Ella Balasa is a patient advocate and a person living with cystic fibrosis. She holds a degree in biology and has worked in an environmental microbiology lab. She is an advocate for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. She has spoken publicly about the value of the patient voice in research and development as a previous speaker at the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit, the FDA, and other conferences.
She is involved in the CF community through being a director of the US Adult CF Association, serving as a member of research committees for the CF Foundation, and through her passion for writing. She writes about her research experiences and introspectively about the hardships yet triumph that comes with living with a chronic illness and has been published on MedPage Today, HuffPost, and in Pulmonary Therapy Journal. Through these opportunities, she provides a scientific voice and hopes to encourage empowerment in patient communities.
To view more of her work and experiences visit www.ellabalasa.com.
