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Ansel is a community organizer who puts people and relationships at the center of everything he does. From a background in abolition organizing, queer liberation and progressive political movements he brings the values of connection and trust to his advocacy for MAPT FTD research.
He is also a biomedical engineer and works with medical device manufacturers to produce compliant and successful products that improve patients' lives.
His relationship to FTD began at birth when he inherited a MAPT gene mutation. His mother and several relatives later developed symptoms, a story documented in NYT Magazine's “The Vanishing Family”. It became clear that the struggle against FTD would be a central pillar of Ansel's life. He approaches this challenge with the weight of grief and loss balanced by the tremendous opportunities for connection, joy and power when communities come together.
When Ansel's not on a video call or scrolling through spreadsheets he loves to draw with pencils and charcoal, sing songs with his friends and host dinner parties.
Read about Ansel's story:
A Hand of Poker and Our Family Curse
Listen to Ansel and Cosmo on WUNC's award-winning podcast Embodied:
Two Brothers, One Uncertain Future
Listen to Ansel share about his mom's unique journey on Remember Me:
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