Who We Are

16p11.2 Genetic Foundation

Introducing the board

To provide up to date, practical and digestible information and guidance for families to promote children and individuals with 16p11.2 deletion to reach their full potential while celebrating the joys of individual variation.

Wendy Chung, MD, PhD as Medical Director. Dr. Chung is the Chief of Pediatrics at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She directs NIH funded research programs in human genetics and large programs in autism genetic research including Simons Searchlight. She is involved in developing genomic testing in the prenatal setting and is experienced in the ethical implications of research. She enjoys the challenges of genetics as a rapidly changing field of medicine and strives to facilitate the integration of genetic medicine into all areas of health care in a medically, scientifically, and ethically sound, accessible, and cost effective manner. Her TED Talk is fascinating

Caroline Pereira, MBA as Director of Finance and Treasury. She is the President of the Hoag Hospital Foundation and has over She is a seasoned fundraiser with over 2 decades of experience with a focus on academia and health care. Prior to joining Hoag in 2024, she lead a successful 11-year tenure with UCI Health as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Advancement. And prior to that she led fundraising at the University of Toronto in Canada, for the School of Medicine

Faranak Herrera, DO, MPH Founder and CEO. Dr. Herrera is a board certified Internal Medicine physician and seasoned primary care doctor in the state of California. She has a special interest in 16p11.2 deletion and has identified a need for a standard of care with this rare disease. Along with Dr. Chung, she has authored the clinical care guidelines for this condition named Health Supervision for Children and Adolescents with 16p11.2 Deletion Syndrome.

Medical Liaison

Introducing Dr. Nika Akid

Dr. Nika Akid is a doctor of internal medicine. In her practice, she excelled in thoroughly explaining challenging medical concepts to her patients in order to partner with them and empower them in managing their chronic conditions. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two children. When her son was 3 years old, he was diagnosed with the rare genetic condition known as 16p11.2 deletion syndrome. She wanted her son to be armed with the knowledge of his condition and authored three children’s books to explain genetics, variations and the social aspects of genetic conditions for her son and anyone else who would benefit. As her child is very young, she publishes under a fictitious name license with the Osteopathic Medical Board of California until he is old enough to decide weather he wants his personal medical information made public. She is also heavily involved with the 16p11.2 Genetic Foundation and is the acting medical liaison to help all patients and families affected by this condition to thrive.

Transparency

We are dedicated to transparency and hold a high ethical bar in this very important work. As such, all of our finances will be made available on this website. We want the public to be confident that all donations will be used to provide up to date, practical and digestible information and guidance for families and to promote the health of individuals and families with 16p11.2 deletion through research, advocacy and practical information.

2022

2023