CMTA Appoints David Stark, MD, and Catherine Illingworth to Board of Directors, Expanding Clinical and Biotech Expertise

GLENOLDEN, PA, UNITED STATES — The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) announced today the appointment of David Stark, MD, and Catherine Illingworth to its Board of Directors.

Stark is Chief Medical Officer at Citadel, where he leads the firm’s global Health, Benefits, and Peak Performance strategy. A board-certified pediatric neurologist and founder of Lab 100 – a clinic providing full-body health screenings using the latest technologies – Stark’s connection to CMT is professional and personal. His son was diagnosed with CMT1B at age four, giving Stark firsthand experience with the challenges families face in securing an accurate diagnosis and navigating care in CMT.

Illingworth leads Kylix Bio, a biotechnology company focused on advancing gene-based therapies for rare diseases, beginning with CMT. In early 2025, her four-year-old son was diagnosed with CMT4C. Confronted with limited treatment options, she founded Kylix, bringing a nonprofit advocacy mindset to biotech to swiftly move research from preclinical studies into clinical trials for CMT. Prior to founding Kylix, Illingworth was an academic in the humanities, specializing in late antique and medieval literature and theology.

Stark and Illingworth bring a combination of clinical expertise, personal commitment, and entrepreneurial leadership to the CMTA Board of Directors. Their experience in patient care and therapy development will strengthen CMTA’s research program and help speed the path to effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for CMT.

CMTA Board Chair Wendy Arnone welcomed Stark and Illingworth to the board. “David and Catherine each bring perspectives that will be invaluable to CMTA’s work,” Arnone said. “Their professional expertise, combined with their personal connections to CMT, adds depth to the Board as we continue advancing CMTA’s mission for the CMT community.”

About Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of rare, inheritable peripheral neuropathies. Named after Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie, and Howard Henry Tooth, who first described it in 1886, CMT causes progressive muscle weakness, loss of sensation, impaired balance, and other debilitating complications. There is currently no cure or approved treatment.

About the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA)

The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). As the largest philanthropic funder of CMT research, CMTA has invested more than $33 million since 2008 to accelerate research leading to new treatments and ultimately a cure. Through a strategic model that combines targeted funding, specialized scientific tools and resources, and strong patient partnership, CMTA drives promising science toward meaningful outcomes for people living with CMT.

Learn more: cmtausa.org

For Media Inquiries:

Kenny Raymond

Head of Communications

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association

Email: kenny@cmtausa.orgPhone: +1 734-862