About the Panelists
Hilary Rosselot
Hilary joined the NFXF team in 2019. Prior to joining the NFXF team, she worked at the Cincinnati Fragile X Research and Treatment Center for several years. She has experience as a clinical research coordinator across many types of clinical trials and served as the clinical research manager for the Cincinnati program. She earned a bachelor’s in psychology, an MBA, and was previously a SOCRA-certified clinical research professional (CCRP). She enjoys spending time with her family, including her young daughter and Boston Terrier, as well as curling up with a good book.
Elizabeth Berry-Kravis
Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, MD, PhD, established the Fragile X Clinic and Research Program at Rush University Medical Center in 1992. She studies Fragile X syndrome medical issues, epilepsy, and psychopharmacology and provides care to over 700 patients with FXS. She has been a leader in translational research, including the development of outcome measures and biomarkers, natural history studies, newborn screening, and particularly clinical trials of new targeted treatments.
Dr. Berry-Kravis’s laboratory studies the cellular roles of the Fragile X protein (FMRP), its relationship to phenotypes, and the optimization of genetic testing methods. She is a longstanding member of the NFXF Scientific and Clinical Advisory Committee, and Clinical Trials Committee, and is the principal investigator of the CDC-funded FORWARD-MARCH natural history project for Fragile X.
Dr. Berry-Kravis attended the University of Notre Dame for her undergraduate studies and the University of Chicago for her doctoral degrees (MD and PhD) and training in pediatric neurology.
Craig A. Erickson
Craig A. Erickson, MD, is a professor of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine-Affiliated. Dr. Erickson leads a neurodevelopmental clinical and research group focused on improving clinical care through research discovery. He is the director of the Cincinnati Fragile X Research and Treatment Center, one of the largest such programs in the world. He serves as the chair of the Clinical Trials Committee organized by the National Fragile X Foundation and is a leader in translational medicine efforts in Fragile X syndrome, autism, and related disorders. Additionally, he is the director of research in the Division of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Laurie Bridges
Laurie and her husband, Will, are the proud parents of Caroline (full mutation) and Clark. Laurie has worked as an occupational therapist since 1999 and currently works in the Humble Independent School District near Houston. Not long after her daughter was diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome, Will and Laurie began serving Fragile X families in the Houston area by forming an NFXF Community Support Group in 2011. She has attended five NFXF International Fragile X Conferences and was co-chair of the host committee for the 2016 conference in San Antonio.
Since the beginning of their Fragile X journey, the Bridges are thankful for the National Fragile X Foundation and how it supports families, promotes education and awareness, and puts a priority on research. “We keep moving forward and taking the next step. We are thankful for our Fragile X family because we are not alone!”
Kara Frech
Kara and her husband, Steve, are the proud parents of two teenage boys, Andrew and Jason, both diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome in 2007. Upon diagnosis, Kara immersed myself in all things Fragile X to learn how to help her boys lead successful, fulfilling lives. The NFXF was and is her go-to source for this.
In 2012, Kara co-founded the Southeast Pennsylvania Fragile X Community Support Network group and continues to lead the group by organizing educational conferences, social events, and X Strides walks for local families.
Kara’s passion for helping others lead successful lives with Fragile X along with her skills acquired as a former management consultant and currently as a stay-at-home parent contribute to supporting the NFXF’s mission while serving on the board. “I am proud to serve as a board member for the foundation to further the mission of the NFXF to provide unwavering support while relentlessly pursuing a cure.”
Emily Mack
Emily is the proud mother of a blended family of five kids and current president of the NFXF Board of Directors. She was introduced to Fragile X in February 2011 after her son was diagnosed at 2 years old. She has worked in corporate wellness as an exercise physiologist and wellness coach since the early 2000s at a large hospital system, at on-site worksite wellness programs, and in private practice.
Amie Milunovich
Amie joined the NFXF in 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science and is a SOCRA-certified clinical research professional (CCRP). Amie has over 15 years of experience working in clinical research. She enjoys Bikram yoga, painting, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Missy Zolecki
Missy joined NFXF team in 2018 after being an active volunteer since 2010. Missy organized several fundraisers and educational workshops while serving in her volunteer role. Missy is the mother of three children. Her eldest son, Matt, lives with Fragile X syndrome. Prior to joining the NFXF team, Missy had worked as a nurse for more than 20 years. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Randi J. Hagerman
Developmental pediatrician Randi J. Hagerman, MD, FAAP, is a highly regarded professional within the Fragile X community. She co-founded the National Fragile X Foundation in 1984 and served on the board for 25 years. In 2009, she decided it was time to step aside and let others bring their expertise to the board, though she continues to help guide the foundation to this day.
There is no aspect of the NFXF that Randi has not helped shape. Her strength as both a clinician and researcher has informed the NFXF mission and strategic plan. She and her husband, Dr. Paul Hagerman, generously support the NFXF mission. While Randi is no longer a board member, she is active on the NFXF Scientific & Clinical Advisory Committee and the Fragile X Clinical & Research Consortium where she represents the UC Davis Medical Center’s MIND Institute as medical director of the Fragile X Clinic.
Randi continues to be a sought-after speaker and her work has expanded from Fragile X syndrome to all Fragile X-associated disorders. Randi is continually on the go as an international spokesperson for Fragile X. Fortunately, she’s only seconds away by phone when we need to call upon her for her guidance, advice, and wisdom.
David Hessl
David Hessl, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and the head psychologist at the Fragile X Research and Treatment Center at UC Davis, where FXTAS (Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome) was first discovered and reported in 2001. His clinical interests involve cognitive, emotional, and behavioral evaluation of children, adolescents, and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially those with Fragile X syndrome, autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities. He also has expertise in developmental psychopathology, particularly mood and anxiety disorders, in infants and young children.
He directs the Translational Psychophysiology and Assessment Laboratory (T-PAL) at the MIND Institute to investigate the emotional psychophysiology of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and to develop novel outcome measures for clinical trials. His work currently concentrates on autism, Fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and Fragile X premutation carriers, who are at risk for neurodegenerative disease.
He received his PhD in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington in 1997, which included a clinical internship at Stanford University, and received postdoctoral fellowship training at the UC Berkeley Institute of Human Development during 1997-1998.
Dr. Hessl’s career has focused on Fragile X-associated disorders since 1998, having published 114 peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics to date. Dr. Hessl also serves on the National Fragile X Foundation’s Clinical Trials Committee.
Tracy King, MD, MPH
NIH/NICHD
Medical Officer
Dr. Tracy King is a medical officer at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She currently oversees the NICHD portfolio of research on Fragile X Syndrome and chairs the Trans-NIH Fragile X/FMR1 working group.
Dr. King earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency training at the Boston Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital and a general pediatrics research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. Before joining NICHD in 2015, she was on the Pediatrics faculty at Johns Hopkins and researched early identification of children with developmental delays.
Angel Wang
Rush University
Clinical Coordinator
Angel Wang is the FXS clinic and research coordinator at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She works primarily on the FORWARD project and helps with other FXS studies (e.g., parent interviews, and study recruitment). Before joining the team, Angel worked in early intervention. She completed her graduate studies in social work and human and community development.
Jean Luan McColl
Emory University Genetic Clinical Trials Center
Clinical Research Coordinator
Jean Luan McColl is a clinical research coordinator at the Emory University Genetic Clinical Trials Center in Atlanta, GA. She has over 11 years of experience working with fragile X syndrome and other genetic neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Her favorite part of her job is meeting and working with families during onsite visit days!
