Symposium – Beyond the Horizon: Charting the Next Era of Rare Disease Progress at UNC
The UNC National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Center of Excellence and Program for Precision Medicine in Health Care (PPMH) are hosting a symposium on Friday February 27, 2026 from 2:00-5:00pm in MacNider 321.
Speakers will address:
- Progress of the UNC Rare Disease Network Working Groups
- Advances in rare disease treatment
- Patient-Caregiver panel discussion
Tentative agenda:
| Time | Length | Speaker | Topic |
| 2:00-2:05pm | 5 min | Liz Jalazo, MD | Introduction |
| 2:05-2:35pm | 30 min | Mike Adams, MD Sabrina Powell, PhD Rebecca Traub, MD Liz Hutchins, MS |
Summary of Progress to Date from Each Working Group in the UNC Rare Disease Network |
| 2:35-3:00pm | 25 min | Muge Calikoglu, MD, MPH | Current Events in the Rare Disease World and Here at UNC |
| 3:00-3:35pm | 35 min | Sam Young, PhD Matthew Hirsch, PhD Tierra Bobo, PhD |
Updates in New Drugs/Therapies that are Available at UNC |
| 3:35-4:00pm | 25 min | N/A | Coffee Break & Networking |
| 4:00-4:25pm | 25 min | Diana Cejas, MD, MPH | Transition in Patient Care from Pediatrics to Adult |
| 4:25-4:55pm | 30 min | Patricia Sullivan, MA | Fireside Chat: Patient-Caregiver Panel |
| 4:55-5:00pm | 5 min | Liz Jalazo, MD | Wrap-up |
The symposium will be open for in-person or virtual/Zoom attendance.
The closest visitor parking is at the Dogwood Parking Deck.
Click here to register.
Download the Beyond the Horizon poster.
2025 Event Recording: