The goal of the DMRF’s science program is to stimulate medical advancements toward a cure for every individual and family impacted by dystonia. Decades of research have greatly improved knowledge of dystonia, leading to an expansion of treatment options. As medical advancements continue, patients have greater opportunities to feel and function better—this is the ultimate measure of the DMRF’s success.
At the annual meeting of the Medical & Scientific Advisory Council (MSAC) on February 25–26, 2016, Scientific Director Mahlon R. DeLong, MD and Chief Scientific Officer Jan Teller, MA, PhD invited attendees to discuss and recommend scientific priorities for the coming year. Keynote speaker was Warren Grill, PhD, Addy Family Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. Fellow presenters included new MSAC members Thomas Schwartz, PhD, Professor of Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Kristina Simonyan, MD, PhD, Associate Professor Neurology and Otolaryngology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Read about Dr. Simonyan’s exciting new discoveries here.
H. A. Jinnah, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology, Human Genetics & Pediatrics at Emory Healthcare and Director of the Dystonia Coalition, and Beth-Anne Sieber, PhD, Program Director for dystonia at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, also provided updates.