The Rare Disorder Podcast

Shivani Vyas
  • 5.0 (2)
  • NATURAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The Rare Disorder Podcast is a podcast created by Shivani Vyas, a high school senior, young changemaker, and rare disease advocate, dedicated to spreading awareness for rare diseases. This podcast is divided into 2 main series. In the "Meet a Fighter," Shivani interviews patients and those affected by rare diseases allowing them to share their inspirational stories. In "Meet An Expert/Partner," Shivani interviews public health experts, rare disease organization leaders, rare advocacy leaders, and more! Check out my other initiatives and platforms: https://linktr.ee/theraredisorderpodcast

  1. Leading Through Stillness: A Summer Abroad

    08/24/2025

    Leading Through Stillness: A Summer Abroad

    This episode isn’t about rare disease, advocacy, or biotech—at least not directly. It’s different. It’s slower. It’s personal. I recorded this audio piece on my summer abroad in Switzerland and Italy, where I spent time hiking, wandering, and rethinking what leadership means when you’re not in control, but still choosing how to move. It’s part travel log, part inner documentary. I talk about stillness, curiosity, presence, and how stepping away from my usual roles helped me return to them with more clarity. If you’ve been feeling burnt out, stuck, or unsure how to lead when you don’t have answers—this one’s for you. 🎙️ It’s not my usual content, but maybe it’s exactly what I needed to create right now.Stay tuned for the next episode of The Rare Disorder Podcast, coming soon.

    3 min
  2. Innovate, Iterate, Impact: ft. Co-Founder of AdaptTrack

    12/09/2024

    Innovate, Iterate, Impact: ft. Co-Founder of AdaptTrack

    Welcome to "Innovate, Iterate, Impact" ft. Co-Founder of AdaptTrack, Samuel Taggard. This is a podcast exploring the transformative journey of entrepreneurship through the lens of academic learning and real-world insights. Join Shivani Vyas, a Duke University student studying Financial Economics and Entrepreneurship, as she reflects on key lessons from the course I&E 352: Strategies for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, taught by Professor Shep Moyle. In this episode, Shivani dives into the art of understanding customer needs, building scalable solutions, and leveraging data-driven strategies to solve meaningful problems. Featuring insights from Duke alumni and entrepreneur Samuel Taggard, listeners will discover the challenges and triumphs of launching and scaling a successful venture. Packed with actionable takeaways, personal growth stories, and practical advice, this podcast is perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators eager to turn their ideas into impactful solutions. Whether you're starting small or dreaming big, this episode will inspire you to take the first step toward your entrepreneurial journey.

    17 min

  3. 06/18/2022

    40. Meet an Expert: Wes Michael, President at Rare Patient Voice

    Show Notes: In this episode, I chat with Wes Michael, President at Rare Patient Voice. Wes Michael, President and Founder of Rare Patient Voice, has been involved in rare and orphan diseases since 1998, interviewing and surveying patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses and advocacy leaders. Wes has more than 40 years experience in marketing research, and more than 20 years in healthcare marketing research. Rare Patient Voice, LLC provides patients and caregivers with rare diseases an opportunity to voice their opinions through surveys and interviews to improve medical products and services. While Rare Patient Voice started by focusing on rare diseases, they now welcome patients and caregivers with all medical conditions. Rare Patient Voice takes an active approach to meet patients at conferences and events. Their phone is always open to members. The more they can engage with patients, the more they can advocate for them and help their voices be heard.  Explore more! Website: https://rarepatientvoice.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rare-patient-voice/ See you all next week! - Shivani Vyas ☺ @raredisorderpod on IG, FB, & Twitter, The Rare Disorder Podcast on LinkedIn https://linktr.ee/theraredisorderpodcast

