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The Sumaira Foundation Announces Maureen Mealy Joining as Vice President – Research Initiatives

Posted by: The Sumaira Foundation in News & Announcements

Experienced neuroimmunology researcher and clinical research leader joins TSF to advance patient-centered research and help lead the organization’s growing research portfolio, including its $9 million NMOSD comparative effectiveness trial

BOSTON — October 13, 2026 — The Sumaira Foundation (TSF), a global nonprofit organization focused on rare neuroimmune and related conditions, today announced the appointment of Maureen A. Mealy, PhD, RN, as Vice President – Research Initiatives.

Dr. Mealy brings more than two decades of experience spanning direct patient care, clinical research, academic medicine, and medical affairs, with a career focused extensively on rare neuroimmunologic diseases. Her appointment strengthens TSF’s growing research leadership at a pivotal time for the organization, including its work leading a $9 million comparative effectiveness trial evaluating therapies for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

“Maureen brings an extraordinary combination of scientific expertise, clinical experience, and a genuine understanding of what it means to center patients in research,” said Sumaira Ahmed, Founder and Executive Director of The Sumaira Foundation. “She has spent her career asking important questions about rare neuroimmune diseases and, importantly, about the questions that matter most to patients. We are thrilled to welcome her to TSF and know that her leadership will be instrumental as we expand our research initiatives and work to ensure that patients have a meaningful voice in the research that shapes their future.”

Mealy’s career has been deeply rooted in neuroimmunology, spanning direct patient care, clinical research, academic medicine, and medical affairs. She previously served as Clinical and Research Program Manager for the Neuromyelitis Optica Clinic and Transverse Myelitis Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she acted as a co-primary investigator with Dr. Michael Levy on investigator-initiated research, oversaw industry-sponsored research, and provided patient, caregiver, and community-provider education. She also previously served as Clinical Research Manager at UT Southwestern, where she helped build two new clinics focused on rare autoimmune diseases and facilitated multidisciplinary research and care. Most recently, she served as Senior Medical Science Liaison at Amgen.

Her academic research has focused extensively on NMOSD, including the burden of neuropathic pain and its impact on quality of life. Her doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University examined the treatment of central neuropathic pain caused by NMOSD, while her broader research has explored treatment, outcomes, quality of life, epidemiology, and other clinical challenges affecting people with rare neuroimmune diseases. Her work has included research across NMOSD, MOGAD, multiple sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis, and she has contributed to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications throughout her career.

“I am incredibly excited to join The Sumaira Foundation at such an important moment in the evolution of rare neuroimmune research,” said Mealy. “TSF has built something truly unique by bringing the patient perspective directly into research, advocacy, education, and community. I am honored to be part of this team and excited to help expand research that answers the questions patients and families are asking and generates meaningful evidence that can ultimately improve outcomes for people living with rare neuroimmune diseases.”

In her new role, Mealy will help provide strategic leadership across TSF’s research initiatives, with an emphasis on TSF’s current NMOSD clinical trial, advancing patient-centered research, strengthening collaboration among patients, clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders, and supporting the organization’s growing research portfolio.

TSF’s clinical trial (NCT07010302) will compare rituximab, a widely used off-label therapy, against the four FDA-approved treatments for preventing relapses in NMOSD. The study is a randomized controlled trial, including an observational arm, and is designed to generate evidence that can inform treatment decisions and improve long-term outcomes. The study will begin enrolling this fall. 

“Research has always been central to TSF’s mission, but we are entering a new chapter,” said Ahmed. “The hiring of Maureen reflects our commitment to building the expertise and infrastructure necessary to continue leading meaningful, patient-centered research. Her experience will help us bridge the gap between scientific discovery and the lived experience of patients.”

TSF has increasingly expanded its role in research, including patient-centered outcomes research, comparative effectiveness research, research education, and real-world data initiatives. Earlier this year, the organization announced a partnership with Citizen Health to support real-world data collection across its communities, further strengthening TSF’s ability to connect patient experiences with research.

About The Sumaira Foundation

The Sumaira Foundation (TSF) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of rare neuroimmune and related conditions, building communities of support for patients and caregivers, supporting and leading research and advocating on behalf of patients. Founded in 2014 by Sumaira Ahmed following her diagnosis with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), TSF has grown into an international organization serving people affected by NMOSD, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), myasthenia gravis (MG), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and other rare neuroimmune conditions. For more information on TSF, please visit: https://www.sumairafoundation.org.

For further information on TSF’s clinical trial, please visit: NCT07010302

Media Contact:

Taylor Macey

Director of Programming & Community Engagement 

The Sumaira Foundation

[email protected]