Familial Dysautonomia: the leader in FD treatment and research
Building healthy lives
and happy futures.
Our History
The FD Foundation Commemorates Its 70th Anniversary
A brief look back at the Foundation’s 70-year history…
The FD Foundation's Timeline
1951
Dysautonomia Foundation was founded by parents of children with FD, shortly after the disorder was first identified in the United States.
1969
Dysautonomia Treatment Center was established at NYU Medical Center, under the direction of Dr. Felicia Axelrod.
1980
The Dysautonomia Center in Israel, at Hadassah Hospital-Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem, was established under the direction of Dr.Channa Maayan.
1985
The first FD Day annual conference was held, bringing together families and caregivers for a day of learning and connecting.
2008
Construction was completed on an expanded Dysautonomia Center at NYU, doubling the space and adding a state-of-the art Research Lab.
2007
Dr. Horacio Kaufmann, a Professor of Neurology, joined the Center's team as head of the new Dysautonomia Research Laboratory.
2007
An endowed professorship was established in the NYU School of Medicine's Department of Neurology and named in honor of Dr. Felicia B. Axelrod.
2001
Scientists discovered the FD gene mutation IKBKAP within Chromosome 9Q, ushering in a new era of population screening and prenatal diagnosis.
2012
The Dysautonomia Foundation began funding a second FD Center in Israel at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. Under the direction of Dr. Ori Efrati, the Center offers a comprehensive approach to FD care.
2013
The Dysautonomia Center expanded eye research, adding a state of the art laboratory to examine the innervation of the eye and visual function.
2014
The Center’s Fellowship Program in Autonomic Disorders receives accreditation from the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties.
2018
National Institutes of Health (NIH) to work with the NYU Center on both FD patients and mice to understand the cause and potential treatments for the GI problems in people with FD.
We are proud to have funded research at these institutions over our six decades of operation:
Looking Towards the Future
Our challenge is not over--FD continues to be an incurable progressive disorder and a source of daily struggle for affected patients and their families. As we move forward, the Familial Dysautonomia Foundation remains committed to improving the lives of people affected by FD and working towards a world without FD.
©2022 Familial Dysautonomia Foundation, Inc.
| Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Medical Disclosure
Photos by Rick Guidotti, POSITIVE EXPOSURE
EIN 13-6145280
Website Disclaimer
The information provided in the Dysautonomia Foundation web site is intended to educate the reader about certain medical conditions and certain possible treatments. It is not a substitute for examination, diagnosis, and medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. If you believe you, or your child, or someone you know, suffer from the conditions described herein, please see your health care provider. Do not attempt to treat yourself, your child, or anyone else without proper medical supervision.
The Foundation provides linked sites only for the convenience of the visitor. The Foundation does not control nor does it warrant the accuracy of any information provided by these linked sites. Individually identifiable user information is not collected through this site unless voluntarily submitted to the Foundation by the user. Linked sites may have different privacy policies. Any User information submitted directly to the Foundation will not be shared with other parties without the express written consent of the User.
Privacy Policy
The Familial Dysautonomia Foundation will not share or sell any personal information (name, address, email address, phone numbers) that you submit through this website or offline with any third party organization without your explicit consent.
If you conduct a transaction on our website for the purpose of a charitable contribution, we will not record or store any of your credit card information on our servers or in our records. All credit card transactions are conducted through secure web pages.
If you make an online contribution to one of our events or fundraisers, we may ask your permission to list your name and/or the amount of your contribution and/or the name of the organization you represent (if applicable) as a sponsor of the event or as a contributor to the event. We will not list any of your personal information without your consent.
Medical Disclosure
The FD Foundation does not offer medical advice. We always recommend that you contact the Dysautonomia Center (link here) or your personal physician.