EP 35 Bruce Morimoto

Episode Title: Advancing Hope Through Science: Dr. Bruce Morimoto on V-ATPase Disorders Episode Description: In this episode of Rare Awareness Radio, host Richard Juknavorian speaks with Dr. Bruce Morimoto, a translational medicine expert with nearly 30 years of experience in CNS drug development, about the science, challenges, and hope surrounding ultra-rare V-ATPase–related neurological disorders. Dr. Morimoto, who serves on the scientific board of the V-ATPase Alliance, helps break down the complex biology behind these disorders in a way that families, caregivers, and advocates can understand. He explains how mutations that occur in utero affect critical cellular machinery, contributing to developmental delays, seizures, and other neurological symptoms. The conversation explores: 🔬 Why basic science research is the foundation for future treatments 🧬 The growing promise of personalized medicine and oligonucleotide-based therapies 📊 The importance of patient journey data and biological sample collection 🏥 How clinical trials must be designed around what truly matters to patients and families 🤝 The power of collaboration across researchers, clinicians, regulators, and rare disease communities 💙 The critical need for caregiver support and connection so families don’t feel alone Dr. Morimoto also shares a hopeful five-year vision: stronger global networks, deeper biological understanding, shared learnings across diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS, and the first meaningful therapeutic efforts emerging for this community. This episode is a reminder that progress in rare disease doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens through science, shared data, and people who refuse to give up. 🎧 Listen in to learn how momentum is building — and why awareness, community, and research today can shape treatments tomorrow. For more information, please visit https://vatpasealliance.org/