by Keith Harper, Board President

Last week, Amy Kant, Transition Director, and I traveled to Rome for the 2022 World Sleep Congress, an event put together by the World Sleep Society. We hosted a booth on behalf of Narcolepsy Network, attended groundbreaking clinical research presentations, and met with industry and clinical partners throughout the week. As a Board member and person with narcolepsy, here are my top takeaways:

1. It was fantastic to be meeting in person after a 2-year pandemic, interacting with professionals who dedicate their careers to sleep medicine and research. These key opinion leaders make valuable and lasting contributions. As the national member-governed patient organization, Narcolepsy Network must be a visible, committed partner, educating sleep professionals on our programs, and sharing our collective voice. 
   
2. It’s critical to better understand the clinical development pathway, and to get involved in clinical research. As a community, we will benefit from engagement at the early stages of clinical trials—our participation can make a huge difference in increasing and innovating new treatments that make it to market. More treatments equals more options for people with narcolepsy, and I think we’d all agree that that’s a goal we can get behind.