Karin Hoelzer

Karin Hoelzer · 2025-08-05T14:38:18.950Z

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. I am so excited that we at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization Bio.News had a chance to sit down with Kristin Smedley, Co-founder and CEO of CRB1.org, to learn about her incredible patient advocacy work, CRB1, and what is being done to cure it. Here’s a brief excerpt from the interview- read the full article on bio.news, hot off the press! “I had conversations with people who said they’d never pay for a treatment for blindness, because blindness didn’t cost them anything,” says Smedley. […] Smedley asked a simple question: What does it cost our community to get my kids successfully from K to 12? For the community, the answer was half a million dollars. For her family, it was over a million dollars in lost salary. […] “That was the heart of my FDA testimony, which helped spark the global Retina International Cost of Illness study published in 2021,” Smedley explains. “It found that the cost of not having treatments—and not equipping blind individuals with resources to thrive—is a staggering $31.7 billion each year to the U.S. economy. That’s the taxpayer cost of missed opportunities and misperceptions about blindness.” It’s the kind of number that makes people pause and rethink what’s at stake. Smedley also points to a critical lever for change: the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (#PPRV) Program. “This program has a proven track record of driving innovation for rare pediatric diseases—and it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime,” she says. “We need incentives like this to make the economics of rare disease research work, especially in ultra-rare spaces like CRB1.” Unfortunately, despite broad support from the rare disease community, the PRV program’s authorization has lapsed—putting the future of sight-saving and life-changing treatments at risk….

Washington, District of Columbia, United States
5K followers 500+ connections

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Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Cornell University

Google scholar citation list

Activity

The power of advocacy!!

The power of advocacy!!

Shared by Karin Hoelzer
August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. I am so excited that we at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization Bio.News had a chance to sit…

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. I am so excited that we at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization Bio.News had a chance to sit…

Shared by Karin Hoelzer

Experience

Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Washington DC-Baltimore Area
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Washington D.C. Metro Area
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Washington D.C. Metro Area
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Education

Cornell University

2005 - 2009

Thesis: "The molecular and evolutionary determinants of host-switching viruses."
1999 - 2005
2002 - 2003

Licenses & Certifications

Strategic Leadership

Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education

Issued Apr 2022
Registered Patent Agent

USPTO

Volunteer Experience

Editor in Chief

Research in Veterinary Science (Science Direct Journal)

Jan 2022 - Present 3 years 8 months

Science and Technology

https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.pwww.sciencedirect.com/journal/research-in-veterinary-science
Executive Director

DC Veterinary Medical Association

Jan 2020 - Jul 2023 3 years 7 months

Science and Technology
Scientific Editor

Research in Veterinary Science (Science Direct Journal)

Jan 2016 - Dec 2021 6 years

https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.pwww.sciencedirect.com/journal/research-in-veterinary-science
Board Member & Co-chair, Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network

Cornell Club of San Diego

2011 - 2013 2 years

Publications

Current list of publications available here

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I have authored more than 50 scientific publication. For a current list please see the link above

See publication

Courses

Analyzing Risk: Science, Assessment, and Management

Harvard
Competitive Strategy

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Data and Models in Engineering, Science and Business

MIT
Effective Risk Communication: Theory, Tools & Practical Skills for Communicating about Risk

Harvard
Foundations of Business Strategy

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Healthcare Innovation and Entrepeneurship

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Microeconomics for Managers

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Rationing and Allocating Scarce Medical Resources

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Vaccine Trials: Methods and Best Practices

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Organizations

Research in Veterinary Science

Scientific Editor
Society for Risk Analysis

Past Chair, Microbial Risk Analysis Specialty Group

Past Chair since December 2015

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Karin Hoelzer

Washington, District of Columbia, United States 5K followers 500+ connections

Activity

The power of advocacy!!

Shared by Karin Hoelzer

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. I am so excited that we at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization Bio.News had a chance to sit…

Shared by Karin Hoelzer

Experience

Biotechnology Innovation Organization

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Education

Cornell University

Licenses & Certifications

Strategic Leadership

Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education

Registered Patent Agent

USPTO

Volunteer Experience

Editor in Chief

Research in Veterinary Science (Science Direct Journal)

Executive Director

DC Veterinary Medical Association

Scientific Editor

Research in Veterinary Science (Science Direct Journal)

Board Member & Co-chair, Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network

Cornell Club of San Diego

Publications

Current list of publications available here

-

Courses

Analyzing Risk: Science, Assessment, and Management

Harvard

Competitive Strategy

-

Data and Models in Engineering, Science and Business

MIT

Effective Risk Communication: Theory, Tools & Practical Skills for Communicating about Risk

Harvard

Foundations of Business Strategy

-

Healthcare Innovation and Entrepeneurship

-

Microeconomics for Managers

-

Rationing and Allocating Scarce Medical Resources

-

Vaccine Trials: Methods and Best Practices

-

Organizations

Research in Veterinary Science

Scientific Editor

Society for Risk Analysis

Past Chair, Microbial Risk Analysis Specialty Group

View Karin’s full profile

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States
5K followers 500+ connections