    30 min

  4. 05/21/2022

    39. What's to Come + Meet an Expert: Ben LeNail, Healthcare Investor & Consultant

    Show Notes: In this episode, I chat with Ben LeNail, Healthcare Investor & Consultant.  Ben Lenail, based in Palo Alto CA, has consulted with biotech companies such as Minoryx Therapeutics, Autobahn Therapeutics, and Deep Genomics. Ben is an investor in 15 early-stage healthcare companies with HealthTech Capital. He is a mentor with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; and serves on the Board of ALD Connect and the Advisory Board of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations. Ben has worked in high-tech in Silicon Valley for 30+ years. He’s a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle WA and Sciences-Po in Paris. Ben’s wife Laurie Yoler has been his partner for three decades. Explore more! WSJ Profile: https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-rare-disease-wont-keep-this-mountain-man-off-the-trails-11544875201 Mercury News Profile: https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/13/palo-alto-entrepreneur-brings-tech-savvy-to-an-illness-that-hits-home-ald/ Brain & Life Profile: https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/adrenoleukodystrophy-inspires-purpose/ See you all on Saturday! - Shivani Vyas ☺ @raredisorderpod on IG & Twitter, The Rare Disorder Podcast on LinkedIn https://linktr.ee/theraredisorderpodcast

    54 min

  5. 02/12/2022

    38. GA RDAC Update + Meet an Expert: Dr. Terry Jo Bichell, Founder & Director at COMBINEDBrain

    Show Notes: In this episode, I chat with Dr. Terry Jo Bichell, Founder & Director at COMBINEDBrain.  Terry Jo Bichell worked as a documentary filmmaker in the early days of videotape, then became a public health nurse-midwife after filming a difficult birth in West Africa. When her youngest child, Lou, was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, she switched from midwifery to clinical research on Angelman syndrome. Eventually, she went back to school to earn a PhD in neuroscience from Vanderbilt University in an effort to find treatments for her son. Along the way, she studied gene-environment interactions in Huntington disease as well as circadian aspects of Angelman syndrome and was a columnist for HDBuzz. After graduating, she was the Founding Director of the Angelman Biomarkers and Outcome Measures Alliance until 2018.  Dr. Bichell founded a new non-profit in 2019, COMBINEDBrain (Consortium for Outcome Measures and Biomarkers for Neurodevelopmental Disorders), to assist other rare and ultra-rare neurogenetic disorders with clinical trial preparations. Explore more!  Website: https://combinedbrain.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combinedbrain/ Episode Segments: Intro, Rare disease fact of the week, Guest interview, Q & A Session, Outro See you all next week! - Shivani Vyas ☺ @raredisorderpod on IG & Twitter, The Rare Disorder Podcast on LinkedIn https://linktr.ee/theraredisorderpodcast

    49 min

  6. 01/29/2022

    37. Rare Disease Week + Meet a Fighter: Daniel Dry Dock Shockley, Retired Navy & 10-year Hereditary Colon Cancer Warrior

    Show Notes: In this episode, I chat with Daniel Dry Dock Shockley, a retired Navy, a veteran, and a 10 year hereditary colon cancer warrior. Daniel serves as a member of the University of Michigan Genetic Hereditary Testing (Might) Advisory Board and of the University of Texas Health Center, San Antonio, Texas, where he does live-case presentations for the Genetics in GI Malignancy multidisciplinary annual conferences. Daniel says that his purpose is to educate the world about Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (AFAP) and continuing the legacy of Dr. Henry T. Lynch, who emphasized the importance of early detection in a hope of saving lives. Right now, Daniel is seeking legislative jurisdiction to designate the last full week of March as Hereditary Colon Cancer Syndrome Awareness Week. It's a daunting task and will take years to accomplish. However, he is “battle tested” and ready to lead the charge! After three years of collaborating on March 23, 2021, Texas Senator Donna Campbell, M.D., sponsored Daniel’s HCC resolution initiative and presented the resolution on the Senate Floor, during Texas 87th Legislature Session. Connect with Daniel! Instagram: instagram.com/dandrydock___ Important Links: https://linktr.ee/Dandrydock Episode Segments:  Intro Rare disease fact of the week Guest interview Q & A Session Outro See you all next Saturday!  - Shivani Vyas ☺ @raredisorderpod on IG & Twitter, The Rare Disorder Podcast on LinkedIn https://linktr.ee/theraredisorderpodcast

