What does it mean to dedicate your career to accelerating drug development, while also living with the very diseases you’re working to fight? Our newest Critical Path Institute® podcast episode explores exactly that and we are happy to share it with you on this very special World Kidney Day.
In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, C-Path CEO Dr. Klaus Romero sits down with two members of our own team: Hailey Davenport, Type 1 Diabetes Consortium Project Manager, and Alex Diegel, Communications Assistant Director. Hailey lives with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), and Alex was recently diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a form of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Together, they open up about their diagnoses, the daily challenges of managing chronic conditions, and how their lived experience fuels their work at C-Path.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How an early diagnosis can shape life choices, careers, and long-term engagement and advocacy.
- The importance of self-advocacy and informed decision-making when navigating chronic or rare diseases.
- Why treatments like insulin manage Type 1 diabetes but do not cure it, highlighting the ongoing need for innovation.
- How the stories from the living experiences can strengthen patient-focused communication and make science more relatable.
- The need for fast, accessible biomarkers to improve detection and management of chronic kidney disease.
- How communities and resources help individuals navigate complex and rare conditions.
- Turning lived experience with disease into motivation for advocacy, collaboration, and progress.
This episode offers deep insights into the realities of living with chronic disease while working within an organization dedicated to accelerating drug development and improving patient outcomes. It underscores the critical role of the voices of the living experiences in shaping research priorities and the transformative potential of collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches in regulatory science and clinical innovation.
