BOARD OF DIRECTORS
All GRIN2B Foundation Board Members are unpaid volunteers. The goal of the Board is to work together to support our mission.
Liz Marfia-Ash, President
When Liz’s daughter, Lucy, was diagnosed with a GRIN2B variation in 2014, she was given a stack of scholarly neurological articles and case studies on others with GRIN2B, which might as well have been written in a foreign language. Frustrated by the lack of information for families, she vowed to never let that happen to anyone else. Inspired by the connections made in the GRIN2B Parent Support Group on Facebook, Liz wrote and published www.grin2b.com in 2017 as a way to help give families accessible information regarding GRIN2B. Later that same year, her journey into nonprofit work continued, and she founded and received 501c3 status for the GRIN2B Foundation. Understanding full well how lonely and overwhelming it is for families to deal with such a rare diagnosis, Liz is determined to be a voice of positivity in the GRIN2B community. She is very passionate about supporting both the well-being of families and working with the medical community to better understand and treat GRIN2B. Liz also serves on the PAG Advisory Board for Combined Brain and previously served on the Simons Searchlight Community Advisory Committee.
In addition to her duties as President, Liz works as a Project Manager for a small marketing firm in Chicago. She loves Pilates, writing, making lists and watching movies and Netflix. Her dream is to someday write a Children’s book. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children.
Read Liz’s Rare Leader profile from Global Genes.
Donna Dunn, PhD, CNM, FNP-BC, Vice President
When Donna’s son, Charlie, was first diagnosed in April 2014, the genetic counselor gave Donna a grim prognosis with little hope for the future. Feeling hopeless, Donna turned to social media to see if there were other children and families impacted by this mutation. Finding no groups, Donna started one herself, creating what is now the GRIN2B Parent Support Group. That group has now grown to include families across the globe and has created an important support network for families. Donna is committed to increasing the support for families and supporting research through her work as GRIN2B Foundation’s Vice President and as an Admin of the Parent Support Group on Facebook.
Donna lives in Alabama, USA, and is married with two sons, the youngest who carries a GRIN2B gene mutation. Donna works as a Nurse Practitioner in Maternal Fetal Medicine. She also is an Associate Professor and coordinates the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at a local university. She enjoys spending time with her family and has recently begun learning to sew.
Dan Reid, Treasurer
Dan’s daughter, Isla, was diagnosed in 2016, at the age of 4. Isla had been receiving early intervention services from the age of 6 months, and the family had become accustomed to navigating Isla’s needs on their own, but genetic testing unexpectedly revealed the GRIN2B diagnosis. Dan and his wife Ashley soon found the article written by GRIN2B Foundation founder Liz Marfia-Ash, “To the Person who Just Googled GRIN2B for the First Time.” In those early, overwhelming days, it meant a lot just to know that our family wasn’t alone. Ever since, the GRIN2B Foundation has provided community, advice, and connections to the latest research. This has been a lifeline for Dan’s family, and he is committed to ensuring that the Foundation is a thriving organization where everyone in the GRIN2B community is welcomed and supported.
Dan works as a technology executive for Microsoft. He and his wife, Ashley, have three children, Griffin, Isla and Jasper, and they live in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his free time, Dan enjoys trail running, open water swimming and cycling, including the occasional triathlon, trail race or Alcatraz crossing. Dan and Isla are kindred spirits who enjoy an active lifestyle and share a spirit of adventure. Every night at bedtime, Isla asks, “What are we going to do today (i.e. tomorrow)?” Isla and Dan have spent many happy weekend days at the beach, swimming pool, zoo, local parks, amusement parks, and more.
Aileen Lussier, Secretary
Aileen’s involvement with the Foundation began after her son, Cody, was found to have a mosaic de novo GRIN2B mutation in January of 2024 following an early-onset epilepsy diagnosis at just 3 months old. Cody works hard each day through all of his therapies to gain independence, and he has become the family’s greatest teacher. The GRIN2B and larger GRI communities quickly became a source of comfort, understanding, and hope—a true home away from home.
