Debra Miller

CureDuchenne

Founder & CEO

Debra Miller is the founder and CEO of CureDuchenne, a pioneering nonprofit that has transformed the landscape of rare disease research and treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. After her son’s diagnosis in 2002, she left a successful career in advertising to launch CureDuchenne, which has since funded 49 research projects, including 18 that advanced to human clinical trials. Through its venture philanthropy arm, CureDuchenne Ventures, the organization has invested over $26 million in early-stage biotech – investments that have catalyzed more than $3 billion in follow-on funding from major firms. In the past year, the FDA approved the first gene therapy for Duchenne, and CureDuchenne opened a first-of-its-kind clinic in Dallas. Miller’s work has also led to the creation of a global physical therapy certification program and a hospital-based newborn screening pilot. In addition to her advocacy and leadership, she serves on the boards of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the Bespoke Gene Therapy Consortium and the DoD’s Medical Research Programmatic Panel.