Hillary Valley | Principal, Mission Ventures
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Hillary Valley, PhD is a Mission Ventures Investments Principal at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), where she works closely with industry partners to advance transformative therapies for cystic fibrosis. Hillary earned her B.S. in Chemistry and Biology (double major) from St. Lawrence University and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Following her graduate training, she was a postdoctoral research scientist at Proteovista LLC before joining the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Lab (CFFT Lab) in 2016. She began her tenure at CFF as a bench scientist developing tools to enable CF genetic research and advancing gene editing approaches aimed at delivering a cure for all people with CF. In 2018, she became Gene Editing Team Lead at the CFFT Lab, where she managed a research team and led strategic collaborations with academic and industry partners. In 2025, Hillary transitioned to the Mission Ventures team to help accelerate therapeutic development through strategic investments and partnerships aligned with CFF’s mission to cure cystic fibrosis.

Appearances:

Day 1 - World Orphan Drug Congress USA 2026 @ 15:10

Navigating the "New Normal" in Biotech: Addressing Uncertainties Around Funding, Regulatory Pathways and Partnering/Exit Strategies in a Challenging Macro Environment

In the evolving rare disease and orphan drug sector, companies face a “new normal” of constrained funding, complex regulatory pathways, and shifting partnership or exit strategies. This session explores how rare disease biotechs can navigate these uncertainties while advancing critical therapies for underserved patient populations. Experts will share practical approaches to de-risk development, find new avenues for investor acquisition, engage regulators effectively, and build strategic alliances that support long-term success.

Objectives

Examine the unique funding and regulatory challenges facing rare disease and orphan drug developers in today’s macro environment.
Discuss strategies for new sources of capital, efficient capital use, early regulatory engagement, and designing programs to attract partnerships or successful exits.
Review case studies highlighting how rare disease biotechs maintain development momentum and patient impact despite market and regulatory uncertainties.

Moderator: Steve St. Onge, Chief Business Officer, Clarametyx Biosciences

Neva West, CEO & Co-founder, Biotech Social, Inc