From Carer to Trailblazer: One Man’s Fight to Impact Clinical Research

Renata Lazarova is a primary care pediatrician by training.  She completed her residency in pediatrics in her native Slovakia, followed by training in public health in applied sciences in Switzerland.  Dr Lazarova has 20+ years of working and leadership experience in clinical drug development, regulatory affairs, learning and development, and patient engagement across CRO and major pharmaceutical companies.  Prior to joining Noema, Dr Lazarova worked at Hoffmann-La Roche where she led initiatives with a focus on patient engagement, including developing real world data concepts to identify the most impactful approaches to engage with patients.  In her current role as Vice President Development Pediatric Programs at Noema Pharma, Dr Lazarova leads the development of a rare disease treatment.  Since joining last year, she has also spearheaded a number of successful initiatives and positioned Noema as a true partner in the patient’s journey.

Claas Röhl studied communication science at the University of Vienna after graduating from an engineering school in Vienna. He specialized in advertising and public relations and worked in film production and B2B-marketing. After his daughter was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, a rare genetic tumor risk syndrome, he began his path into patient advocacy. He founded the Austrian patient organization NF Kinder in December 2013. After completing several educational programs for patient representatives on a European level (such as the EUPATI patient expert training course, EURORDIS summer school & winter school), and by continuously building a national and international network and investing in care and research infrastructures in Austria, NF Kinder managed to establish the first Austrian center of expertise for Neurofibromatosis in Austria by forming a partnership with the Medical University of Vienna. On a European level, Mr Röhl continued his ambition to create a better future for people living with Neurofibromatosis by co-founding NF Patients United, a European umbrella organization for NF patient organizations.