PEOPLE
Annabelle Hall
Annabelle joined the quest for a cure for Crohn’s disease in September 2014 after her son was diagnosed. She watched as her son’s condition quickly deteriorated and feared for his future. Refusing to accept that no cure was possible, she dove into research. Highly committed to helping find a cure, she has been deeply involved in raising awareness and funds for promising research including the Crohn’s MAP Vaccine. In addition, she was the Special Events coordinator for Human Para Foundation. She has strong faith in the power of science and firmly believes that by providing financial support to innovative scientists, a cure is within grasp. Fluent in French, she spent most of her professional career as a high school teacher in Africa, France, Asia and the U.S. She has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and History from the University of California, San Diego and an M.A with Honors in Leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California.
Dina Fiatarone
Diana grew up in Orinda, went to Miramonte High School and UC Berkeley, where she majored in Italian and Art History. Dina taught at Fountainhead Montessori School and worked with her husband, Jim, at ALMA music and language school for several years while raising their five children. Their middle son was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in his mid-twenties and has suffered greatly, so finding a cure for Crohn’s is a cause very dear to her heart.
Angela Clark
Originally from Georgia, Angela received her B.A. in political science from Maryville College (TN) and her master’s degree in Western European government and politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In the past, she enjoyed a career in the federal government and also worked in local radio and television. Most recently, she served as a marketing director at a private school. She and her husband have a son and a daughter. Angela became involved in Propel a Cure after the Crohn’s diagnosis of a relative and is passionate about supporting innovative research that pushes beyond the current therapy landscape to ultimately lead us to a cure.
Ildiko Mehes
Ildiko is a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry and to the broader investor community related to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Ildiko is a former SVP & General Counsel of Teva Pharmaceuticals and is an attorney licensed in the State of Massachusetts and in Canada. Ildiko has close family and friends who suffer from Crohn’s disease and is deeply committed to driving research that will yield clinically meaningful answers to currently unanswered questions or gaps in our understanding of the pathogenesis and progression of Crohn’s disease.
Al Fliss
Al received his PhD in Biomedical Science from Mount Sinai School of Medicine/CUNY and now works in the pharmaceutical industry as a medical director in oncology. Al was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 19 which is when he started researching the disease. Al has been working to increase awareness of the potential infectious cause of Crohn’s Disease since the mid-1980s when Dr Chiodini first found evidence of the link between Mycobacterium avium Paratuberculosis (MAP) and Crohn’s. Al served as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Paratuberculosis Awareness and Research Association (PARA) for several years. During this time he suffered through numerous major surgeries, endless pills, infusions and clinical trials in an attempt to control his disease until he his physician prescribed anti-MAP therapy in the mid-1990s. Al has been disease-free and medicine-free since 2001.
Antony Gout
Antony is currently a 4th-year medical student at the Carver School of Medicine, University of Iowa. He graduated from UCLA with a BS in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease mid-2014. Having experienced the ravages of the disease himself, he has every reason to support innovative research that will help lead us to a cure.