Sonia M. Vallabh

Biomedical Scientist & Prion Disease Researcher; Director of Prion Therapeutic Science at Broad Institute; Co-Founder of Prion Alliance; TED Speaker

Cambridge, MA, USA
Live Event: Please Contact Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info
Disruptive Thinking, Genetics, Health & Wellness, Healthcare, Medicine, Neuroscience, Research & Exploration, Science, STEM, Thought Leadership, Women's Health
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Sonia M. Vallabh Biography

Sonia M. Vallabh is an American biomedical scientist and director of Prion Therapeutic Science at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Vallabh is known as a patient-scientist, a researcher whose work is informed by personal experience with prion diseases, specifically fatal familial insomnia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College, a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and a Doctor of Philosophy in biological and biomedical sciences from Harvard University.

Vallabh's entry into biomedical research was prompted by her mother's rapid decline and death from fatal familial insomnia, a genetic prion disease. After learning she carried the same genetic mutation, Vallabh transitioned from a career in law and consulting to scientific research, joining her husband Eric Minikel in this pursuit. Her doctoral thesis, "Antisense Oligonucleotides for the Prevention of Genetic Prion Disease," contributed foundational research to the development of therapeutic strategies for prion disorders.

At the Broad Institute, Vallabh leads efforts to develop preventive drugs for prion disease. Her research focuses on lowering prion protein (PrP) levels as a genetically validated approach to delay disease onset, utilizing PrP as a biomarker for early intervention. Vallabh's work encompasses the discovery and preclinical development of PrP-lowering drugs, including gene editing, epigenetic editing, and oligonucleotide-based therapies. She has also contributed to the validation of PrP in cerebrospinal fluid as a pharmacodynamic biomarker and the creation of a clinical pathway for preventive drug development. Notable achievements include the development of CHARM, an engineered epigenetic editor that durably silences the prion protein gene and extends survival in animal models of prion disease. This work was recognized with the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society's Paper of the Year Award. Vallabh's lab, in collaboration with University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, developed a siRNA drug candidate evaluated in the PRiSM clinical trial for safety and tolerability.

Vallabh and Minikel co-founded Prion Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing scientific research into prion disease treatment and cure. She co-leads a natural history study at Massachusetts General Hospital focused on fluid biomarkers in individuals at risk for genetic prion disease. Vallabh has served as a patient representative in the White House Precision Medicine Initiative. Her work and story have been featured in The New Yorker, NPR, and WIRED, and she has delivered a TED Talk titled "My Quest to Cure Prion Disease — Before It's Too Late." Vallabh's interdisciplinary background in law and biomedical science positions her as a leading figure in neurodegenerative disease research and prion disease therapeutics.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/30/2026.

Sonia M. Vallabh Videos

My Quest to Cure Prion Disease — Before It’s Too Late | Sonia Vallabh | TED

My Quest to Cure Prion Disease — Before It’s Too Late | Sonia Vallabh | TED

Biomedical researcher Sonia Vallabh's life was turned upside down when she learned she had the genetic mutation for a rare and fatal illness, prion...

A genetically informed paradigm for primary prevention of prion disease

A genetically informed paradigm for primary prevention of prion disease

There are few stories in science more inspiring than that of Dr Sonia Vallabh and Dr Eric Minikel. After seeing her mother rapidly decline and pass...

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Sonia M. Vallabh is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Sonia M. Vallabh for your event is available upon request. Sonia M. Vallabh generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Deeptee Jain, Barbara Sturm, Stephanie Lheureux, John H. Noseworthy, M.D. and Dr. Paula Johnson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Sonia M. Vallabh for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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