About Us
Our mission is to empower people living with neuromuscular diseases to live longer, more independent lives.
Angela Lek, Ph.D.
Angela Lek, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer, Muscular Dystrophy Association, can address:
The positive impact of research grants in continuing research on neuromuscular diseases and treatments. (2) Partnerships with federal agencies (3) international neuromuscular disease organizations (4) drug developers and accelerating the discovery of therapies for neuromuscular diseases
Angela Lek, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer, MDA Bio:
Angela Lek, Ph.D. is the Chief Research Officer at the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Dr. Lek joined MDA over three years ago as Vice President of Research, where she managed the organization’s research grant programs, , collaborative research programs, venture philanthropy investments, and served as scientific lead of MDA’s Kickstart program. In her new role as Chief Research Officer, she will expand her leadership to oversee MDA’s entire discovery, translational, and clinical research portfolio, bringing both strategic and operational expertise to the organization.
Prior to working at MDA, Dr. Lek completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Medicine at the University of Sydney and conducted postdoctoral training at Boston Children's Hospital under the mentorship of Professor Louis Kunkel, Ph.D. She was honored with several internationally recognized fellowships, including those from the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council and the American Australian Association.
Dr. Lek’s research focused on understanding the genetic basis of muscular dystrophies and developing innovative therapies. Dr. Lek has led her own research program at Yale University, supported by fellowships from MDA and the Hood Foundation. She currently serves as a program consultant for the NIH’s Somatic Cell Genome Editing program and collaborates with numerous advocacy groups in the neuromuscular disease space to drive drug development, advocacy, and patient outreach efforts. The diagnosis of her husband, Monkol Lek, Ph.D. with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy deepens her passion and commitment to understanding and advancing treatments for neuromuscular diseases.
Expertise:
- Clinical and Scientific Research
- Emerging therapies for neuromuscular disease
- Clinical Trials
- Funding Neuromuscular Disease Research
Social Media
Angela Lek, Ph.D. in the media:
- Muscular Dystrophy Association Names Angela Lek as Vice President for Research
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science: MDA’s Spotlight on Dr. Angela Lek
