Meet the faculty

Laurent Servais

Program Director

Laurent Servais

Professor of paediatrics neuromuscular diseases at the University of Oxford and invited Professor at the University of Liege, Belgium

Laurent Servais, MD, PhD is professor of paediatrics neuromuscular diseases at the University of Oxford and invited Professor at the University of Liege, Belgium. He graduated from the University of Louvain (Medicine) and Brussels (Paediatrics), and trained as a child neurologist in Robert Debré Hospital (Paris) and as a myologist in the Institute of Myology, in La Pitié Salpétrière (Paris). His main research interests cover innovative outcome measures and clinical trials design and newborn screening. He has been involved as PI in several clinical trials in spinal muscular atrophy, X-Myotubular Myopathy and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and in leading the pioneering newborn screening program for spinal muscular atrophy newborn screening in Belgium.

Disclosures:

Grants/research support

Roch, Biogen, Novartis, Sysnav, Zentech, Scholar Rock, BioHaven

Honoraria or consultation fees

Roche, Biogen-Novarti, Sysnav, Zentech, Scholar Rock, BioHaven, Pfizer, Sarepta, Dyne, Astellas, Cerebral Therapeutics, Illumina, Altana

 

Zoya Alhaswani

Consultant paediatrician with interest in neuromuscular disorders

Zoya Alhaswani is a consultant paediatrician with special interest in neuromuscular disorders.  She works in the paediatric neuromuscular service in Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, which has been awarded a Centre of Excellence for Paediatric Neuromuscular care by MDUK.

She is passionate about education; and in particular increasing awareness of neuromuscular disorders diagnosis and management. 

Disclosures:

Consultant/Advisory Board

Roche

Sam Geuens

Pediatric neuropsychologist

Sam Geuens is a pediatric neuropsychologist with over a decade of experience specializing in neuromuscular diseases. His practice involves counseling patients with neuromuscular disorders and their families, providing support and guidance. In addition to his clinical work, Sam is actively involved in various research projects aimed at enhancing our understanding of psychosocial complications in neuromuscular diseases. Currently completing a PhD focused on understanding and managing neurobehavioral difficulties in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. He is frequently invited to present at congresses, meetings, workshops, and to participate in diverse working groups.

Disclosures:

Nothing to disclose

Nadia Merchant

Nadia Merchant

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology and Medical Genetics, Children's Health/University of Texas Southwestern, Texas, USA

Nadia Merchant, M.D., is a pediatric endocrinologist and geneticist at Children’s Health/University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Merchant’s clinical interests include bone health and the intersection of genetics and endocrinology especially bone health, calcium disorders, neuromuscular disorders and skeletal dysplasias. She is passionate about maximizing a patient’s potential.

Disclosures:

Honoraria or consultation fees

Pfizer and BioMarin for Growth Advisory Board

Jaqui Russell

Jaqui Russell

Genetic and metabolic nurse practitioner, Sydney Children's Hospital, Australia

Jacqui is a nurse practitioner and certified genetic counsellor with 25 years of experience working with children and their families in the neuromuscular clinical at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick. She has been involved in the New Born Screening program for spinal muscular atrophy since its inception in 2018, and is currently involved in setting up a pilot new born screening program for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in New South Wales.

Disclosures:

Nothing to disclose

Dovilė Dovidavičiūtė

Dovilė Dovidavičiūtė

Patient carer, Lithuania

Dovile is the mother of Jacob, a 15-year-old who was diagnosed with DMD at the age of five. Over the past decade, she has become a little bit of everything – an amateur physiotherapist, psychologist, nurse, and dietician, etc. All those years she has been relentlessly searching, learning and exploring all the possible ways to help a person with Duchenne to live the best life possible.

Besides being a mom, she also manages a marketing agency in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Disclosures:

Nothing to disclose