Gerard Wellenberg

Within Gerard Wellenberg’s family, the hereditary muscular disease Myotonic Dystrophy type-1 (MD1) has been diagnosed in 2001. From 2001 on, he lost one niece and one brother. His mother passed away in 1991 at the age of 58. Two other family members still suffer MD1.

Gerard Wellenberg has more than 35 years of experience in the field of human and animal disease surveillance, control and eradication programs, epidemiology and the management of many research projects in the Netherlands and abroad. He has been active in the field of MD1 since 2012.

He is the Chairman of the Dutch MD1 Action Team, which is involved in fundraising activities and raises Dutch citizens’ awareness on the importance of MD1 research and on the impact of MD1 within families.