St. Jude pediatric neurologist included on Time100 health list
Finkel recognized for leading 1st prenatal SMA treatment
Richard Finkel, MD, a pediatric neurologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, was included on a list of 100 individuals having a positive influence on global health in 2025, in recognition of his work treating childhood neuromuscular disorders such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Finkel led the world’s first prenatal SMA treatment, giving medication to the mother of a baby with the disease for the last few weeks of her pregnancy and starting the baby on treatment soon after birth. The child, now nearly 3, shows no signs of SMA.
The neurologist was named to the Time100 health list for 2025, which honors 100 people whose influence, innovation, and achievements are deemed to be making a major positive impact on global health. Honorees come from various backgrounds and include scientists, doctors, advocates, educators, and others who advance care and innovation or shape health policy.
“Richard is a pioneer in pediatric neuromuscular diseases,” James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude, said in a hospital news story. “His work is bringing hope and healing to children with spinal muscular atrophy around the world. This recognition underscores Richard’s dedication to creating a better, healthier world.”
Finkel joined St. Jude in 2020 to lead the creation of the Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics (CENT), the clinical arm of the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative. CENT aims to advance innovative therapies for children with neurological diseases by designing and conducting first-in-human clinical studies.
Time100 spot ‘well-deserved recognition’
“For decades, St. Jude clinicians and researchers have sought cures for catastrophic childhood diseases such as cancer, sickle cell and HIV,” said J. Paul Taylor, MD, PhD, executive vice president and scientific director at St. Jude. “Yet, a great unmet need exists today for the majority of catastrophic neurological disorders. This is a well-deserved recognition of Richard’s achievements and deep understanding of these diseases.”
In 2022, Finkel led the single-patient trial to administer Evrysdi (risdiplam), an oral medication marketed by Roche and its subsidiary Genentech, to the pregnant mother and her unborn baby, who had been diagnosed with SMA. The child’s mother, Kelly Hennings, was mentioned on the Time100 list along with Finkel.
SMA is caused mainly by mutations in the SMN1 gene that result in little to no SMN protein and the progressive loss of motor neurons, the nerve cells that control voluntary movements. In this case, both parents were carriers of SMA, as each had one healthy copy and one faulty copy of the SMN1 gene. They had previously had a baby with SMA who died at 16 months.
Genetic testing confirmed that the fetus had no copies of the SMN1 gene, predicting SMA type 1 — one of the most severe forms of the disease. Without treatment, SMA type 1 is typically fatal in early childhood.
Early intervention may help preserve motor neurons before irreversible damage occurs during critical developmental stages. While several SMA treatments that boost SMN protein levels are approved in the U.S., none had been approved for use before birth.
Evrysdi’s ability to cross the placenta, a temporary organ that forms during pregnancy to connect the fetus to the mother’s blood supply, and its established safety profile made it a promising candidate for in utero treatment, according to Finkel.
Hennings was given medication during the last six weeks of pregnancy. Her baby girl began the treatment at eight days old and has continued daily therapy since then.
Finkel has published more than 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, according to St. Jude. In 2018, he received the American Academy of Neurology’s Sidney Carter award in pediatric neurology for his contributions to the field.
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