Barb Bailus, PhD
FAST is always on the lookout for excellent physicians who interact with AS patients and can help design and explain what is feasible in a clinical trial. Dr. Jessica Duis is one such physician, and is currently the medical director of the Angelman Syndrome comprehensive clinic at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Tennessee. 
Dr. Duis received her master’s degree in Biochemistry from Northwestern University and her MD from George Washington University. She is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her areas of expertise include medical genetics and pediatrics, giving her both personal experience with AS patients, and insight into the underlying genetic causes of AS.
Dr. Duis brings additional clinical experience to the SAB, having worked with AS patients and their families. Dr. Duis first became interested in AS when she met an extraordinary young boy who was working on completing a 3D puzzle, his ingenuity at solving the puzzle was intriguing and the mother’s advocacy for her son was inspiring. She enjoys being part of such an active and invested community where there is a true partnership between patients, physicians and research working towards a common goal. Her favorite patient memories include those of when an AS patient achieves a goal for the first time; that look of mischief, glee, and laugher always brightens her day. As a mother of three, she spends her free time outside exploring and hiking with her family. Her first hand expertise with AS patients will help inform study design and treatment evaluation as several FAST funded technologies move forward toward clinical trials.
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