Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors

In his for-profit life, Dr. Luke Evnin is a well-known venture capital investor and is a Managing Director and co-founder of MPM Capital, one of the premier firms in the life science venture arena. Dr. Evnin has been dedicated to building and financing breakthrough life science companies for roughly 28 years.

Over the past few years, Luke has been a co-founder of several MPM portfolio companies and has contributed as a key inventor for the technology of these companies. Across his venture career, he has served on over 30 public and private life science company boards.

Dr. Evnin is also a scleroderma patient, having been diagnosed in 1998 with the limited subtype of the disease. Luke joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 1999 and has served as its Chairman since 2002.

Dr. Omar Baker is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, EVP, for UnitedHealth Group. In this role, he brings his deep expertise in practicing medicine and managing of large group practices to develop new capabilities that advance enterprise clinical operations and integration.

Prior to Deputy CMO, Dr. Omar Baker was the executive vice president, Strategic Initiatives & Innovation for OptumHealth and chief medical officer, Health Services, where his primary focus was providing insight and guidance on a broad range of clinical, strategic, operational, and financial initiatives.

Previously, Dr. Omar Baker was an Executive in Residence and Senior Vice President of OptumHealth; before that, he was President/CEO of Riverside Medical Group.

Of note, Dr. Omar Baker was the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award from the New Jersey Regional Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Omar Baker was honored by Becker’s 2018 Rising Stars Under 40 as one of healthcare leaders under 40 years old as a rising star in the industry. He was nominated as Physician of the Year by NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes 2018. He also chaired and led Governor Murphy’s healthcare transition team for the state of NJ and provided guidance and made recommendations on the state’s $15 BN Medicaid budget.

He is Board Certified in Pediatrics and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from The George Washington University and completed his residency in Pediatrics at NYU Medical Center.

Sharon Dobie is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Medicine. As a Family Medicine physician, educator, and author, her career focused on health equity and service. Her son died of complications of scleroderma at age 31 in 2017, and she became a member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors that same year. She hopes to increase awareness among younger generations about scleroderma and to find new treatments and a cure.

Iconic culinarian, author, and entrepreneur Susan Feniger may be best known for her Modern Mexican concept, Border Grill restaurants, trucks, and catering; fast casual eateries BBQ Mexicana and Pacha Mamas in Las Vegas; and Socalo, a California canteen and Mexican pub in Santa Monica, all created with her business partner Mary Sue Milliken. The duo also opened two exciting new ventures in 2023 including a fifth location of BBQ Mexicana in Las Vegas and Alice B., a new restaurant at Living Out in Palm Springs.

In 2018, Feniger and Milliken were named the recipients of the Julia Child Award and honored with the Gold Award from the LA Times for culinary excellence and innovation in Southern California.

Additionally, Susan has co-authored six cookbooks, starred on The Food Network’s popular “Too Hot Tamales,” and competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.” Feniger is an active member of the community, and currently sits on the boards of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and L.A. Tourism & Convention Board, and works closely with the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, a panel of culinary leaders committed to innovative outreach to promote sustainable seafood.

Susan Feniger was a close friend of SRF founder Sharon Monsky and became a founding member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 1988. Susan Feniger is the driving force behind the cuisine at the SRF’s signature Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine event.

Regina Hall is an award-winning actress of television and screen. Regina is most notably known for her work in the Scary Movie, The Best Man, and Think Like a Man franchises. Her work in Support the Girls earned her Best Actress honors from the New York Film Critics Circle and the African-American Film Critics Association. In 2020, Regina signed a first-look deal with Showtime, where she will develop projects to executive produce and potentially star in through her company, Rh Negative.

In 2006, Regina Hall became personally invested in scleroderma research after her mother was diagnosed and began treatment for the condition. Regina joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 2021 after being introduced years earlier by board members Bob Saget and Dana Delany.

Dr. Eric Kau is Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Director of the USC Institute of Urology – Arcadia. Eric has experienced scleroderma in his family and joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 2015.

David Knoller is a highly accomplished and award-winning producer and director, known for HBO’s Carnival (2003), Big Love (2006), and Starz’ Power (2015). David Knoller is also a scleroderma patient and joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 2015.

Violetta (Vi) Merin is a New Jersey-based community leader and philanthropist. A friend of Sharon Monsky, Vi has been involved with the SRF since before our formal founding. She became a member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 2017. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Arthur Zimtbaum Foundation.

Mark Scher is a real estate investor and developer with a career spanning more than 35 years, during which he has led the development of millions of square feet of commercial space across the U.S. Even as he remains a force in the business world, he’s equally dedicated to building a better future – both through his dedication to improving the lives of people living with scleroderma and through his broader philanthropic efforts.

In 1987, Mark co-founded the Scleroderma Research Foundation alongside his late wife, Sharon Monsky, who lived with scleroderma. Together, they launched the SRF to accelerate scientific discovery and bring hope to others facing the same diagnosis. As one of the SRF’s original board members, he and Sharon helped lay the groundwork for what would become the country’s leading nonprofit funder of scleroderma research.

After stepping away from the Board in the early 2000s, Mark remained a passionate donor and advocate for the SRF. In 2025, he was inspired to rejoin the Board amid unprecedented momentum in scleroderma research, driven in part by the SRF’s CONQUER patient registry and launch of the innovative CONQUEST platform trial. He brings a deep personal commitment to advancing scleroderma research and decades of strategic leadership to the role.

Mark is also an active supporter of the arts and public service, having served on the boards of Hillel at UCSB, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and as a member of both AIPAC’s Chairman’s Council and the Showring group at the Telluride Film Festival. He resides in Santa Barbara, California.

Dan Schimberg is the President of Uptown Rental Properties; a property management firm he founded in 1985 to fill a niche in the University of Cincinnati’s off-campus student housing. Starting with the rehab of one house, Uptown has grown to 120 employees and owns and manages over 4,000 multifamily units and 200,000 SF of commercial space in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Under Dan’s leadership, Uptown Rental Properties has renovated hundreds of structures and developed 2,600 multi-family units from the ground up in Cincinnati and Florida. Uptown Rental Properties is committed to providing a wide variety of housing choices catering to both professionals and students.

Dan has served on numerous boards and committees in the past and continues his volunteer service as a current board member for the Cincinnati Art Museum, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, and Talbert House. As a dedicated philanthropist, Dan has focused his efforts on health care, medical research, environmental preservation, and the underserved population of Cincinnati.

In 2020, Dan became personally invested in SRF’s mission as he witnessed scleroderma’s effect on a family member. Dan joined the SRF Board of Directors in 2025 and is wholeheartedly committed to supporting the most promising research to one day cure this disease.

Jeff Seaman has 21 years of experience in the Financial Services sector and loves learning and growing his industry knowledge each day. He is currently employed by JP Morgan Asset Management and is celebrating his 14th year with JPM, covering the Carolinas and Tennessee. Jeff plays tennis when he can, but really enjoys cheering on his three daughters as they pursue their dance, soccer, and swim dreams. He is an avid Baltimore Orioles fan.

As the parent of a child with scleroderma, Jeff understands why scleroderma research is so critical, and he joined the SRF Board of Directors in 2023 to help advance the search for a cure.

Deann Wright, JD, is a community leader, attorney, and former medical researcher. Deann joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors in 2000.

Dana Delany is an award-winning actor of stage, screen, and television. After meeting SRF founder Sharon Monsky in 1990, she quickly became an advocate in finding a cure. Dana Delany played a scleroderma patient in the film For Hope, directed by Bob Saget, and soon thereafter, she joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors.