TUCSON, Ariz., June 2, 2022 — Critical Path Institute (C-Path) has named Elnaz Atabakhsh, Ph.D., as Executive Director of its Type 1 Diabetes Consortium (T1DC).
Atabakhsh joined C-Path this May with extensive experience in the biotechnology and biomarker development industry. Her previous work focused on biomarker discovery and screening, cancer genetics and cell therapies for autoimmune disorders, aimed at supporting patients unable to be served by traditional therapeutics. Atabakhsh has extensive experience in and a passion for leading patient-oriented, mission-driven collaborations that include diverse representation from the scientific and medical communities.
C-Path’s type 1 diabetes portfolio consists of several projects targeting relevant stages of the type 1 diabetes disease continuum, before and after diagnosis. T1DC was established in 2017 to advance medical product development for therapies intended to prevent or delay the diagnosis of T1D. The Trial Outcome Markers Initiative in Type 1 Diabetes (TOMI-T1D) is an international partnership with a mission to optimize the design of immune intervention trials in new-onset type 1 diabetes. Co-funded by JDRF and Diabetes UK, TOMI-T1D is a partnership between academic institutions, pharmaceutical industry, and independent nonprofit organizations. Collectively, through these and other efforts, C-Path’s T1D portfolio engages the type 1 diabetes community to identify challenges to the development of new therapeutics and prioritize the development of data-driven solutions that optimize T1D drug development.
“Elnaz embodies the unique combination of scientific knowledge, business development and partnership excellence, as well as the passion and experience required to successfully lead this C-Path consortium,” said C-Path Chief Science Officer Klaus Romero, M.D., M.S., F.C.P. “The challenges faced in T1D drug development, including significant patient heterogeneity across disease stages represent a tangible unmet need. Now led by Elnaz, C-Path’s type 1 diabetes work is poised to reshape and reinvigorate the T1D development landscape.”
After receiving her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, Elnaz completed postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School.
Elnaz believes that her knowledge of various aspects of the biomarker development process, building collaborative teams and interacting with various industry and academic organizations will be beneficial in leading the consortium.
“It is my privilege to join C-Path and to lead our projects aimed at improving the lives of patients living with T1D, a disease that brings significant daily burden to millions around the world,” said Atabakhsh. “The T1D community has shown a remarkable passion and willingness to collaborate at a global scale, and I look forward to joining the community as we take on this important work.”
For more information on C-Path’s T1D efforts, visit: https://c-path.org/programs/t1d/ and https://c-path.org/programs/tomi-t1d/.
Critical Path Institute (C-Path) is an independent, nonprofit organization established in 2005 as a public and private partnership. C-Path’s mission is to catalyze the development of new approaches that advance medical innovation and regulatory science, accelerating the path to a healthier world. An international leader in forming collaborations, C-Path has established numerous global consortia that currently include more than 1,600 scientists from government and regulatory agencies, academia, patient organizations, disease foundations, and hundreds of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. C-Path U.S. is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands and C-Path Ltd. operates from Dublin, Ireland with additional staff in multiple other locations. For more information, visit c-path.org.
Critical Path Institute is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is 54.2% funded by the FDA/HHS, totaling $13,239,950, and 45.8% funded by non-government source(s), totaling $11,196,634. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, FDA/HHS or the U.S. Government.
Contact:
Kissy Black
C-Path
615.310.1894
kblack@c-path.org
