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Muscular Dystrophy Association Names Jodi Wolff, PhD, Chief Mission Officer

The Chief Mission Officer is a newly created leadership role to strengthen MDA’s mission-driven work across the neuromuscular disease community.

New York, Wednesday, September 16, 2026 – The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) today announced the appointment of Jodi Wolff, PhD, as Chief Mission Officer, a newly created leadership role designed to help advance MDA’s mission and deepen its impact for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and over 300 related neuromuscular diseases. Dr. Wolff brings more than two decades of experience spanning nonprofit leadership, clinical services, patient advocacy, pharmaceutical and biotechnology patient centered drug development, and rare disease community engagement. She previously spent more than 13 years with MDA, where she served as Director of Clinical Services and as a Health Care Services Coordinator, helping oversee MDA’s Care Center Network of multidisciplinary neuromuscular clinics, national MDA Summer Camp program, clinical education and patient support initiatives. She also led the development of MDA’s first national neuromuscular clinical patient registry and worked with clinical and research leaders to advance best practices in care.

Most recently, Dr. Wolff served as founder of Strategic Advocacy Solutions, LLC, providing patient advocacy and strategic consulting to nonprofit organizations and biotechnology companies. Her work has included community engagement, strategic planning, regulatory engagement, patient-focused drug development, clinical trial recruitment and retention, and pre-competitive collaboration. Her career in the biotechnology sector has included leadership roles in patient advocacy and medical and patient affairs at Rejuvenate Bio, StrideBio and Santhera Pharmaceuticals. Her experience also includes serving as Chief Program Officer at Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.

“Jodi brings a rare combination of clinical experience, nonprofit leadership, industry expertise and, most importantly, a deep understanding of what matters to people living with neuromuscular disease and their families,” said Sharon Hesterlee, PhD, President and CEO of MDA. “The Chief Mission Officer role reflects our commitment to ensuring that the voices, priorities and experiences of our community remain at the center of everything we do. We welcome Jodi back to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in this important new capacity.”

As chief mission officer, Dr. Wolff will work alongside MDA’s advocacy, research, community engagement and clinical program leaders to ensure the organization's work delivers the greatest possible impact for people living with neuromuscular disease and their families. Guided by the needs and priorities of the people MDA serves, she will help unite the community around shared goals and strengthen connections across programs and partners to accelerate progress, improve access to care, and translate advances in research and treatments into meaningful improvements in people's lives. Dr. Wolff's appointment will help MDA expand its capacity to support young people through the transition to adulthood, broaden access to multidisciplinary care, advance patient-focused drug development in partnership with those developing therapies, and help people and families navigate complex systems of care and support.

“Coming back to the Muscular Dystrophy Association at this moment in the evolution of the neuromuscular disease field is incredibly meaningful to me. My commitment to this community began at 15 years old, when a neighborhood friend with Duchenne muscular dystrophy invited me to volunteer at MDA Summer Camp. Making a difference in the lives of people living with neuromuscular disease and their families has been a driving force in my life, personally and professionally, ever since. The community is experiencing extraordinary change at this time, with advances in therapeutic development and clinical care opening new possibilities to improve quality of life, support independence and expand participation in everyday life. That progress also brings new questions and challenges. My experiences across nonprofit, clinical, and industry settings have reinforced that the most effective progress happens when we listen closely to the people we serve and bring the right partners together around shared goals. I’m excited to return to this organization and build on its extraordinary impact to ensure that people living with neuromuscular disease and their families have the information, connections and opportunities to make informed choices, pursue their goals and shape their own future,” said Jodi Wolff, PhD, Chief Mission Officer, MDA.

Dr. Wolff has maintained a longstanding focus on ensuring that the perspectives and priorities of people living with rare and neuromuscular diseases inform care, research and therapeutic development. She has expertise in supporting young people with neuromuscular disease as they transition to adulthood and in helping biotechnology organizations incorporate patient perspectives into therapy development. Her career also reflects MDA’s longstanding commitment to collaboration across the neuromuscular ecosystem. During her time at MDA and subsequently in the broader rare disease community, Dr. Wolff has worked with clinicians, researchers, patient advocates and industry partners on initiatives designed to improve care, advance standards and strengthen patient engagement. Most recently, she contributed to collaborative efforts involving MDA and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy focused on consensus recommendations for the delivery and monitoring of gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Dr. Wolff, based in Tucson, Arizona, earned her PhD in Rehabilitation from the University of Arizona in 2015, with her research focused on the transition to adulthood for youth with neuromuscular disease and previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Arizona, where she taught courses addressing disability perspectives and narratives and the medical aspects of disability and chronic illness across the lifespan.

Media contact: press@mdausa.org.

About Muscular Dystrophy Association

Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been at the center of progress for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and over 300 other neuromuscular conditions for over 75 years. We unite researchers, clinicians, advocates, and families to speed the pace of discovery, improve access to expert care, and ensure inclusion in every aspect of life. Our mission is simple: give the people we serve the tools and opportunities to live longer, more independent lives. To learn more visit mda.org. Follow MDA on social media on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.