Researchers at NIH are focused on solving our country’s most pressing health care challenges, like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. But there’s also a group of dedicated professionals working to cure diseases we haven’t even discovered. Meet Dr. William Gahl, clinical director of NIH’s Undiagnosed Diseases Program.

Today, the Washington Post profiled Dr. Gahl, giving us a unique window into his world:

The program is designed to go beyond the organ-centered focus of most medical specialties, to get a more holistic view. Gahl and his 30-member staff bring together scientists from all over the NIH, the country’s top medical research institute. Every patient is seen for free, a luxury of the government that is rare in private research settings. Insurance and drug companies “don’t have a focus that’s uninfluenced by profit” when it comes to diseases that afflict just 200,000 patients a year, Gahl said.

You can find the full article here, and learn more about the Undiagnosed Diseases Program here.

Image: Amanda Voisard/THE WASHINGTON POST