According to Dr. Caleb Bupp, Division Cheif of Genetics at Spectrum Health, more than 300 million people live with 6,000 rare diseases. To unite patients, caregivers, and families living with these rare diseases, Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Calvin University, and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine are hosting a virtual Rare Disease Day Symposium.
This free, virtual event serves to unite patients, caregivers, families, medical professionals, researchers, advocates, and students around the common goal of understanding what it means to be rare and how to support the rare disease community.
The event begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 23 with keynote speaker, Matt Might, Ph.D., Director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Might's NIH and philanthropically funded research focus on precision prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutics across rare diseases, cancer, and common/chronic conditions.
The virtual event will also host a different plenary session each evening at 7 p.m. February 24-26.
On February 27 at 9 a.m., event organizers will also host a patient panel discussion followed by break-out sessions that the community is welcomed to attend.
The collaborative group is also excited to announce the launch of a new community partnership, Rare Disease Network, where anyone from the rare disease community can connect all over the world.
The event taking place February 23 - 27 is free and open to the public.
Learn more about rare diseases by visiting spectrumhealth.org.
