WHY the SBMT Congress matters to Neurodegenerative


The 15th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics will take place this April; the same month as we'll drag poor ol' James Parkinson up. I love my husband, but I hate his disease; Parkinson's. This ‘parasite’ that each day strips another wire in his circuitry to paralyze or topple him, yanks his muscles in ways they’re not designed to go; crushing and racking his spine in agony. It curses his dreams if he ever can sleep & robs him of any last shred of dignity. When he breathes his last, it will be with relief; I can’t blame him. I cannot imagine how he'd be now without his DBS of 2012...too awful to contemplate.
Love is not enough, so I’m an ACTIVIST not an advocate and, we need to seriously collaborate.
A little over a year ago, I published Listen to the Man! That 'man' being Dr. Babak Kateb, Founding Chairman and CEO of the prestigious SBMT and Brain Mapping Foundation. Through the PD community there was a mixed reaction. Benjamin Stecher of Tomorrow Edition put forward a very good question to that piece here, and my answer was...ah, incomplete. Let me state here the fault is entirely mine! Why? Because I didn't really get it myself. Now? I got it....
They have a gala, awards; the lot. Recognition is extremely important for all concerned as the SBMT attracts those who are at the top of their game. To us in the PD community it sounds like a ball!
This is the ONLY congress of its kind. Let me explain why: Scientists, Doctors etc., usually get together within their own speciality to exchange ideas and concepts. That's the crux of the matter. Neurosurgeons, for example, don't normally hang with Nanotechnologists, but they should. Imagine what the two disciplines could learn from each other!

That's why we should care.

All the work* that has and continues to be produced from the Brain Mapping Foundation (BMF) goes to provide funding for the SBMT, a medical association to encourage cross-pollination of ideas: Because, when it comes to the brain, it’s not just Neurology. It’s everything from immunotherapy, stem cell therapy, drug discovery, nanomedicine, intraoperative surgery, image guided therapy, military medical innovation, device implants. BMF integrates 'state-of-the-art technologies from NASA, DOD and industry into neurosurgery/neuroscience in order to bring the most advanced medicine to wounded warriors and civilians with neurological disorders.' This covers a ton of specialities that are represented by the finest in their field. It's a privilege to the Universities, Orgs & Foundations that are being represented as well as the pinnacle person attending.

Short version? Get all these brilliant minds in one tent, and they talk together. It's this that makes new concepts & applications possible.

*'The study of the anatomy and function of the brain and spinal cord through the use of imaging (including intra-operative, Microscopic, Endoscopic and Multi-Modality imaging), Immunohistochemistry, Molecular & optogenetics, Stem cell and Cellular Biology, Engineering (material, electrical and biomedical), Neurophysiology and Nanotechnology (See Brain Mapping for more information).'
Dr. Khashayar Dashtipour, M.D., Ph.D. a Neurologist who works alongside Professor of Neurosurgery at Loma Linda University, Warren Boling, who is the 15th President of SBMT.
Dr. Daneshpour is the chair of Parkinson’s session. He has lined up some amazing speakers. Every aspect of neurological disorders from imaging to the genomics and nanotechnology/Nano neuroscience. 
Also covered will be therapeutics of neurological disorders from immunotherapy, stem cell therapy, drug discovery, nanomedicine, intraopertive surgery, image guided therapy and device implants. 

Seeing as it's now over 200 years since Dr. Parkinson became PwP namesake, I suggest we watch these guys.

Neuronoggins to Military, Nobel Laureate to Deepak Chopra; just some of the keynote speakers in all things Neuroscience.


If you want to know more about the history of BMF or the applications of their work: wiki or BMF

Comments

  1. sleeper threeFebruary 24, 2018 at 5:40 AM

    Hi there Dragon Lady, hubby here. Excellent work as always . Never heard of these guys till now! Keep spreading the word - you're good at it.

    ReplyDelete

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