When Patricia Weltin’s daughters were diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome after years of uncertainty, she turned her frustration into a global movement. In this episode of Sounds of Science, Patricia shares the story behind Beyond the Diagnosis, a powerful art and advocacy initiative that uses portraiture to humanize rare diseases and inspire empathy in medical professionals, students, and communities around the world. From medical schools to courthouses and even Parisian galleries, the traveling exhibit is reshaping how we see children with rare diseases—not as diagnoses, but as vibrant individuals with stories worth telling. Tune in to hear how Patricia’s mission is bridging the gap between science and compassion, and how you can help carry it forward.

Show Notes

• From Mystery to Medicine: The Science Behind a Mother’s Search | Podcast
• Taking a Customized and Collaborative Approach to Therapeutic Development | Podcast
• Rare Disease Research for Drug Development | Charles River
• Rare Disease | Charles River
• Discovery | Charles River
• Beyond The Diagnosis

As we all learned in 2020, getting ahead of the next major pandemic is a matter of global concern. For the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI (cepi.net), it is their reason for existing. Joining me for this conversation are Valentina Bernasconi, Head of Laboratory Science for CEPI, and Marie-Eve Poupart, Lead Scientist In Charles River’s Immunology department. Together we discuss CEPI’s progress so far, how Charles River is contributing to the cause, and how we can plan for the unknown Disease X while simultaneously handling current outbreaks of deadly diseases like Ebola, Marburg, Nipah virus, Lassa Fever, and chikungunya.

What if we could predict how chemicals affect human lungs without using animals? In this episode of Sounds of Science, Mary McElroy, Head of Discovery Toxicology and Pharmacology at Charles River, joins us to explore a groundbreaking collaboration with MatTek Life Sciences. Together, they’re pioneering human-relevant, non-animal models that could revolutionize inhalation toxicology. From 3D lung tissues to computational dosimetry, discover how science is catching its breath and moving toward a safer, more ethical future.

Show Notes

• Inhalation Toxicology | Charles River
• Mini Organs Offer Alternative Method for Predicting Drug Safety and Efficacy
• Alternative Methods Advancement Project | Charles River
• Charles River, in Collaboration with MatTek Corporation, Awarded Grant from the Foundation for Chemistry Research and Initiatives to Advance Research Alternatives