A world without Ataxia.
To accelerate the development of treatments and a cure while working to improve the lives of those living with Ataxia.
Ataxia is a rare neurological disease affecting tens of thousands of people in the US and many thousands more around the world. It is progressive, affecting a person’s ability to walk, talk, and use fine motor skills.
The National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) was established in 1957 to help persons with Ataxia and their families. Our mission is to accelerate the development of treatments and a cure while working to improve the lives of those living with Ataxia. NAF’s vision of a world without Ataxia will be accomplished through our primary programs of funding Ataxia research, providing vital programs and services for Ataxia families, and partnering with pharmaceutical companies in the search for treatments and a cure. We work closely with the world’s leading Ataxia researchers and clinicians, promoting exchanges of ideas and innovation in Ataxia discovery.
NAF began with a single doctor’s quest to find the cause and cure for Ataxia. John W. Schut, MD founded the National Ataxia Foundation to relentlessly pursue answers after he lost family members to the disease. Eventually inheriting the disease and succumbing himself, his dream lived on as NAF’s efforts to fund research increased – leading to some of the most important Ataxia discoveries. Today, NAF is guided by the world’s most renowned Ataxia scientists.
NAF offers many educational resources for Ataxia, including a comprehensive library of brochures, fact sheets, and books. NAF also publishes Generations, a quarterly magazine centered around Ataxia and families affected. We provide a number of ways for the Ataxia community to connect, such as: NAF Support Groups, a Facebook Ataxia Support Group, various Ataxia events, medical expos, and most importantly, the Annual Ataxia Conference – a two-day conference designed for Ataxia experts and Ataxia families to come together.
Join us as a member today – for FREE! As pharmaceutical industry interest in Ataxia continues to grow, our members will play an integral role in moving research forward to get treatments to the market. Our members will be the first to know when there are new opportunities to participate in research or clinical trials for their specific type of Ataxia. Members also receive early access to our free webinars, NAF’s eNewsletters and Generations publications.
Thank you members, donors, volunteers, and collaborative partners, for a successful year!
If you are a member of the press or preparing for an interview with the press, view our media page for more information.
Sam Kirton
Fairfax, VA
Linda Snider-Sidwell, MD
Omaha, NE
Greg Rooks
Atlanta, GA
John Mauro
Auburn, MA
David Brunnert
Houston, TX
Michael Cammer
Downington, PA
Cindy DeMint
Yorba Linda, CA
John Dwyer
Minneapolis, MN
Serena Hung, MD
Watertown, MA
Jim Keene
Atherton, CA
Greg Klassen
Boulder, CO
Denise Kolpack
Fargo, ND
Ann Riley
Washington, DC
Harry T. Orr, PhD
Minneapolis, MN
Vikram Shakkottai, MD, PhD
Dallas, TX
Susan Perlman, MD
Los Angeles, CA
Laura Ranum, PhD
Gainesville, FL
Liana S. Rosenthal, MD, PhD
Baltimore, MD
Larry Schut, MD
Maple Lake, MN
Camille Daglio
Hattiesburg, MS
Listed by department.
Vikram Shakkottai, MD, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern
Dallas, TX
Laura Ranum, PhD
University of Florida, College of Medicine
Gainesville, FL
Liana S. Rosenthal, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Tetsuo Ashizawa, MD, FAAN
Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, TX
Matthew Burns, MD, PhD
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Khalaf Bushara, MD, MRCP
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Beverly Davidson, PhD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Brent L. Fogel, MD, PhD
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Christopher M. Gomez, MD, PhD
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Sheng Han Kuo, MD
Columbia University
New York City, NY
Pravin Khemani, MD
Swedish Neuroscience Institute
Seattle, WA
Albert La Spada, MD, PhD, FACMG
University of California Irvine School of Medicine
Irvine, CA
David Lynch, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Puneet Opal, MD, PhD
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL
Harry T. Orr, PhD
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Gülin Öz, PhD
Center for Magnetic Resonance Research,
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Henry Paulson, MD, PhD
University of Michigan Medical Center
Ann Arbor, MI
Susan Perlman, MD
UCLA Neurological Services
Los Angeles, CA
Stefan Pulst, MD
University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
Jeremy D. Schmahmann, MD, FAAN, FANA, FANPA
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
Larry Schut, MD
Maple Lake, MN
S.H. Subramony, MD
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
George “Chip” Wilmot, MD, PhD
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Robert B. Wilson, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Mailing Address
PO Box 27986
Golden Valley, MN 55427
Physical Address
600 Highway 169 South
Suite 1725
Minneapolis, MN 55426
Our generous donors help us fund promising Ataxia research and offer support services to people with Ataxia. Your gift today will help us continue to deliver on our mission to improve the lives of persons affected by Ataxia.
Join for FREE today! Become a part of the community that is working together to find a cure. As a member you will receive access to the latest Ataxia news with our e-newsletter and Generations publication.
501(c)(3)
EIN 41-0832903
Mailing Address:
PO Box 27986
Golden Valley, MN 55427
Physical Address:
600 Highway 169 South
Suite 1725
Minneapolis, MN 55426
763-553-0020
763-553-0167 (Fax)
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