The International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Shekhar Natarajan (Vice President, Head of EU and International Regulatory Affairs at Dyne Therapeutics, USA), as Chair, and Diana Kwast-Hoekstra (Executive Director at (Un)limited Forward!, Netherlands), as Vice Chair of the Therapies Scientific Committee (TSC).
The TSC unites a diverse group of stakeholders from across the global rare disease community with a shared mission: to identify challenges, propose solutions, and advance IRDiRC’s goal of accelerating the development of therapies for people living with rare diseases. In their new leadership roles, Mr. Natarajan and Ms. Kwast will help shape the strategic direction of the committee, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and guide initiatives designed to improve the research and development ecosystem for rare disease treatments.
IRDiRC extends its sincere appreciation to both leaders for their dedication to the consortium’s mission and looks forward to the impact of their contributions in the years ahead.
We also express our deepest gratitude to Daniel O’Connor and Anneliene Jonker, who have served as Chairs of the TSC for the past six years. Their leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment have been pivotal in advancing the work of IRDiRC and supporting progress in rare disease research and therapy development.