Richard Finkel MD

Dr. Richard S. Finkel, MD, is a Member of the Faculty at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he serves as Director of the Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics and holds the George J. Pedersen Endowed Chair in Neurotherapeutics. He is also affiliated with the Department of Genomic and Translational Neuroscience and the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative, where he leads efforts to translate scientific discoveries into clinical treatments for children with severe neurological disorders.

Dr. Finkel is an internationally recognized pediatric neurologist with more than three decades of experience in neuromuscular and neurogenetic diseases. His work focuses on clinical trials, biomarker development, and innovative therapeutic strategies for conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and inherited neuropathies.

A pioneer in translational neuroscience, he has played a key role in advancing therapies for SMA, including leading groundbreaking studies in early and even prenatal treatment approaches. His contributions to medicine have earned international recognition, including election to the Association of American Physicians and inclusion in the TIME100 Health list (2025). Dr. Finkel continues to lead multidisciplinary collaborations aimed at accelerating the development of life-changing therapies for children with rare and devastating neurological diseases.