Back To News, Events & Research
Go To News, Events & Research Filters
ALS Satellite Clinic in Santa Barbara, CA

UCSF Health ALS Clinic and Cottage Health in Santa Barbara have joined forces to run [...]

12
Aug
ThinkALS Tool

The ThinkALS tool was developed by the ALS Association to assist clinicians in the ALS [...]

31
Dec
MGH Expanded Access Protocol (EAP) Program

The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation will donate $30,000 from their upcoming 9th Annual Golf Tournament (02-Oct) [...]

24
Sep
MOFF Response to Loss

The ALS community lost two incredible people this past Thanksgiving week. Leslie Sands (1951-2020) and [...]

29
Nov
What Happened in Guam? (Halloween Edition)

Classic Halloween stories have a spooky setting (like a haunted house or an abandoned log [...]

01
Nov
Latest ALS Research: I AM ALS

I AM ALS revamped their website! It looks great. MOFF’s favorite part of the new [...]

28
Oct
ALS Research Paper Review (ALS RPR)

Natalie Fernandez is honored to be co-chair of the newly formed ALS Research Paper Review [...]

27
Oct
Healey Platform Trial Monthly Updates

The clinical operations team involved with the Healey Platform Trial is truly going above and [...]

13
Oct
depict COVID-19
COVID-19 Impact on ALS Clinical Research

COVID-19 Impact on ALS Clinical Research as of July 23, 2020 Of the 95 ALS [...]

24
Jul
medical environment
How I AM ALS is Influencing Clinical Trials Design

I. What is wrong with the current ALS clinical trial landscape? I am going to [...]

03
Jul
1 in 300

There is a 1 in 300 is the lifetime risk that you will develop ALS. [...]

19
Jun
A Solution to the ALS Diagnostic Delay

The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnostic journey is unique to each individual. It has puzzled [...]

16
Jun
Healey ALS Platform Trial

What is the Healey Platform Trial? An ALS clinical trial that tests 5 different therapies [...]

09
Apr

Natalie Fernandez
Program Director, CFO
Natalie is the associate project manager of clinical development at Viracta Therapeutics in San Diego, CA. In her spare time, she works as the program director and CFO of MOFF. Well connected within the ALS community, Natalie runs the ALS Research Paper Review Initiative (ALS RPR) and is a member of the ALS Association National Chapter Patient and Caregiver Advisory Committee (PCAC). Natalie completed her MBA degree in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business at The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in June 2019. She holds an undergraduate degree from NYU in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Spanish.

Andrea Fernandez
Director, Secretary
Andrea is currently working for Plaid in San Francisco, California. She earned her B.S. at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Andrea chose to live abroad and teach in Spain for a year prior to moving to San Francisco. She is currently enjoying the NorCal city lifestyle and looking forward to all that is to come.

John Ronca
Board Member
John joined the MOFF board of directors in April 2020. Bio coming soon.

Cheri Humphrey
Board Member
Cheri Humphrey joined the MOFF board of directors in August of 2019. Cheri grew up in Dixon, CA and moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. It was there that she met her husband Jim. They now reside in SLO and have a daughter, Victoria and a son, Riley. Cheri is instrumental in the operations of the iconic Madonna Inn, which she has been the manager of since 1989. Cheri and her family have been ALS advocates since the inception of MOFF. We are honored to have Cheri as part of the board to guide community outreach and continue raising awareness of ALS prevalence on the Central Coast.

Ian Parkinson
Board Member
We are very excited to welcome San Luis Obispo County Sheriff, Ian Parkinson, into his second two-year term as a member of the Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation Board. Ian has served as Sheriff since 2011 and is well known in the community for this tireless efforts to improve the law enforcement processes of SLO County. Ian knew Martha Olson-Fernandez and has been a supporter of MOFF since 2012. We are very grateful for his commitment to help us carry out our mission to fight ALS through patient care and research. We look forward to utilizing his strategic insights and community outreach to further the MOFF mission.

Larry Fernandez
Director, CEO
Larry is currently an executive for a private vegetable seed company. He has been an entrepreneur in the seed industry for 35 years. He is the proud father of Andrea and Natalie and enjoys watching them pursue their education and practical learning through their job experiences. When time allows, Larry enjoys hunting and fishing. His desire is to find a cure for ALS.