Lucienne Ronco’s journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and compassion. With roots in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, she embarked on a path that would lead her to the forefront of rare disease research and drug discovery. Her academic quest took her from Tufts University to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her PhD in biological chemistry before returning to the East Coast for postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School.
Throughout her career, Ronco has navigated the complex landscapes of both pharmaceutical giants and biotech start-ups, rising to leadership positions that have shaped the direction of drug development. At AstraZeneca she ascended to the role of global director of translational sciences, where she honed her skills in bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications.
It was during her tenure at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Harvard Broad Institute that Ronco’s passion for rare diseases truly took hold. Here, she witnessed firsthand the profound impact that identifying genetic mutations could have on therapeutic success. This experience would prove pivotal when the opportunity arose to join Fulcrum Therapeutics, a decision that would immerse her deeply in the world of FSHD research.
At Fulcrum, Ronco found herself surrounded by some of the brightest minds in science, united in their quest to unravel the mysteries of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Despite the termination of Fulcrum’s FSHD program, Ronco remains optimistic. “The therapeutic community has generated so many ways to knock down a protein, so we have many possible approaches to try,” she says.
Now, as chief science officer of the FSHD Society, Ronco brings a wealth of experience and a burning desire to give back to the community. She approaches her work with the same empathy and gratitude that she developed during her years at Fulcrum, when she was moved by the generosity and courage of FSHD patients. “They gave us biopsies. They gave us MRIs. All this while overcoming mobility challenges just to get to the study sites,” she recalls.
Ronco’s commitment to community plays out in other ways. She serves in her local government in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and has volunteered to teach STEM to middle and high school students in Boston. When not advancing the frontiers of medical science, she enjoys hikes in the New England wilderness and travel to distant lands. Lucienne Ronco’s quest for scientific knowledge, tempered by deep empathy for those affected by rare diseases, has brought her to the FSHD Society. Here, she bridges the esoteric world of molecular biology and the human quest for hope and healing.
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