Our Team

Dr. Sasser established the Monoamine Oxidase Deficiency Foundation in 2022 to find treatments for MAO A and MAO A/B deficiency. In 2011, without previous experience in film making, she established Frieder Films to make the Holocaust rescue documentary film “Rescue in the Philippines:Refuge from the Holocaust”

She is a native of Cincinnati, OH, received an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston TX where she currently resides. Involved in community service, she serves on several non-profit boards.

Dr. Saifuddin plays a pivotal role in devising treatment strategies for MAOD, including AAV gene therapy, brain organoid development, and drug repurposing initiatives

Dr. Saifuddin (Saif) earned his PhD in virology from New Zealand and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has authored over 65 scientific papers, predominantly focusing on immuno-virology, particularly HIV/AIDS, Herpes, and viral hepatitis.

Formerly serving as the AAV Gene Therapy Core Director at Sarepta Therapeutics, he established and supervised a team of scientists dedicated to producing AAV gene therapy vectors for various rare diseases.

With over 15 years of research experience in molecular virology and antivirals, Dr. Saifuddin is recognized for his expertise in developing gene therapy strategies for rare neuromuscular and ophthalmic diseases. During his tenure at CONRAD, he spearheaded efforts to secure multi-million dollar funding and advance numerous antivirals to clinical trials. He has also served as a proficient reviewer of NIH grant proposals and was honored with the Distinguished Researcher Award by the Sigma Xi Society.

Dr. Lawrence E. Allred is a life science executive with more than 40 years of experience in technology commercialization, intellectual property, business development, and biomedical innovation. He currently advises early-stage life science companies and university entrepreneurship programs. His leadership roles have included Associate Vice President for Research & Innovation at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and Assistant Vice President for Venture Development at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he helped launch pharmaceutical and medical device companies based on university technologies. Dr. Allred has also served on the boards of biomedical startups and incubators and held academic appointments at several universities. He earned his PhD in Biomedical Science from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston

Swetha is a board certified genetic counselor with over 10 years of experience working with families with rare diseases. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Genetics from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. She received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Swetha is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).