    53 min

  7. 01/22/2022

    36. Welcome Back + Meet an Expert: Beth Nguyen, Founder at Rare Strides & GA NORD Ambassador

    The episode we've all been waiting for, and it's finally here! In this episode, I'm so honored to chat with Beth Nguyen. Beth is the Managing Director; Founding Partner, and President of Rare STRIDES. Beth is a seasoned registered nurse with a diverse background in critical care, transplant, and emergency room; Honored Atlanta AJC Nurse of the Year Nominee three years consecutively for excellence in bedside care; Serves as the volunteer Georgia Ambassador for the National Organization for Rare Disorders; Led efforts to establish the Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council; Leader of Annual Rare Disease Day events in Georgia; Founder of Worldwide Syringomyelia & Chiari Task Force; a 501c3 nonprofit; Founder of Rare STRIDES; Developed the first Rare Multidisciplinary Rare Disease Model of Care, Authored numerous published articles and a book including “What is the Purpose of Collaboration and Continuity of Care”, “Beyond Syringomyelia”, and was the Recipient of the 2017 Rare Impact Awards in Washington, DC. Beth’s humbling and often difficult personal experiences with rare as a patient, medical professional and rare leader empowered her to give back to those with unmet needs in the rare community. She is leveraging wisdom gained over the years through first-hand experience as a powerhouse of knowledge to help drive progress in all areas of care coordination and direct medical care in the field of rare diseases. She is fiercely devoted to empowering healthcare teams and patients with groundbreaking technology that will promote patient safety, prevent complications, advance care coordination, deliver vetted services, streamline models of care, and set a new standard for excellent medical care across all disciplines for men, women and children with rare diseases. Favorite quote: “Rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore.” Florence Nightingale ***note: in this episode, I mentioned that Rare STRIDES is a non-profit organization. Instead, it is an organization that is passionate about giving back to fund patient programs and continued innovation for children and adults with rare diseases who deserve excellence in healthcare. Explore more!  rarestrides.com @rarestrides

    50 min

  8. 11/21/2021

    35. Meet an Expert: The Rare Disorder Podcast X Cure Rare Disease ft. Rich Horgan, Founder & President

    In this episode, I chat with Rich Horgan, the Founder and President of Cure Rare Disease.  Cure Rare Disease is developing custom therapeutics that are as unique to the individuals they are meant to treat. Their mission is to offer effective, life-saving treatments developed through collaborations with world-renowned researchers and clinicians, and in partnership with our generous donors. Their customized therapeutics are designed specifically for the men and women who continue to fight for their right to live long, full, healthy lives despite having been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder for which they’ve been told there is no treatment or cure. Richard Horgan is the Founder and President of Cure Rare Disease. He has a deep passion for reimagining how rare and ultra-rare diseases are treated. With a younger sibling impacted by a rare disease, Rich has a strong interest in accelerating promising treatments for rare diseases. He formed an interdisciplinary collaboration of world-class researchers and clinicians to pioneer the rapid development of customized therapies for rare, genetic diseases. Prior to making his foray into biotech, Rich had extensive experience working in new business development at Corning Incorporated where he led the successful launch of a new product line. He also launched a successful car washing business in New York. He holds a BS from Cornell University where he graduated summa cum laude and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was awarded the Blavatnik Fellowship for Life Science Entrepreneurship. Rich was recognized by Business Insider as one of ‘30 leaders under 40 transforming healthcare in 2020’ and, most recently, was named on the 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 list. Learn more about Cure Rare Disease and how to get involved! Website: https://www.cureraredisease.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cureraredisease/

    17 min
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About

The Rare Disorder Podcast is a podcast created by Shivani Vyas, a high school senior, young changemaker, and rare disease advocate, dedicated to spreading awareness for rare diseases. This podcast is divided into 2 main series. In the "Meet a Fighter," Shivani interviews patients and those affected by rare diseases allowing them to share their inspirational stories. In "Meet An Expert/Partner," Shivani interviews public health experts, rare disease organization leaders, rare advocacy leaders, and more! Check out my other initiatives and platforms: https://linktr.ee/theraredisorderpodcast

Information

  • Creator
    Shivani Vyas
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Shivani Vyas
  • Show Website
    The Rare Disorder Podcast