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NIH Director Bhattacharya to address NORD rare disease meet
The symposium will focus on accelerating research, diagnosis, and therapeutic development for rare and ultra-rare diseases.
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Staff Reporter - Thu, 05, Feb 2026
- 15:53 EST
- 18
Jay Bhattacharya / File Photo
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya will address the second National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Disease Scientific Symposium, scheduled for April 14–15, in Arlington, Virginia.
The two-day symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, government officials, and patient advocates to advance rare disease research and translate scientific discoveries into patient care.
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According to NORD, Bhattacharya’s participation underscores the role of the NIH in shaping the future of rare disease research, as scientists and clinicians seek faster pathways from discovery to treatment for rare and ultra-rare conditions.
The agenda includes discussions on innovative clinical trial designs, alternatives to placebo-controlled studies, and emerging regulatory approaches for conditions with limited patient populations.
The sessions will also examine funding strategies, drug repurposing, and the growing use of patient registries, real-world evidence, and patient-generated data in clinical development, regulatory review, and access decisions.
Bhattacharya became the 18th director of the National Institutes of Health on April 1, 2025, following confirmation by the U.S. Senate a month earlier.
He leads the United States’ primary biomedical research agency, which oversees 27 institutes and centers and manages a multibillion-dollar research portfolio focused on understanding, preventing, and treating disease.
Before assuming the NIH’s top post, Bhattacharya was a professor of medicine, health policy, and economics at Stanford University. His research focused on population health, health-care economics, and the well-being of vulnerable populations. He holds a medical degree and a doctorate in economics from Stanford University.
The symposium will feature speakers from NORD’s Rare Disease Centers of Excellence network, which includes 46 medical centers and research institutions across the United States. Organizers said the inaugural symposium last year drew more than 600 participants, reflecting growing national and international interest in rare disease research.
Registration for the 2026 NORD Rare Disease Scientific Symposium is currently open, with early registration available through Feb. 17.
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