Recognizing a relentless migraine patient advocate.
Lawrence C. Newman, MD, FAHS, is an exemplary migraine and patient advocacy champion. Dr. Newman has been a driving force for the Foundation since before its inception in 2010, stepping into the Board Chair role in June 2020. His work has been transformative in helping the American Migraine Foundation to advance priorities in migraine awareness and support, advocacy, education, and research.
His Board colleagues cite not only his clinical expertise but also his tremendous compassion and care for people living with migraine.
Relentless Commitment to Patient Advocacy
Incoming Chair, Dr. Christine Lay, says of Dr. Newman, “Many patients in the care of Dr. Newman have shared that they viewed him as their last hope. He never gave up on them. During his years as Chair, he took his dedication to patients and brought it to the Foundation on a bigger scale, with a bigger voice. He’s always coming up with new ideas or alerting us when we need to step back and rethink something to make it better.”
Commitment to Innovation
Nim S. Singh, MPH, incoming Vice Chair and former American Migraine Foundation Executive Director, spoke about Dr. Newman’s commitment to excellence. She explained, “Larry is an individual you don’t come across twice in your lifetime. His commitment is so genuine. One of the things that I love about working with him is that he never’ wings it.’ He will always over-prepare, and he will always double-check any and everything. He didn’t take this on because it was a leadership role or something to do in this space. It comes from a place of passion and compassion. That’s his defining characteristic of leading the Foundation to where it’s been. He is innovative, he’s charismatic, and he brings humor to any difficult situation. On top of that, he’s so committed to the perfection of execution that we’ve seen so many programs skyrocket through the Foundation because of him.”
Invaluable Contributions to the Mission of the American Migraine Foundation
Under Dr. Newman’s leadership, the American Migraine Foundation has reached hundreds of thousands monthly, providing much-needed education and support to the migraine community.
Through his tireless advocacy efforts and as a person who lives with migraine, Dr. Newman has worked to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people living with migraine and has tirelessly fought to reduce the stigma surrounding this often-misunderstood disease. He is a catalyst for change, leading the charge for transforming public perceptions and generating greater empathy and support for those affected by migraine.
Continuing the Journey
Amy Wickstrom, Executive Director, shared her enthusiasm for Dr. Newman’s leadership “As we open a new chapter in building the legacy of the American Migraine Foundation, we are fortunate to have Dr. Newman’s continued leadership on our Executive Committee serving as Immediate Past Chair and Chair of the Governance Committee. Under Dr. Newman’s vision, we have progressed strategically and systematically through our Move Against Migraine Campaign–and, as his tenure as Chair closed, we launched GETHEADUCATED™, an enduring education campaign to activate the migraine community. Thank you to Dr. Newman for gifting this trademarked “brainchild” to the American Migraine Foundation.” – Amy Wickstrom
