NYAKAMBANGWE Trudy

Dr. Trudy Nyakambangwe(PhD) is the Founder and Director of Rare Disorders Zimbabwe (RDZ). She holds several qualifications in Public Health and Social Sciences. She has over a decade of experience in rare disease advocacy and rare disease patient management and care. Through RDZ and its partners, Trudy established Zimbabwe’s first genetic clinic to provide genetic disease diagnosis and patient management services, including WGS and ERT for Gaucher disease. Trudy has led several initiatives to ensure comprehensive diagnosis, care, and treatment services for families with rare diseases across the cascades. Trudy serves on the African regional task force of Rare Diseases International and is a Council member of Rare Diseases International (RDI). She also sat on the Global Genes Leadership Council and was a Regional Manager for Southern Africa at the International Gaucher Alliance. She participates in IRDiRC and EURORDIS activities and is a peer reviewer for the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. Trudy received the 2024 RARE Champions of Hope Award from Global Genes and was runner-up in the 2025 EURORDIS Black Pearl Awards.