In March 2019, Menninger was pleased to welcome two new members to our Clinic and Foundation boards of directors. Internationally renowned geneticist Huda Zoghbi, MD, was elected to the Clinic board, and prominent Houston business executive Nicole West joined the Foundation board. In addition, board members F. Allen Lyons and Judson W. Robinson III also made a transition between boards, moving from the Clinic board to the Foundation board.
Dr. Zoghbi is a world-renowned genetic neurologist who works to discover the biological basis of rare diseases. Her efforts have helped to illuminate the mechanisms of Rett syndrome, a brain disorder almost exclusively occurring in girls, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder affecting movement, muscles and cognition. In 2017, Dr. Zoghbi was awarded the Canada Gairdner International Award, as well as the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
West is a successful entrepreneur and business owner, as well as a compassionate community advocate and philanthropist. She has served the City of Houston on several boards and commissions. In addition to her commitment with The Menninger Clinic Foundation board, she is currently serving on the advisory board of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's Office of Business Opportunity.