From Outer Space to Innerspace: The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics
Dr. Babak Kateb, Founding Chairman of the Board of the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics and Director of National Center for NanoBioElectronics Nathaniel Gore of PLOS Collections, on the Neuromapping and Therapeutics Collection and the upcoming SBMT Annual Congress. The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) is a multidisciplinary and multispecialty non-profit biomedical association organized for the purpose of encouraging basic and clinical scientists who are interested in areas of Brain Mapping, engineering, stem cell, nanotechnology, imaging and medical device to improve the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients afflicted with neurological disorders. Founded in 2003 with the aim of filling the educational gap between biological and physical science disciplines, the organization came about after a successful collaboration between NASA/JPL, Keck School of Medicine of USC, and Caltech. Since then, the Society has held 13 annual world congresses in the US, France, Canada and Australia, established its own Brain Atlas, published the inaugural textbook of nanoneurosurgery and been a driving force behind President Obama’s BRAIN initiative. In 2014, the Society launched the G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics conference in Brisbane in order to develop global cooperation and partnership for brain discovery and repair. The Society is a leader in the field of Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and could be considered as the world’s fastest growing translational neuroscience think-tank, with near 4,000 members – consisting of scientists, surgeons, physicians and engineers – focussing their attention on narrowing the gap between disciplines. The organization helps to bridge these gaps through annual Conventions and satellite symposia, the SBMT University, journals, prestigious awards, Brain Mapping Days at the US Congress, partnership with National Center for NanoBioElectronics (NCNBE) for translating, integrating and commercializing of advance technologies into clinical trials , student Chapters and its global partnerships with G20 and African Brain Mapping initiatives. It’s due to this shared cross-disciplinary nature that PLOS ONE and SBMT have, since 2010, partnered on the Neuromapping and Therapeutics Collection. The aim of the Collection is to provide a forum for interdisciplinary research aimed at translation of knowledge across a number of fields such as neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, radiology, neuroscience, neuroengineering, nanoneuroscience/nanoneurosurgery and healthcare policy issues that affect the treatment delivery and usage of certain devices, drugs and imaging technologies. PLOS ONE’s wide scope and broad publication criteria make it a perfect venue to publish and collate relevant articles in these areas of research into one cross-disciplinary collection. Our hope is that by encouraging and facilitating further research, replication, and sharing of both positive and negative results, this Collection will become a catalyst for continued innovation and discovery in brain mapping and therapeutics. Join us at the Upcoming 12th Annual SBMT Congress PLOS will be attending the 12th Annual Congress of SBMT in Los Angeles on March 6-8 and look forward to discussing the Neuromapping and Therapeutics Collection and the PLOS Neuro Community site. In the coming weeks, society members will be blogging about their research and why they value being a member of SBMT. Abstract submissions for the Congress are still open, as are nominations for the Young Investigator Award – the deadline is February 9th. Connect with SBMT through Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts. For more information about the collection – or PLOS Collections in general – contact collections@plos.org ————————————————————————— Dr. Babak Kateb (@BabakKateb) is the Founding Chairman of the Board of The Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics, Research Scientist, Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars Sinai Medical Center and Director of National Center for NanoBioElectronics Nathaniel Gore (@thengore) is the Editorial Project Manager of PLOS Collections
Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics holds its 12th Annual World Congress at the LA Convention Center in March announcing its African Brain Mapping Initiative
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — World leading scientists, engineers, physicists, physicians and surgeons converge to Los Angeles Convention Center from Friday March 6th to Sunday March 8th in order to rapidly identify, translate, integrate and commercialize advanced technologies, which could help brain discovery and assist with diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders such as PTSD, brain trauma, brain cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, mental disorder, spinal disorders and peripheral nerve injuries. The 12th Annual World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics convention will have 550 speakers, 110+ scientific sessions and 10 keynote speakers including Congressman Chaka Fattah and Chief of the US Army General Ray Odierno. “Since its inception, the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics has been a pioneer in research, advocacy, and service to the medical research community. Los Angeles is proud to host this gathering of researchers, physicians, policy makers, scientists, and industry leaders to advance scientific and technological discoveries of the human brain.” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Last June, SBMT launched the G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Initiative in Italy and held its first annual G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Symposium in Brisbane, Australia to mobilize a global partnership for brain disease prevention, discovery and treatment. Brain Mapping Foundation, National Center for NanoBioElectronic, Amen Clinics, and Compumedics were amongst the supporters of the G20 event. “SBMT has been on the forefront of multidisciplinary brain science, technology,and discovery and in the last two decades through a global multidisciplinary partnership and collaboration” said, Dr. Pantaleo Romanelli, President Elect of SBMT, Chief Scientist of AB Medica, Consultant and Scientific Director, Brain Radiosurgery, Cyberknife Center, in Milan, Italy, Visiting Scientist, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), in Grenoble, France African Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Initiative was launched as part of the G20 Brain Mapping Initiative, which aimed at complementing President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative and EU Human Brain Project. In September 2014, Dr. Babak Kateb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SBMT met with Drs. Glenda Gray, President and CEO of South Africa Medical Research Counsel, John Ouma, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of the Witwatersrand, Marlon Burges, Chairman of Medical Device Association of South Africa and the local prominent scientists and leaders in South Africa discussing the details