New Director of Clinical Integration
The Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) has announced that Dr. Elizabeth Jalazo, a pediatrician at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, will take on the new position of Director of Clinical Integration for the ASF.
In her role as the Director of Clinical Integration, Dr. Jalazo will oversee ASF’s Clinic Network which currently includes eight domestic and four international clinics. In this role, she will work with our current ASF Clinic Networks to ensure excellence as well recruiting new clinics to serve individuals with Angelman Syndrome. Dr. Jalazo will also work to increase resources to accelerate the discovery and development of effective therapeutics that can prevent or reduce the core symptoms of Angelman Syndrome (AS). Primary efforts will target medical research, with a strong focus on neurological, psychopharamacological and clinical trials research. In her role as Director of Clinical Integration, Dr. Jalazo will also serve as the ASF spokesperson in responding to the needs of the organization and community regarding medical concerns, inquiries, and policies. In this capacity, Dr. Jalazo will act as a primary liaison between ASF and medical professional organizations working with children and adults with AS, and their families.
Amanda Moore, CEO of ASF, states, “We are thrilled that Dr. Jalazo is filling this new and vital position at the ASF. Because of her unique background, and due to her own experience of having a child with AS, Dr. Jalazo is also able to support the ASF in advocacy efforts as they relate to the AS community. She has provided expert testimony to the US Congressional Rare Disease Caucus about the importance of ending the diagnostic odyssey and ensuring access to appropriate genetic testing for children and families. Additionally, Dr. Jalazo has spoken at the FDA about the importance of newborn screening and the impact of timely diagnosis in rare disease. She is working closely with legislative advocates on Capitol Hill to ensure the needs of our community are being heard.”
Dr. Jalazo is a pediatrician at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She received her Bachelor of Science from UNC Chapel Hill and her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Wake Forest University. She completed her pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Following a research fellowship in academic pediatrics, Dr. Jalazo also served as the pediatric Chief Resident at Johns Hopkins. She practiced in the DC area caring for children with complex healthcare needs prior to moving back home to North Carolina with her family. She lives in Chapel Hill, NC with her husband and three children. Her middle daughter, Evelyn has Angelman Syndrome. She is currently a fellow at UNC in the Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine.
In welcoming Dr. Jalazo to the new ASF position, Moore says, “Besides her vast experience and clinical understanding of AS, Dr. Jalazo has a deep passion for caring for children with special healthcare needs. She has served on the Board of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation since 2017 and is excited, as we are, to serve the community in this new role moving forward.”
