CMT genetic pioneer joins CMTA research advisory board

By AI, Created 4:34 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Vincent Timmerman, the geneticist whose lab identified the first known genetic cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, has joined the CMTA-STAR Scientific Advisory Board. The appointment gives the nonprofit’s research program added expertise in CMT genetics and human disease modeling as it works to push therapies toward clinical trials.

Why it matters: - Vincent Timmerman brings three decades of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease expertise to CMTA-STAR, the research arm focused on moving therapies from the lab into clinical trials. - His background in CMT genetics and stem-cell-based modeling could help CMTA prioritize the strongest treatment candidates faster. - CMT has no cure or approved treatment, so any advance that improves the path to clinical testing is meaningful for patients.

What happened: - The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association named Vincent Timmerman, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board. - Timmerman leads the Peripheral Neuropathy Research Group at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. - His lab identified the first known genetic cause of CMT, a duplication of the PMP22 gene linked to CMT1A. - The appointment was announced May 12, 2026.

The details: - The 1991 PMP22 discovery helped open the door to more than 130 CMT-associated genes. - That work also helped set the stage for gene-targeted therapies now in development. - Timmerman’s current research uses induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, from patients to build human models of CMT in the lab. - His team grows clusters of human nerve and muscle cells that mimic the nerve-muscle connections damaged by CMT. - A CMTA-funded project is using cells from the CMTA Preclinical Toolbox iPSC collection, housed with the New York Stem Cell Foundation at Jackson Laboratories, to build a new human model for CMT1A. - CMTA says human-cell models can provide more reliable guidance than animal studies, where many promising drugs fail in human trials. - Timmerman received the Rare Disease Award from Spierziekten Vlaanderen and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CMTR special interest group of the Peripheral Nerve Society in 2023.

Between the lines: - Timmerman’s appointment pairs foundational genetics work with translational research, which matches CMTA-STAR’s goal of narrowing the gap between discovery and clinic. - His experience in human disease models may be especially valuable because CMT drug development depends on better ways to predict what will work in people. - Timmerman also brings broad ties to the global CMT research community, which can matter in a rare disease field that depends on collaboration.

What’s next: - Timmerman will help CMTA sharpen how it prioritizes and advances therapies toward clinical trials. - His work with CMTA-funded cell models is expected to support the search for better CMT1A treatment candidates. - He will also contribute to CMTA’s broader effort to strengthen international research collaboration.

The bottom line: - CMTA is adding one of the field’s most influential CMT geneticists to help speed the path from lab science to human testing. - Learn more at CMTA’s website.