Ella Balasa is a passionate patient engagement expert, advocate, and individual living with cystic fibrosis (CF), a rare genetic lung disease which was diagnosed when she was just 18 months old. Having endured numerous hospitalizations since childhood, Ella uses her personal healthcare experiences to drive change in patient empowerment, research, and healthcare strategies. With a background in biology, she focuses on advocating for innovative therapies, particularly those targeting antibiotic-resistant infections, which have greatly impacted her life.

Ella is dedicated to elevating the patient voice having spoken at numerous healthcare conferences, congressional meetings, and given keynote presentations. She collaborates with key stakeholders contributing to clinical trial design, research committees, and patient engagement initiatives. Ella’s dedication has earned her recognition as Health Union's Social Health Award winner for Healthcare Collaborator. In addition to her advocacy work, Ella is a writer, distilling clinical information for patient communities and sharing her personal experiences living with chronic illness.

In addition to empowering patient communities, Ella helps digital health and biotechs develop strategies to involve patients in product development serving on several advisory boards. Ella bridges the gap between research and patients, striving to create patient-centric advancements in healthcare. Learn more about her experiences - www.ellabalasa.com.