Humans of Honors: Shanthi Hegde

“As someone with a bleeding disorder, I am deeply committed to advancing education, advocacy, and support for the bleeding disorders community, especially for young adults and women of color. I founded the Husky Hemophilia Group, the first university-level bleeding disorder organization, to drive essential conversations on advocacy, education, and research for all bleeding disorders. My work has included leading Capitol Hill lobbying efforts by speaking with Senators Ossoff, Warren, Warnock, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to support the Safe Step Act. My passions for patient advocacy also inspired me to organize the first Young Adult Summit with Sanofi this November.

Through my roles as a Young Adult Leader for the National Youth Leadership Initiative, a board member of the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA), and a young adult board representative for the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF), I’ve had the opportunity to lead panels at the Bleeding Disorders Conference, focusing on education and research for women with bleeding disorders. I also consult with the CDC on patient advocacy and education initiatives, sit on the OHSU OBGYN youth advisory board, and work with the Rare Bleeding Disorders patient council to ensure access to care for all.”