Coming Full Circle: Serendipity and Seizing the Day
Since late last year I have had the honor and privilege of working with RSRT, first as a consultant and now as Chief Medical Officer.
RSRT is a truly exceptional organization that combines the vision, determination and organizational acumen of its founder Monica Coenraads (mother, advocate, and pioneer in foundation-driven therapeutic research for Rett) with the unparalleled scientific "chops" and depth of insight of top-notch scientists Bob Deans, Chief Technology Officer, and John Sinnamon, Director, Head of Research. It is a testament to their bona fides that they have been able to engage with the best minds in the field and have left no stone unturned in their quest for novel genetic medicines to cure Rett syndrome.
On a personal note, joining RSRT exemplifies the power of serendipity and seizing opportunities when they come your way. My current engagement with RSRT arose by happenstance from a casual referral by my previous boss at Aspa Therapeutics, Adam Shaywitz, and takes me full circle to my early days as a junior faculty member at UMass Medical School.
A chance reading of a bulletin board flyer soliciting research proposals from what was then the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (Monica's first organization) introduced me to the world of Rett and made me a lifelong devotee of the cause.
I have always regretted that my research on MeCP2 mouse models didn't yield any useful findings, but I feel blessed to have been given another chance to make a positive difference.
In nearly 20 years as a physician-scientist in pharma and biotech (more than half of which was spent on rare diseases) I have found myself, for want of a better term, falling in love with the therapeutic areas I've worked in. It has been tremendously gratifying to get to know the members of each community and to combine my basic science experience and medical training to tackle challenging disorders with no therapeutic options.
I find it hard to express how meaningful it is for me to be working on Rett again, and my deepest thanks go out to Monica and RSRT for this extraordinary opportunity.
* * *
Genevieve brings decades of rare disease expertise and a deep personal connection to this work. Read the full announcement or connect with her on LinkedIn below.
