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Member: Josh Sommer

Josh Sommer is executive director of the Chordoma Foundation, which he co-founded with his mother, Dr. Simone Sommer, after he was diagnosed with a clival chordoma in 2006. He believes that patients should play an active role in bringing about treatments for their own conditions, and that patients represent a largely untapped source of funding, energy, and know-how in the treatment development process.

Josh was a freshman at Duke University studying environmental engineering when he was diagnosed with chordoma. Soon after his diagnosis, Josh joined the lab of Dr. Michael Kelley, a Duke oncologist studying the genetic basis of chordoma, and the only federally-funded chordoma researcher. His research in Dr. Kelley’s lab included cell line characterization, gene-expression microarray analysis, candidate gene knockdown using RNA interference, and in vitro drug screening. To support his work in the lab, Josh switched majors to a self-designed bioengineering curriculum focused on modeling and solving biological “problems” that lead to disease.

After finishing his junior year in May, 2008 Josh was awarded a two-year Echoing Green fellowship for social entrepreneurs, and subsequently has taken a leave of absence from Duke to lead the Chordoma Foundation with Dr. Simone Sommer. To complement his work for the Chordoma Foundation, Josh has joined Duke’s Program on Global Health and Technology Access as a Fellow in Strategic Philanthropy and Health. In addition, Josh continues to participate in research in Dr. Kelley’s lab, and helps coordinate collaborations with a network of chordoma researchers at other institutions around the world.

In school Josh received numerous honors and awards including the USA Today All-USA Academic First Team Award, Prudential Spirit of Community Award, Coca-Cola Scholarship, and AXA Achievement National Award.