N=1 Collaborative Welcomes Hugh Hempel as Executive Director to Lead the Next Phase of Growth

BOSTON, October 3, 2024 (Newswire.com) - The N=1 Collaborative (N1C), a non-profit organization representing over 700 researchers, physicians, and scientists dedicated to advancing treatments for rare disease patients, is proud to announce the appointment of Hugh Hempel as its inaugural Executive Director. With a distinguished career in rare disease healthcare innovation, Hempel will be responsible for overseeing the growth of the organization, furthering its mission to advance global collaborations to develop a rigorous and accessible pathway for individualized medicines, and expanding access to therapies for rare disease patients.

Julia Vitarello, co-founder of N1C, expressed her excitement: "Hugh’s unique combination of industry experience and personal passion for rare disease advocacy makes him the ideal leader to guide the N1C into its next chapter. His appointment comes at a critical moment as we continue to expand our collaborations within the scientific, medical, and biopharma communities."

Under Hempel’s leadership, the N1C will work to empower a larger network of stakeholders (bio-pharmaceutical companies, researchers, clinicians, and patients) to actively participate in the development of these individualized treatments, accelerating learnings and access across the field. Timothy Yu, co-founder, added: "With Hugh, we are confident that N1C will continue to break down barriers and create new pathways for therapies that otherwise might not reach those who need them most." Hempel’s work will strengthen N1C's capacity to engage new collaborators, funding opportunities, and resources while establishing platforms for knowledge-sharing among scientists, clinicians, and industry leaders.

About Hugh Hempel
Hugh is a problem-solver driven by complex challenges. When his twin daughters were diagnosed with a fatal genetic disease, Niemann Pick Type-C, Hugh immersed himself in science and healthcare, leading efforts to develop potential treatments now in clinical trials. Though he was not able to save them, he continues to be a champion of rare disease therapies. Previously, Hugh held leadership roles at Apple and Netscape and co-founded Hopelink, a pioneering healthcare start-up. His work has led to treatments currently seeking FDA approval and widespread recognition, including international media coverage.

About N=1 Collaborative
The N1C is an international network of experts working together to bring individualized treatments to rare disease patients. We seek to foster the development of standardized frameworks for genetic medicines that leverage the flexibility of therapeutic platforms like ASOs, siRNAs, mRNA therapeutics, and CRISPR to extend treatments for all individuals with genetic disease. 

For more information, please contact:

Stefanie Leonard
N=1 Collaborative
[email protected]
www.n1collaborative.org

Source: N=1 Collaborative