Patient Insights Board Member
Ella Balasa is a patient advocate, consultant, and a person living with cystic fibrosis - a rare genetic lung disease. She was diagnosed at 18 months old and has experienced countless hospitalizations since being a child. Because of her healthcare experiences, Ella has committed her time to empowering patients and advancing research and healthcare strategies through her connections with researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and patient organizations. Having a biology background, she advocates for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections, which have significantly affected her life. She has spoken publicly about this issue as well as value of the patient voice within research at healthcare conferences, at the FDA, on various podcasts, and congressional meetings.
Ella believes in the importance of engaging patients to be active participants in healthcare by empowering and educating them to collaborate with stakeholders to improve disease outcomes. She contributes to clinical trial development, various research committees, and in developing patient engagement initiatives.
Ella also has a passion for writing, distilling clinical information for patient communities, and sharing introspectively about her healthcare experiences and the hardships yet triumph that comes with living with a chronic illness. She has been published on numerous platforms including MedPage Today, HuffPost, BMJ, and in Pulmonary Therapy Journal. She has been recognized as a 2022 Health Union Social Health Award winner for Healthcare Collaborator and serves on patient committees with non-profits like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Everylife Foundation. Through opportunities working with healthcare organizations and sharing her journey through writing, she aims to affect the healthcare landscape to promote self-advocacy to patients and valuable insights to organizations. To view more of her work and experiences visit www.ellabalasa.com.