The SADS Foundation announced today the appointment of four new members to the Board of Trustees. This brings the number of board members to fourteen. The four new members are: Suzanne Bennett; Sandy Cowin; Christy Johnson; and Andrew Landstrom, MD, PhD.

“We are very pleased to welcome these four new members to our Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Michael Ackerman, MD, PhD, president of the Board of Trustees at the SADS Foundation. “We know that their diverse experiences with cardiac arrhythmia conditions will help us move forward into the future at SADS with confidence, and their perspectives will help shape the crucial decisions we face as our Foundation continues to grow.”

Suzanne Bennett worked in radiology for thirteen years before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her son, Cian, 17, has Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT). Suzanne is a member of the SADS Foundation CPVT Steering Committee.

Sandy Cowin works for the University at Albany as the manager of the IT Central Business Office. She has 25 years of experience in financial management and has served on the SADS Foundation Research Committee since 2022. Sandy’s father passed away from Brugada Syndrome in 2009, leading to her own diagnosis of Brugada.

Christy Johnson is a former technologies consultant and program leader who runs a support group for those with Desmoplakin (DSP) Cardiomyopathy which is an Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM). She, her daughter, and her extended family are affected by this genetic form of ACM. She was a patient advocate on the SADS Foundation ARVC Externally-Led Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting (EL-PFDD) in June of 2023, where she shared her story with the Food and Drug Administration, researchers, biopharma companies, and other stakeholders to highlight the critical need for improved treatments for families with ARVC/ACM.

Dr. Andrew Landstrom, MD, PhD is the Director of the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars Program for Physician-Scientist Development and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology at Duke University Medical Center. He has been working with the SADS Foundation since he was a graduate student at the Mayo Clinic.

“This expansion of the board to include new faces, new families, and new representation for each of the major SADS conditions will help us face the new challenges ahead as research and new therapies progress,” said Dr. Andrew Landstrom. “As SADS rises to this critical moment in time, it will emerge as an even fiercer advocate for families.”

About Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (SADS):

Established in 1991 by Dr. Michael Vincent, The Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (SADS) is a community of families, medical professionals, and supporters saving lives and advancing care for people with heart arrhythmia conditions that can lead to sudden death.

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