Conference Description
The 2019 Gordon Research Conference on ALS and Related Motor Neuron Diseases will bring together clinicians, trainees, and renowned scientists from both academia and industry to address fundamental questions surrounding the pathogenesis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related motor neurons diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), and multisystem proteinopathy (MSP). The overall aim of this conference is to share insights from a variety of perspectives to achieve a better mutual understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and potential therapeutic approaches. Participants will represent a variety of research approaches, including basic and translational research, pathology, and pharmaceutical company-based research, with the goal of fostering multi-disciplinary discussions and highlighting broad themes that are relevant to motor neuron disease. The conference format has been designed to maximize productive interaction and discussion between clinicians and scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages and will include ample free time each afternoon for social interactions and casual science discussions. It is a specific objective of this conference to emphasize an inclusive environment in which trainees, early career faculty and senior scientists, renowned experts, and newcomers to the field can interact and actively contribute. Invited speakers will give talks and most attendees will present posters. A limited number of submitted poster abstracts will be selected for presentation as a short talk. A Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) organized by students and postdoctoral fellows will take place in the days immediately preceding the GRC with a program specifically targeted to trainees.
The topics, speakers, and discussion leaders for the conference sessions are displayed below. The conference chair is currently developing their detailed program, which will include the complete meeting schedule, as well as the talk titles for all speakers. The detailed program will be available by March 21, 2019. Please check back for updates.
Clinical Phenotypes in ALS and Related Motor Neuron Diseases
Discussion Leaders
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J. Paul Taylor (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA)
Speakers
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Thomas Crawford (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
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John Ravits (University of California, San Diego, USA)
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Merit Cudkowicz (Massachusetts General Hospital, USA)
Axonal Biology and Motor Neuron Loss
Discussion Leaders
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Giampietro Schiavo (University College London, United Kingdom)
Speakers
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Wilfried Rossoll (Mayo Clinic, USA)
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Jeffery Twiss (University of South Carolina, USA)
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Ludo Van Den Bosch (KU Leuven, VIB, Belgium)
Role of RNA Binding Proteins in Motor Neuron Degeneration
Discussion Leaders
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Laura Ranum (University of Florida College of Medicine, USA)
Speakers
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Don Cleveland (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, USA)
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Magdalini Polymenidou (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
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Chris Shaw (King's College London, United Kingdom)
Mechanisms of Aberrant RNA Metabolism
Discussion Leaders
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Sami Barmada (University of Michigan Health System, USA)
Speakers
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Fen-Biao Gao (University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA)
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Jeffrey Rothstein (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
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Charlotte Sumner (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA)
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Dorothee Dormann (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany)
Role of Proteinopathies in Motor Neuron Disease
Discussion Leaders
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David Borchelt (University of Florida, USA)
Speakers
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Albert LaSpada (Duke University, USA)
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Diane Merry (Thomas Jefferson University, USA)
Aberrant Protein Control and Related Mechanisms
Discussion Leaders
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Heather Durham (McGill University, Canada)
Speakers
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F. Ulrich Hartl (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany)
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Arthur Horwich (Yale University, USA)
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Mondira Kundu (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA)
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Christine Vande Velde (Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Universite de Montreal, Canada)
Role of Neuroinflammation in Neurodegeneration
Discussion Leaders
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Robert Baloh (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA)
Speakers
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Molly Hammell (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA)
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Eric Huang (University of California, San Francisco, USA)
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Tara Spires-Jones (The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
Glial Biology of Motor Neuron Diseases
Discussion Leaders
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Rita Sattler (Barrow Neurological Institute, USA)
Speakers
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Shane Liddelow (New York University, USA)
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Nicholas Maragakis (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
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Piera Pasinelli (Thomas Jefferson University, USA)
Experimental Therapeutics and Biomarkers
Discussion Leaders
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Holly Kordasiewicz (Ionis Pharmaceuticals, USA)
Speakers
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Richard Finkel (Nemours Children's Hospital, USA)
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Timothy Miller (Washington University in St. Louis, USA)
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Robert Scannevin (Yumanity Therapeutics, USA)
Power Hour
Organizer:
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Daniela Zarnescu (University of Arizona, USA)
