Multiple System Atrophy Coalition to be Prime Sponsor of Major International Scientific Conference
Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) February 04, 2016 -- The Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Coalition today announced their sponsorship of the 5th International Multiple System Atrophy Congress (IMSAC) to be held in Salerno, Italy on April 22-23, 2016. The 5th such congress devoted entirely to the topic of Multiple System Atrophy, 21 international specialists representing 10 countries have been invited to lecture on the latest findings in the quest to cure this rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease.
Professor Gregor K. Wenning, 5th IMSAC co-chair elaborates, “The 5th International Multiple System Atrophy Congress provides a unique opportunity for clinicians to update their diagnostic and management skills in MSA patients and to increase their knowledge of current concepts of pathogenesis and therapeutic targets. World leaders in the field of MSA research will contribute state-of-the-art lectures followed by round table discussions.”
“All scientists and clinicians with an interest in Multiple System Atrophy, atypical parkinsonism and synucleinopathies are welcome to attend the 5th International MSA Congress in Salerno, Italy – April 22-23. CME credits are available. Scientific poster presentations are now invited to be submitted via the congress website http://www.aristea.com/msa2016 (deadline March 10th). We see this event as a major opportunity for networking and collaboration for Multiple System Atrophy research on a global scale.”
Multiple system atrophy is gaining increasing attention as an important cause of parkinsonism, autonomic failure and cerebellar ataxia resulting in major morbidity and mortality. It has also recently gained considerable interest as a model disease of neurodegeneration and may yet prove to offer important clues in the search for disease modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s.
Congress topics to be presented will include neuropathology, genetics, prions, biomarkers, MSA mouse models and MSA symptom management. A keynote lecture entitled “Rational approaches to experimental therapies in MSA” will be presented by Professor Wassilios Meissner (Bordeaux,France) on April 22.
“We are very excited to announce our sponsorship of this important international scientific and educational event. There was actually a real danger this congress would not take place due to lack of funding.”, explains Pam Bower, MSA Coalition Research Committee Co-chair. “The MSA Coalition stepped in as the main sponsor and also assisted the organizers in finding additional sponsors. To not have this congress take place would have been a huge disappointment considering the increased momentum we have been able to generate in the MSA research field since The MSA Coalition’s seed research grant program began in 2013.”
Professor Gregor K. Wenning explains, “It was important to try to stage the next congress in this historic series this year as we felt it was overdue, the last being held 4 years ago in Toulouse, France. Securing the needed funding to ensure that a world class faculty of MSA experts could be engaged proved to be extremely difficult. After hearing our plight, The MSA Coalition not only stepped up as the prime sponsor, but was also instrumental in our obtaining funds from other sponsors as well. Without their leadership and persistence this congress would not have been possible, we are truly grateful.”
Another congress sponsor secured by The MSA Coalition is the Kerry Simon Fight MSA initiative. Dr. Ryan Walsh comments, “A lot of great momentum in MSA research collaboration had been built up after we held the Las Vegas Global MSA Research Roadmap symposium in late 2014. When The MSA Coalition reached out to us at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center asking for our support we were happy to assist with funds earmarked for the Kerry Simon Fight MSA initiative. Although sadly we lost Celebrity Chef Kerry Simon in 2015 to MSA, his vision to rid the world of this affliction still carries on. We are proud to support this international congress in his memory, alongside the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition.”
Don Crouse, MSA Coalition Volunteer Vice Chair, looks toward the future of the congress, ”By making use of funds budgeted for physician and scientific education, and by strong pursuit of additional grants from the NIH and the pharmaceutical industry, it is the intent of The MSA Coalition to have a major role in ensuring future iterations of this very important international scientific congress (the only one devoted solely to Multiple System Atrophy) continue to be staged every 2-3 years.”
See the full scientific and educational program now available at the 5th International Multiple System Atrophy Congress website. http://www.aristea.com/msa2016
Don Crouse, The Multiple System Atrophy Coalition, http://www.multiplesystematrophy.org, +1 (866) 737-4999 Ext: 203, [email protected]
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