of the initiative. “We thank SBMT and Dr. Kateb for visiting us in South Africa and engaging us in this Initiative. We are very excited to be a strategic partner of SBMT and help this initiative by engaging the strategic groups in the entire Africa including the African Academy of Science,” said Dr. John Ouma, Member of the Board of SBMT, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and Secretary General of South African Neurosurgical Association. The topics of this year’s World Congress include: brain trauma, mental health, brain policy and research funding, engineering, brain cancer, nanoneurosurgery, metadata and brain mapping, medical imaging, device, material science, radiation oncology, deep brain connectomics and spinal disorders and diagnostics. “This year we particularly emphasized on global partnership with foundations and industry leaders; we have reached out to near 300 foundations and near 1200 industry leaders on our network with the aim of creating a united front on advancing brain discovery. “As the 12th President of SBMT, I made advanced technology and engineering a core for the scientific program and our global initiatives,” said Dr. Shouleh Nikzad, 12th President of SBMT, Senior Research Scientist and Lead of the Advanced UV/Vis/NIR Detector Arrays, Imaging Systems, and Nanoscience Group, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, CA, USA. The 12th annual World Brain Mapping of SBMT is still accepting abstracts, and the organization is planning to expand its membership from 4000 to 6000 in next year and has introduced a multidisciplinary Young Investigator award in partnership with National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) in order to encourage younger scientists to join the organization. For more information about how to become a member or register for the convention, please visit: www.WorldBrainMapping.org About SBMT: www.WorldBrainMapping.org Media Contact:Dr. Vicky YamamotoTel: 310-500-6196Vicky.Yamamoto@med.usc.edu Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150115/169420 SOURCE Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Related Links https://www.worldbrainmapping.org
Brain Mapping Leader Says Conference Planning Can Change the World
The annual conference for the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (SBMT) began a dozen years ago as a small summit for 20 doctors, scientists and engineers who came together to discuss advances in neuroscience. Today, the conference brings together a global community of thousands of specialists in the fields of neuroscience, engineering, neurosurgery, psychiatry, psychology, molecular biology, neurology, radiology and oncology. One of the unique aspects of this conference is all of those different disciplines learning and working together, which is unusual in the scientific community. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is also why the Society is making such a profound impact on the study of nanoscience (science at the atomic and molecular level), with many important real world implications. The best way to explain brain mapping in laymen’s terms is by using Google Maps as an analogy. Traditional brain scanning is like Google Maps zoomed out until you can see the shape of countries. Today’s leading technology in brain mapping is like Google Maps Street View, where you can see cars on the street, which equates in this case with probing deep into the brain’s molecular level. Furthermore, it’s becoming a primary issue for world governments in advanced countries. Over the last couple of years, there’s been a global push among G20 nations to speed up the study of neuroscience, with governments dedicating millions of new dollars for research. President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative, launched in 2013, provides over $300 million earmarked through 2015. According to the White House website, the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative is “a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.” Presently, the World Health Organization estimates that about a third of the worldwide adult population suffer from a mental disorder such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. If also taken together with neurological disorders, such as dementia and stroke, these “disorders of the brain” account for 13% of the global disease burden. There is also an exponential increase in psychological trauma among military veterans in the U.S. That is why the SBMT conference is gaining so much exposure. One of the primary outcomes from the conference to date is the publication of the first academic textbooks in the fields of nano-neurosurgery and nano-neuroscience. SBMT members have also published a Brain Anatomy Atlas and Brain Disorder Atlas to assist with brain navigation during surgery. “The textbooks are major breakthroughs…. Just think about the first textbooks for biology,” says Dr. Babak Kateb, founding chairman of the board of SBMT, and president of the Brain Mapping Foundation. “And in terms of policy, we have been a force behind President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative, and we have been successful helping wounded warriors through all of this specialty research.” In a further effort toward global cooperation, the SBMT and European-based Human Brain Project entered a joint partnership to develop the G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics conference in Brisbane last month. “The idea is we bring together G20 nations and create a global cooperation on brain mapping and therapeutics, which is a direct result of our convention,” says Dr. Kateb. “So when you’re talking about the social legacy of a convention, or gold standard of a convention, this is a very young organization that started with just 20 people. When people are creating an event, it is very important for them to understand the potential of conference planning to set up a gold standard in their field.” Some of the new medical innovations that SBMT members have pioneered include new retinal imaging to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, and new nano-drugs to treat brain diseases. SBMT scientists have even partnered with NASA to develop new microwave devices to treat different cancers, which have far less harmful side effects than traditional radiation therapies. In an attempt to build on the event’s social legacy, Dr. Kateb and the SBMT leadership are expanding the reach of the Society’s membership and collective knowledge base by developing Brain Mapping Initiatives in Europe, Asia/Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. The overall goal is to increase the direct impact on communities worldwide where SBMT members are based. Past SBMT annual conferences have taken place in Sydney, Toronto, Baltimore, San Francisco, France, Harvard University and Bethesda, among others. Dr. Kateb has also traveled to South Africa to meet with scientists and doctors in Cape Town, and to research the destination as a possible venue for a future conference. “When you bring thought leaders together—5, 10, 20 of them—if you’re persistent, you can create a shift in the entire way of thinking in any large organization,” says Dr. Kateb. “We have accomplished that in science, and science is pretty hard to change.”
