A disease foundation forum
Invest In Cures NTX Session 2
Acceleration Through Collaboration
Program
Disease foundations often begin as a group of highly engaged patients, parents and physicians seeking better solutions for patients living with rare diseases. Grass roots efforts from patient advocacy groups have catalyzed highly effective collaborative partnerships with academic medical centers and industry partners. These new models align science and clinical practice to increase the efficiency and outcome of rare disease research. This panel will explore how collaboration is playing a critical role in research, patient care, and the development of cures for patients.
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Speakers
Tracy Dowling, JD, General Counsel & Head of Business Development, AskBio
Tracy Dowling is General Counsel and Head of Business Development at AskBio, a leading, clinical-stage gene therapy company dedicated to developing AAV gene therapies for genetic and complex disorders. There, she oversees the business development, alliance management, legal and compliance organizations and is responsible for AskBio’s strategic licenses, collaborations and acquisitions, including therapeutic and technical opportunities.
Steven J. Gray, PhD, Assoc. Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UTSW Medical Center
Dr. Steven Gray received a B.S. degree with honors from Auburn University followed by a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University and postdoctoral training at the UNC Chapel Hill Gene Therapy Center. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Gray is the director of the UTSW Viral Vector Facility and maintains affiliations with the Department of Molecular Biology, the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern.
RA Session II, MBA, President, CEO and Founder of Taysha Gene Therapies
RA Session II is the President, CEO and Founder of Taysha Gene Therapies. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry, primarily in business development, corporate strategy and finance. Previously, he served as Chief Business Officer of the gene therapy subsidiaries of BridgeBio, as well as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development at AveXis.
Kasey Woleben, Co-Founder, Rare Village
Kasey Woleben is a rare disease mom and advocate. She is the Co-founder of Rare Village Foundation, which empowers rare disease families to create rare cures by providing a fiscal sponsorship platform to raise funds for research. Kasey is also the Co-founder of the Cure MITO Foundation, which supports AAV9 gene therapy research for Leigh syndrome.