Shira Strongin received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Communications at George Washington University. Currently, she is a second-year graduate student at Georgetown University getting her Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research with a concentration in biomedical and mechanistic research. For the past five years, Strongin has been an ORISE Fellow at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research working on CURE ID, a project collecting real world evidence on drug repurposing in areas of high unmet need. Recently, she transitioned to a position as a contractor at the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Science on CURE ID. This project is close to her heart because, as a rare disease patient, it was repurposed drugs that saved her life.
Shira is an advocate for patients and families with rare diseases even founding a non-profit organization Sick Chicks, which aims to unite and empower women with varying illnesses and disabilities. Her notable keynote addresses include “Raise Hell & Save Yourself” at the Tourette’s Association of America Youth Ambassador Dinner and “The Young Adult Voice: Advocacy and Autonomy” at the XP Family Support Conference. Shira’s awards include the Global Genes RARE Champion of Hope Teen Advocate, Amelia Moore Sparkle Award for Compassionate Advocacy, and the RAREVoice Award in the Teen Federal Advocate category.
