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Livestreamed Session
Livestreamed Session

HEAC

SW/PSYCH

CLIN
Session Type: Symposium

S06--Cure (or Close) for All

Thursday, October 23, 2025
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
Location:435

Livestreamed Session

As cystic fibrosis (CF) care enters a new era of personalized medicine and transformative therapies, addressing equity is critical to ensuring all individuals benefit from scientific progress. This symposium will examine social and structural drivers of disparities in CF care and research across both domestic and global contexts. Presentations will explore ethical and financial challenges that contribute to unequal access to CF therapies, including rising treatment costs, insurance limitations, and geographic variation in availability. The session will also highlight the role of community partnerships in promoting inclusive research and equitable care delivery, showcasing effective models of engagement. A closing panel will explore the future of CF care in the context of gene therapy and advanced treatments, asking how we can anticipate and prevent emerging disparities.
Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the multifaceted challenges to health equity in CF and actionable strategies to help close the gap—both within the U.S. and across international borders.

Learning Objectives:

  • 1. Identify key social and structural factors that contribute to health disparities in cystic fibrosis (CF) care and research and describe ethical and financial barriers—including cost, insurance coverage, and geographic availability—that limit equitable access to CF therapies.
  • 2. Review models of community partnership and engagement that promote inclusive, patient-centered approaches to research and care.
  • 3. Anticipate potential equity challenges associated with emerging gene therapies and advanced treatments and identify strategies to mitigate future disparities in access and outcomes.

Presentations:

  • 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
    S06.1- Michelle Patovani’s story

    Community Speaker: Michelle A. Patrovani, EdD – CFF

  • 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
    S06.2- Economic Divides, Shared Struggles: International access

    Speaker: Jonathan Guo, MBBS, BSc – Imperial College London

  • 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
    S06.3- Cost/insurance issues to access for all: ethics of high pricing

    Speaker: Gayle Pledger

  • 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
    S06.4- Community engagement and partnerships in research (Feature PRIDE CF)

    Speaker: Traci M. Kazmerski, n/a – University of Pittsburgh