G20 World Brain Mapping Initiative/Summit in Australia started with important messages of Collaboration from Congressman Chaka Fattah, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Member of the Canadian Parliament Kirsty Duncan and pioneering work by the top G20 scientist
BRISBANE, Australia, Nov. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier this year in Milan, Italy, the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (SBMT) announced its G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Initiative. Today, the Amen Clinics, Compumedics Inc, SBMT, and BMF hold the first annual summit on G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Initiative in Brisbane, Australia on Nov. 13th in Mercure Hotel. “We have spent more than 3 years to formulate this initiative, which we announced it earlier this year in Milan and held the 11th Annual World Congress in Sydney this year in order to finally bring the G20 World Brain Mapping summit” said Dr. Kuldip Sidhu, Professor of Stem Cell at UNSW, the Past President of SBMT and a current President of SBMT-Australia. The summit will start with messages of cooperation from the U.S. Congressman Fattah, the U.S. Congressman Blumenauer (Chairman of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus) and Member of the Canadian Parliament Kirsty Duncan. These leaders encourage all scientists to work together to curb the growing cost associated with diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders through introducing game-changing diagnostics and therapeutics. The summit program includes talks from top US, Australian, Italian, Turkish, and European Brain Mapping Initiative scientists covering topics such as advanced imaging in diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, brain cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, big data in brain mapping, strategies for global clinical trials, policies that could facilitate translation, integration and commercialization of devices and therapeutics such as nanoneurosurgery/nanoneuroscience, neurotrauma, and military medicine, as well as a roundtable discussion with the US and Canadian Policymakers. “Specifically, the goals of the program are to: Build solid working collaboration between the USA, Australia and other G20 nations on translational, clinical neuroscience including all aspects of the Brain Mapping and Therapeutics; Build strategic industry-academia-government alliance for brain discovery, disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; Facilitate rapid integration, translation, and commercialization of innovations in the field of Brain Mapping & Therapeutics worldwide; Launch complementary Brain Mapping Initiatives across the G20 nations; Facilitate clinical trial and formulation of joint Institutional Review Board taskforce across G20” said, Dr. Babak Kateb, Chairman of the Board of the SBMT and Research Scientist, Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “I am very happy that Australia took the lead on this topic and already planning the 2016 G20 World Brain Mapping Summit in Turkey with our Turkish colleagues.” Media Contact: Bryan Aroz: Bryan.Aroz@WorldBrainMapping.org Tel: 310-9808340 About SBMT: WWW.WorldBrainMapping.org SOURCE Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Related Links http://www.WorldBrainMapping.org
G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Initiative by SBMT will include significant partnership with European Human Brain Project.
