We extend our sincere appreciation to Sonja van Weely for her congratulatory address and for recognizing the significant work of the Institute for Rare Diseases on the occasion of our 20th anniversary. This significant event will be celebrated at the XV National Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs, taking place on September 13-14, 2024, in Plovdiv. His acknowledgment is deeply valued and highlights our steadfast dedication to advancing research and enhancing care for patients with rare diseases.
Sonja van Weely, biochemist by training at Amsterdam University Medical Center. She worked as scientific officer of the multidisciplinary Dutch Steering Committee on Orphan Drugs, located at ZonMw. Subsequently, she was appointed as senior programme manager involved in several European research programmes on rare diseases (ERA-Nets E-Rare 1-3, European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases, Joint Action on ERN Integration in national health care systems). Representative of ZonMw in Consortium Assembly of International Rare Diseases Research Consortium. She currently serves as a Senior Programme Manager at ZonMw.