The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA), the largest philanthropic funder of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) research, today announced the 2025 Inherited Neuropathies Fellow through its Inherited Neuropathies Consortium (INC) alliance. The fellowship was awarded to Bopha Chrea, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at the University of Iowa specializing in the surgical management of foot and ankle deformities in CMT.
Foot and ankle complications are a common and often disabling aspect of CMT, yet clinical decisions around surgical intervention are still based on limited data. Through this year-long fellowship, Dr. Chrea will focus on advancing clinical understanding of foot morphology (structural changes), mobility, and outcomes in people with CMT. Her work includes evaluating the potential of orthotic devices to delay surgery and identifying individuals most likely to benefit from surgical care.
The CMTA-INC Fellowship supports early-career physician-investigators with structured mentorship, dedicated research time, and hands-on clinical experience. The program is directed by Mary M. Reilly, MBE, MD, at University College London, who also serves as CMTA’s Strategy To Accelerate Research (CMTA-STAR) Clinical Expert Board Co-Chair. It aims to build long-term clinical research capacity to improve care for individuals affected by CMT.
Fellowship recipients are selected by an appointment panel of leading experts in CMT research and care, including Dr. Reilly, Steven S. Scherer, MD, PhD, David Herrmann, MD, Vera Fridman, MD, and CMTA Chief Research Officer Katherine Forsey, PhD. The program provides early-career clinician-investigators with protected research time, long-term mentorship, and career development opportunities to advance CMT clinical research and patient care. Since its inception, the Fellowship program has supported 11 fellows who are now contributing to research and clinical progress in CMT worldwide.
Stay informed about CMTA-funded research, CMTA-INC Alliance updates, and ways to participate in CMT research. Sign up for CMTA’s eNews to get monthly updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Published on: May 12, 2025