GRAND RAPIDS – Van Andel Institute is hosting a scientific symposium September 19-20 that gathers some of the world?s most noted experts in Parkinson?s disease and reinforces the region?s growing reputation in the field of Parkinson?s research.
Grand Challenges in Parkinson?s Disease features experts from nearly a dozen nations including Australia, Malaysia and Sweden. The purpose of the event is to showcase the latest research in the field and to honor Andrew B. Singleton, Ph.D., of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the first Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson?s Disease Research. The award honors outstanding achievement in the field of Parkinson?s research and is named after Van Andel Institute founder Jay Van Andel who died from the effects of the disease in 2004.
?This is truly a gathering of some of the world?s greatest minds in Parkinson?s disease research,? said chief event organizer Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Jay Van Andel Translational Parkinson’s Disease Research Laboratory and Director of Van Andel Institute?s Center for Neurodegenerative Science. ?We will be sharing the results of recent and ongoing research that will become the building blocks for therapies that may be commonplace a decade from now.?
The event also features keynote addresses by noted Parkinson?s experts Ted Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., of The Johns Hopkins University, who will speak on the topic of Looking Forward to Tomorrow?s Therapies for Parkinson?s Disease, and Roger Barker, Ph.D., of University of Cambridge, who will speak on the topic of Matching Therapies to Patients: The Complexities of Disease Heterogeneity in Parkinson?s Disease.
