Board of Directors

DDRF Board of Directors

James Aisenberg, MD (President & DDRF Mentor) is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He has published more than 100 articles and abstracts on digestive health with a focus on gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Steven Itzkowitz, MD (DDRF mentor) is a Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) and Oncological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In addition to a clinical practice, Dr. Itzkowitz is Director of the GI Fellowship Program and Co-Chair of the GI Tumor Board at Sinai. He is Co-Chair of the New York City C5 Coalition (Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition).

Asher Kornbluth, MD (DDRF mentor) is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He has published over 100 original papers, editorials, abstracts, and book chapters and is a nationally recognized expert in the management of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and lectures nationally and internationally on this topic. He has won the Teacher of the Year Award at Mount Sinai for six consecutive years and in addition has mentored students, residents, GI fellows, and visiting physicians from around the world in his private practice for both clinical gastroenterology as well as for clinical research in the field of inflammatory bowel disease.

Ian Lieberman is a managing partner of Nymeria Capital Management LP, an alternative investment firm focused on the Technology, Media, & Telecom sector. He previously worked at Discovery Capital Management as well as Goldman Sachs.

Arnold Manheimer is currently President of Phocal Point Consulting. Prior to Phocal, Arnold spent many years running a family flavor & fragrance manufacturing business before it was acquired by Kerry Ingredients and Flavours.

Jessica Sedler is a Director of Strategy & Business Planning at American Express, where she has worked for the past 10 years. She currently focuses on customer experience strategy within Travel & Lifestyle Services and recently served as chief of staff to the president of the division. Prior to Amex, Jess worked at Citigroup in corporate banking.

Paul Segal is President of Luminus Management LLC, an investment management company focused on the power sector.

Michael Silverstein has spent more than 30 years helping individuals and foundations manage their assets. He is currently a Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch.

Derek Strum (Treasurer) is a Partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC, a private equity investment firm based in New York. He previously worked in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley.

Saurabh Mehandru is a physician-scientist who straddles clinical care and laboratory-based investigation. Dr. Mehandru has led a laboratory of Mucosal Immunology since 2013. He is an NIH-funded investigator who has received multiple awards.