli is an accomplished expert in medical device and biotechnology commercialization and start-up company leadership with a dedication to disruptive technologies to market to improve the lives of patients. With more than 2 decades in healthcare innovation, Jill’s extensive experience includes leadership roles at major healthcare companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Baxter and as an executive at high-growth start-up companies including AxoGen where she served as their Chief Marketing Officer. Most recently Jill was the founder and CEO of Avation Medical which launched the innovative Vivally System, the first FDA cleared physiologic closed-loop wearable neuromodulation system for bladder control.
In addition to her role on the Global Nerve Foundation, Jill currently serves as an independent Board Member for OssDsign AB and as an advisor to the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Innovation Accelerator.
Jill has an MBA in Finance and Business Management from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a BS in Finance and International Management from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. She holds numerous patents for medical technology innovation.
Most importantly, Jill is a Stage 3 breast cancer survivor who benefited from a nerve graft to promote re-sensation. She is committed to advancing awareness of nerve injuries and treatment alternatives for patients.
Xeve Silver
Sr. Director, Medical Affairs
Axogen
Board Observer
Staff
Stephen McConoughey, PhD, MPA
Executive Director
Bio
Dr. McConoughey completed his undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University before obtaining his PhD in neuroscience at Cornell Medical College. He has over 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector serving in multiple roles including Project Manager, Director of Operations, and Executive Director.
In 2020, he completed his Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina.
Selena Ruffin
Grant Writing, Intern
Bio
Selena Ruffin is the Global Nerve Foundation’s current Grant Writing Intern. She graduated from Northwestern University with a writing-intensive double major in English Literature and Social Policy. Her non-profit grant writing career began while at Northwestern, so she has over four years experience in the field, with over 8 years experience in the non-profit sector more generally. This past non-profit experience includes Susan G. Komen‘s Memorial Affiliate, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and the Global Give Back Circle. She also currently works as an ESL writing coach, as a continuation of her work at Northwestern’s Writing Place.
Kirstianna Lombardi
Member and Research Coordinator
Bio
Kirstianna is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Division of Peripheral Nerve and Pain Surgery at the University of Utah, where she oversees studies focused on improving care for patients with chronic and debilitating pain conditions. With over five years of experience as a CRC and a master’s degree in psychology, she brings both technical expertise and deep compassion to her work. Her background in psychological science informs a patient-centered approach to neurosurgical research. Kirstianna is proud to support the Global Nerve Foundation’s mission as a part-time Member and Research Coordinator.
Carson Ordoyne - Carson Social
Social Media
Bio
Carson Ordoyne is our marketing partner and owner of Carson Social.
Carson Social is a social media marketing and freelancing business out of South Alabama.
Carson has experience working with many different niches such as marketing agencies, small business owners, and nonprofits.
Dr. Madi El-Haj discusses the complexity of diagnosing nTOS