BOARD VOLUNTEERS
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.
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.
Antony Gout, MD
Antony is currently a resident physician at the University of Iowa. He graduated from Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa in 2020 and in 2013 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.
Natalie Muccioli Emery, RDH BHA
Natalie is a healthcare professional with experience in dental hygiene, health administration and health promotion in Canada. Joining Propel a Cure is deeply personal to Natalie. She has struggled with gastrointestinal symptoms for 26 years and received an official Crohn’s Disease diagnosis in 2011 after requiring emergency major surgery. Natalie also has a sister with Crohn’s Disease. Reinforced by her background in disease prevention and health promotion, Natalie firmly believes that through coordination, collaboration, and sound investment in research; better treatment options for, and even prevention of Crohn’s Disease are real possibilities.
Tracy Loewenthal
​Tracy has a background in non-profit association management. She was an executive at a medical association for several years and prior to that was a healthcare management consultant, working with pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotech companies. She has a Masters in Health Services Administration as well as an MBA from the University of Michigan. Tracy lives in Highland Park, Illinois with her husband and 3 children. Her son was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease in 2019 and has been unable to achieve lasting remission. She believes that better scientific understanding of inflammation, as both a cause and effect of disease, is pivotal to a cure. She joined Propel a Cure to help scientists achieve this goal.
Linda Metzler
Linda Metzler joins the Propel a Cure board as a keen advocate for its mission finding a cure for Crohn’s as well as for new, effective, and non-invasive IBD diagnostic and surveillance tools, microbiome/diet research, alternative therapy viewpoints, and for massively improved patient/caregiver support systems. Conscripted into the world of IBD in 2016, when her 11-year-old son was diagnosed with Crohn’s, and not satisfied with the efficacy rates or safety profiles of standard therapies, Linda labored to find a support community to help navigate dietary therapy as a primary therapeutic tool. Finding support within varied groups of consultants was instrumental in helping find the most balanced path for her son. Linda’s educational background is in Classical Music, where she studied the cello and learned to listen critically to all voices in the room and work collaboratively to coalesce an understandable whole. She brings that sensitivity, along with her long-standing volunteer and professional work experience in non-profit development, to Propel a Cure's board.