Aileen’s background is in pharmaceutical sciences and clinical trial management, and she currently works within oncology medical and scientific affairs. While her career focuses on helping bring new treatments to patients through well-run clinical trials, the work that means the most to her is supporting families walking similar paths of critical diagnoses. Aileen lives in Southern New Jersey with her husband, Brian, son, Cody, and their chocolate lab, Jameson, who proudly covers Cody in kisses and takes his job as walking buddy very seriously. She is grateful for the chance to give back to the community that has continued to lift her own family and is excited to support and connect with other GRIN2B families.
Phil Ash, Board of Directors
When Phil’s daughter, Lucy, was diagnosed with a GRIN2B mutation in 2014, he and his wife, Liz, were discouraged by the overall lack of information and supports for families. Phil spent over a year with Liz collaborating on the website, www.grin2b.com. Phil is eager to increase research and awareness, but he is also passionate about increasing family outreach and support so no more GRIN2B families feel alone. In March of 2018, Phil launched his podcast – Celebrating Rare: The GRIN2B podcast, which is produced as a way to provide information, share personal stories and discuss questions with GRIN2B parents.
Phil is a high school teacher who lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with Liz and their three kids. In his free time, he plays guitar, golfs, waterskis, and has a good time!
Brittaney Crider, Family Outreach Coordinator
Brittaney became involved with the GRIN2B Foundation after her daughter Natalie was diagnosed with a GRIN2B mutation in 2016. It was so comforting to her and her husband to finally have a group of people that understood all they had been through. As a board member, Brittaney is excited to help bring families together for support and support research about possible treatment options.
Brittaney is a 3rd grade teacher near Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband, Mike, have their daughter, Natalie, and a son, Mikie. When she isn’t busy chasing children around at work and home, she enjoys paddle boarding, hand lettering, and is trying to learn to play the guitar.
Lauren Hookings, Board of Directors
Lauren was quick to track down the GRIN2B Parent Support Group following her daughter’s official diagnosis in 2016 and was thrilled to connect with like minded parents. It really felt like she’d found her tribe after years of muddling through therapies and specialist appointments with her then 4 year old daughter, Sadie. Lauren is excited to support families across the globe as a board member of the GRIN2B Foundation.
Lauren lives in Adelaide, Australia with her husband and two daughters and works as a Reporting and CRM Analyst. She runs a weekly after school dance/disco for children of all abilities. She enjoys reading, musicals, podcasts, spreadsheets, cups of tea and Netflix.
Travis Price, Board of Directors
Travis became involved with the Grin2B foundation after seeing his 2 year old son growing and thriving since receiving his diagnosis around 1 year old. He is a busy husband and father of 3, and an owner of his successful Wealth Management Firm- Strategic Financial Group. His heart was wanting to do more for the foundation and to contribute to the hard work and success of the board members and their families in moving forward towards treatments, support, and cures. He is an intelligent businessman full of knowledge, ideas, and a heart to help.
His hobbies include golfing, fishing, hunting, and spending time with his family. He is eager and proud to be a part of this inspirational team of board members who make a difference in the lives of our families every day!
Jeffrey Brown, Governance Chair
In April 2021, Jeff’s son Nathan was just nine months old when he was diagnosed with a mutation in the GRIN2B gene. This diagnosis came after months of extensive testing to uncover the cause of his developmental delays, ultimately culminating in full genetic sequencing. Following the results, the geneticist introduced Jeff and his wife Molly to the GRIN2B Foundation as a resource. They quickly connected with the Foundation’s community, finding support and guidance as they navigated the uncertainty of life post‑diagnosis. Through this journey, Jeff and Molly came to understand firsthand the critical importance of the Foundation’s mission and deeply value the role it plays in supporting families impacted by this rare disorder.
Aubrey became involved with the GRIN2B Foundation after her son, Hunter, was diagnosed at just over two years old. While searching for answers and support, she quickly discovered how limited and difficult-to-access information can be for rare disease families, an experience that inspired her commitment to advocacy and education.With a background in science and a career in healthcare and laboratory work, Aubrey brings both professional insight and lived experience to her role. She is especially passionate about ensuring families, regardless of background, have access to clear, reliable information and guidance.
Aubrey lives in Indiana with her triplets, Hunter, Avery, and Emmerson, and is also a mother to an older son and is a grandmother. Outside of advocacy and in her free time, she enjoys coffee, crafting, nature walks, and puzzles.