About Us
The Harvard Medical School (HMS) Center for Neurofibromatosis and Allied Disorders (CNfAD) is a virtual center that spans the HMS and its affiliated hospitals, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Children’s Hospital Boston (CHB), Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).
The CNfAD is directed by Dr. James Gusella, a molecular geneticist whose research over the last 30 years has focused on both neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders including neurofibromatosis types 1 (NF1) and 2 (NF2), schwannomatosis, and related disorders, such as tuberous sclerosis (TSC) and von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease. The CNfAD faculty comprises a multidisciplinary collection of talented investigators and clinicians with a noteworthy track record of accomplishments in basic and applied NF research and in clinical care, including Dr. Mira Irons at the Children’s Hospital (Chief of Clinical Genetics and Director of Neurofibromatosis Program), Dr. Mark Kieran from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Clinical Director of Pediatric Medical Neuro-oncology), and Dr. Scott Plotkin at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Director of the MGH Neurofibromatosis Clinic).