Kristen Leng

Hi everyone!

Many of you know, I have worked in the clinical research landscape since I started my career - many of the teams and projects that I have supported over the years and continue to support are in the Rare Disease space. Though, what you may not know is that individually these diseases are 'rare', but there are 360M+ people globally who are living with rare disease(s) (and almost half of these patients are children).

When I think about my life, a single visit to the dentist or vet is a burden - a disruption to our daily lives - for these patients and their entire care circle (parents, partners, children, loved ones, etc.), this disruption is the way of life while there remain limited treatment options. Advancing not only therapies, but awareness for this community is incredibly important as we look to improve care and quality of life for patients with limited therapeutic options (where for some diseases, there are no options; none!).

I will be joining ICON to participate in the 10,000 mile challenge to support the rare disease community. Uplifting Athletes' overall goal is to raise $50,000 to support rare disease research and build a supportive community for all people impacted by rare diseases; I have pledged to contribute 100 miles and raise $1,000 ($10/mile) during this 10-day challenge starting August 10th.

If you are interested in learning more or supporting our efforts for this impactful event, click the link below or reach out to me directly!

Thanks so much!