Collectively rare disorders are more prevalent than cancer and many other commonly known diseases. Even so, in the face of scarce resources, it might seem obvious that something that is rare should warrant little of our attention. But science does not move in a straight line. A case could be made that exploratory, basic research might result in as much or more progress than research targeted only to the most common diseases. These choices must be made in the context of multiple stakeholders including healthcare professionals, scientists, funders of research, regulators, and of course the patients. Join us for this program to better understand the pervasiveness of rare disorders and the kinds of research being done. We will address diverse questions such as: How should scarce research funding be allocated? Who decides what should be done? What should be our role in fostering the best science in the public interest?