Chicago, Ill. (November 6, 2023) – The National Headache Foundation (NHF) Board of Directors announced that Interim Executive Director Susan Lane Stone, MBA has been appointed the permanent CEO and Executive Director and added Hope O’Brien, MD, MBA, FAHS, FAAN, to its board.
“Over the past several months, Stone has demonstrated her unflagging commitment and organizational talent to lead the National Headache Foundation in its mission to cure headache and to end its pain and suffering,” said Vincent T. Martin, M.D., AQH, President of NHF’s board and Director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. “Her deep strategic, operational, and managerial experience will build on existing NHF pillars, innovate for the future and establish long-term sustainability.”
For the last three years, Stone has been an active NHF board member and committee member. With more than 20 years of non-profit board and committee leadership, administration, and development experience with Prevent Blindness, Habitat for Humanity, Make-A-Wish, and the Allergan Foundation, Stone is well positioned to lead NHF and further its innovative programs such as Operation Brainstorm™, Migraine University©, Primary Care Migraine™, AQH© Credentialing, and HeadWise™. Additionally, she brings more than 30 years in executive biopharma and medical device roles, 15 of which delivered evidence-based headache and migraine education with and for patients, caregivers, families, and healthcare practitioners. Stone’s strengths in strategy, communications, policy, advocacy, market access, program management and development will continue to advance the NHF vision and core principles.
The Board of Directors also added Dr. Hope O’Brien as a board member. She is board certified in Neurology and Headache Medicine and holds an Executive MBA degree. O’Brien serves as Founder, CEO and Medical Director of Headache Center of Hope in Cincinnati and an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Her research focuses on late adolescents and young adults with headaches.
“The permanent role Susan Stone will play in expanding the national presence of NHF with focused leadership and the addition of Hope O’Brien to our board will bring considerable experience, knowledge and collaborative relationships to our mission,” said Dr. Martin. “Our forward-thinking vision of helping patients and healthcare practitioners collaborate together in addressing headache disorders and migraine disease as well as the challenges they present will reach new heights.”
About the National Headache Foundation
For more than 50 years the National Headache Foundation has been dedicated to providing education, research, awareness, and advocacy for those affected by headache disorders and migraine disease.
NHF is the leading educational and informational resource for individuals with headache, their families, caregivers, healthcare practitioners, and health policy decision makers. For more information on the National Headache Foundation, please visit www.headaches.org.
