Brandon Feldt and Cure VCP Disease Selected for Prestigious AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship

We are thrilled to announce that Brandon Feldt, Development and Partner Relations Coordinator at Cure VCP Disease, has been selected as an AstraZeneca Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellow for 2025. This prestigious fellowship recognizes outstanding young leaders who are advocating for positive impact on youth health in their communities.

About the AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Fellowship

The AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship is a unique opportunity that provides development opportunities, access to networks, and funding to help the most impactful young health leaders create even more positive change. Through this partnership with One Young World, the program contributes to a global health movement led by and for young people.

The YHP aims to empower young people to make more informed choices about their health and catalyze a global, youth-led advocacy movement. The program is now active in over 40 countries worldwide, combining community programmes, research, advocacy, and supporting the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities.

As a YHP Impact Fellow, Brandon and Cure VCP Disease will receive:

• $10,000 USD grant to implement a project focused on improving youth health within the community

• Full participation in the One Young World Summit 2025 in Munich, Germany (November 2-7, 2025)

• Access to structured learning and development opportunities, including an award-winning MBA-Essentials programme

• Membership in the YHP Alumni Group - an exclusive network of young changemakers passionate about youth health

• Opportunity to join AstraZeneca's Young Health Programme Advisory Board to accelerate political action on non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

  
  

The "New Hope Expansion" Project

As part of this fellowship, Brandon will lead the "New Hope Expansion" project, which builds upon a successful pilot program launched in 2025 with support from the Alexion Foundation. This groundbreaking initiative addresses a critical gap in support for teenagers and young adults in families affected by VCP disease and related conditions.

The project will expand to include young caregivers and at-risk individuals dealing with related adult-onset genetic conditions, including familial ALS, familial FTD, and Huntington's disease. Through tailored mental health resources, peer support programs, educational content, and advocacy tools, the program aims to empower young people in families affected by genetic diseases.

Key project goals include:

• Expanding support to young caregivers across multiple rare disease communities

• Providing tailored mental health resources and peer support programs

• Empowering young people to become leaders in rare disease advocacy

  
  

Supporting Global Health Goals

This fellowship directly supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.4, which aims to reduce premature deaths linked to non-communicable diseases by one third by 2030. Brandon's work with Cure VCP Disease aligns perfectly with the YHP's mission to prevent NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease, with a specific focus on rare disease advocacy.

A Message from Brandon Feldt

"At 18 years old, I was thrust into the role of a caregiver and healthcare advocate for my mother who began showing symptoms of Frontotemporal Dementia caused by VCP disease.

"When I first learned of my mother's VCP diagnosis six years ago, I found only a few scattered articles - nothing that enabled me to take action. But over the past seven years, Cure VCP Disease has built a community and a framework where diagnosed individuals and their families can find support, connection, and a sense of purpose. Most importantly, we have cleared the path and provided tools to enable patients and their families to amplify their lived experience to shape their own future and the future of generations to come."

"This fellowship represents an incredible opportunity to extend that same empowerment to young adults across multiple rare disease communities. Through the New Hope Expansion project, I want to ensure that no young person feels as isolated or helpless as I once did. With this grant, we can provide the resources, support networks, and advocacy tools that will enable the next generation to take meaningful action in their fight against rare diseases - not just as caregivers, but as leaders driving change for themselves and their communities."

About Cure VCP Disease

Cure VCP Disease is dedicated to uniting and funding research, fostering collaborations, and supporting patients within the global VCP disease community. VCP disease is a rare, genetic, adult-onset condition with symptoms typically emerging in mid-adulthood. As an autosomal dominant disorder, there is a 50% chance that an affected parent may pass the condition on to their child.

In seven years, Cure VCP Disease has built remarkable infrastructure to enable progress on a global scale, including:

• Launching a patient registry and biobank with 120+ participants from 10 countries

• Hosting three patient conferences and two international scientific conferences

• Co-designing and funding a two-year clinical study with Nationwide Children's Hospital

• Leading a global consortium of 50 clinicians to establish clinical care guidelines

• Creating four scientific models that have powered drug-screening and gene therapy projects

• Facilitating the VCP Research Focus Group with 40 collaborating research institutions

  
  

About the AstraZeneca Young Health Programme

The Young Health Programme aims to empower young people to make more informed choices about their health and catalyze a global, youth-led advocacy movement. The YHP is now active in over 40 countries worldwide, combining community programmes, research, advocacy, and supporting the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities.