IRDiRC is pleased to share that Shirlene Badger has been elected Vice-Chair of the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium’s Companies Constituent Committee (CCC).
Shirlene leads Global Patient Advocacy at Illumina Inc., where she advances patient-centered genomics across rare and undiagnosed genetic disease, reproductive health, newborn screening, infectious disease, and oncology. A medical sociologist trained at the University of Cambridge, her doctoral work was among the first to explore the experiences of children and families participating in genetic research to uncover the causes of their symptoms. She has since spent over 15 years leading academic initiatives that elevate the patient voice in the development and implementation of novel and experimental medical technologies.
With a long-standing engagement with IRDiRC through research collaboration and advocacy, Shirlene brings a powerful blend of academic insight and industry partnership to this leadership role. We look forward to her contributions in strengthening collaboration and accelerating impact for the rare disease community.
The consortium wishes a warm welcome to Ms. Badger and is looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.