LE&RN is proud to introduce Dr. Cecilia Dupecher as our new Vice President of Scientific Affairs. Dr. Dupecher joins LE&RN with a powerful commitment to accelerate progress for lymphatic diseases by championing research and innovation. She will empower a united community—people living with lymphatic diseases, researchers, policymakers, and global stakeholders—to transform the historically underfunded lymphatic field into the global health priority it deserves to be.

“Dr. Dupecher joins LE&RN with boundless energy and a commitment to leveraging our success in establishing Centers of Excellence, a patient registry, and supporting our research community. Bringing her extensive expertise to the position of LE&RN’s first Vice President of Scientific Affairs, she redoubles our efforts to find new treatments and cures for lymphatic diseases.”—William Repicci, President & CEO, LE&RN

Dr. Dupecher brings to LE&RN a distinguished career spanning biomedical research and public policy at some of the nation’s most respected healthcare and research institutions. Most recently, she served as Program Manager for the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Department of Defense. In this role, she oversaw a $370 million congressional appropriation and led the development of funding strategies to support high-impact research, including for rare and underserved diseases. Her leadership was recognized with the Army Civilian Service Achievement Medal in 2023.

She joined the CDMRP in 2017 as a Science Officer, managing research awards focused on infectious diseases. Her academic background includes postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland, where she studied host-pathogen interactions, followed by a role as a Research Scientist at the university’s Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Dr. Dupecher earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of São Paulo in Brazil. She has held prior positions at Yale University and the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Now, as Vice President of Scientific Affairs at LE&RN, Dr. Dupecher is focused on building scientific programs, advancing partnerships, and creating a stronger research ecosystem for lymphatic diseases.

“Throughout my career—whether in the lab, at the NIH, or managing large-scale federal programs—one thing has always remained constant: my passion for translating science into real-world impact. At LE&RN, I bring that same drive, along with experience in high-level funding and a deep understanding of the research landscape. My focus now is to push lymphatic diseases to the forefront of medical innovation, where they belong.”—Dr. Cecilia Dupecher, Vice President of Scientific Affairs, LE&RN

Dr. Dupecher’s arrival marks a bold new chapter for LE&RN—driven by strategic leadership, scientific excellence, and a commitment to lasting change.