Harvard Undergraduate Biotechnology Club
RARE DISEASE HACKATHON
March 2 – 3, 2024
RARE MATTERS
In the context of the United States, a rare disease is a condition that affects fewer than 60 per 100,000 Americans.
Over 7,000 diverse rare diseases have been identified so far. Some, such as ALS (remember the Ice Bucket Challenge?) or progeria (also known as the Benjamin Button disease) may ring a bell.
Others are less likely to be familiar.
Yet, while each orphan disease patient population is small, a total of 30 million Americans are afflicted by a rare condition.
Rare diseases ARE A Serious public health ISSUE.
On average, it takes 7 years for patients with a rare disease to reach an accurate diagnosis. Their extended diagnostic odysseys, and the time they spend being mismanaged inevitably accelerates the severity of their conditions. Despite legislative action that has stimulated some progress in rare disease research, >95% of the 7,000 rare diseases have no FDA-approved cure, largely due to a lack of funding and coordinated scientific efforts.
THE HACKATHON
In collaboration with the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the Harvard Undergraduate Biotechnology Club is organizing the Rare Disease Hackathon 2024.
Over the first weekend of March 2-3, we are gathering bright minds to explore computational approaches to rare diseases, harnessing the power of open science and genomic data.
Join us to understand and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those with rare diseases.