MILAN, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — According to the World Health Organization’s large-scale studies, about a third of the adult worldwide population suffer from a mental disorder such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. If also taken together with neurological disorders, such as dementia and stroke, these “disorders of the brain” account for 13% of the global disease burden. This surpasses both cardiovascular diseases (5%) and cancer (10%). Countries with the highest rate of burden > 650 Disability Adjusted Life Years [DALYs] per 100,000 population included the USA, UK, Russia, and Australia. The annual cost of taking care of patients with neurological disorders in the US alone approaches $400B of which $200B is for Alzheimer patients. We believe that this cost in 10 years could reach to $1T in the US alone. In China 975,000 people die annually from brain trauma alone and the Alzheimer population in the Australasia corridor is rapidly on the rise. Thus, European Union, China, India, Japan and Australia are not immune from such high cost of healthcare despite having 100% government insurance. About 3 million Australians are estimated to experience symptoms of a mental disorder (ABS 2008). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) estimates that over $6 billion per annum is spent on mental health-related services in Australia. From the European Brain Council study, it is estimated that the annual cost of brain disease in Europe was 798 billion Euros in 2010. The total estimated worldwide costs of dementia were US$604 billion in 2010 and growing to be a near $1T annually. About 70 percent of the costs occur in Western Europe and North America. An US government study, the National Comorbidity Study Replication, estimated that serious mental illness accounted for $193 billion in lost earnings. The G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutics was announced initially at the 12th Annual World Congress of SBMT in Sydney, Australia earlier this year but the partnership with EU-Human Brain Project was announced yesterday at the 11th Annual meeting of “the future of Healthcare,” which was held at a one of the most historic venues in Milan/Italy, the Four Seasons, on June 25, 2014; thanks to the AB Medica’s generous sponsorship. “We are truly delighted to have top European and US scientists in this convention, which is designed to predict the future of healthcare based on advance science/technology and very happy that SBMT now will be closely partnering with EU Human Brain Project,” said Dr. Pantaleo Romanelli, newly elected President of European Chapter of Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (SBMT), Chief Medical Officer, AB Medica, Milano, Italy, Consultant and Scientific Director, Radio-neurosurgery, CDI, Milano, Italy, Visiting Scientist, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France. “SBMT is a world leader in the field and has been the global voice for translational neuroscience. We continue to be on the forefront of pioneering medical research, advocacy as well as global partnership,” said Dr. Kuldip Sidhu, the Past President of SBMT, A/Prof. of Stem Cell at University of New South Wales and President of SBMT-Australia. The European Commission has officially announced the selection of the Human Brain Project as one of its two Flagship projects. The new project will federate European efforts to address one of the greatest challenges of modern science: understanding the human brain. The cost is estimated at 1.19 billion Euros. “Global collaboration is the key to advancing neuroscience to understand the human brain from genes to cognition. It is critical to integrate and coordinate both basic and clinical sciences to bring their insights to benefit the patient,” said Dr. Sean Hill, Co-Director of Informatics Research at EU Human Brain Mapping Project. President Obama recently added 100-million-dollars to the FY14 and $200M FY15 budget of the US government as part of the BRAIN initiative. This is an additional new funding for the NIH, DARPA, and NSF. Similarly a recent the Prime Minster of Australia, Toy Abbott, added $200 million dollar to his federal budget in order to combat dementia in addition to substantial more funding for medical research. “I am glad that our colleague in European Brain Project have understood the importance of collaborating with SBMT, which is a leading edge organization for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics,” said Dr. Babak Kateb, Founding Chairman of the Board of SBMT, President of Brain Mapping Foundation, and Research Scientist at the Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California, USA; “we believe there is a great need for a global action focused on: 1) more systematic and methodical study of brain in human health in a consortium approach; 2) well coordinated global response to the rising burden with neurological disorders and global harmonizing of the related policies; 3) well planned neuro-economical assessment of the future impact of disease, diagnostics and prevention; 4) facilitating translation of technologies across disciplines of science in order to rapidly identify and introduce new generation of therapeutics; 5) unifying global regulations and guidelines on clinical trials and drug/device-combination discovery; 6) establish global partnership and new funding initiatives across academic, educational, industry and non-profit organizations and 7) facilitate integration, translation and commercialization of neurotechnologies such as nanoneuroscience, cellular therapeutics, imaging and advance electronics/devices,” he continued. Australia is hosting the Group of Twenty (G20) developing nations in November of this year in Brisbane. This is a great opportunity for the heads of states of the G20 Nations to potentially put the G20 World Brain Mapping & Therapeutics initiative introduced by the SBMT and Brain Mapping Foundation on their current and future agenda. This year SBMT is partnering with Australian American Association, Research Australia, Federal and State governments of Australia in order to hold the first annual G20 World Brain Mapping and Therapeutic summit in Australia on Nov. 12th 2014. About SBMT: For more information please visit: www.WorldBrainMapping.org About AB Medica SPA: For more information about AB Medica SPA please visit: http://www.abmedica.it/ Media Contact: Bryan Aroz| Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (SBMT)8159 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite #200|West Hollywood,CA90046|Tel: (310) 500-6196|Fax: (323) 654-3511| Bryan.Aroz@WorldBrainMapping.orgpress@WorldBrainMapping.org SOURCE Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics
Dr. Ramin Rak Speaks at U.S. Congressional Briefing About Brain Mapping During Awake Brain Surgery
Dr. Ramin Rak Will Be One Of 10 Experts From Across Nation To Speak, As Part Of Congressional Briefing On Brain Mapping And Neuroscience Third Annual Brain Mapping Day at the US Congress, May 20th 2014 A Congressional Brief on the state-of-the-art in Brain Mapping, Therapeutics & Translational Multi-speciality Neuroscience, Organizers: Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), Brain Mapping Foundation and Congressional Neuroscience Caucus 8:10-8:15Award Presentation to the Honorable Congressman Fattah 8:20-8:352014 SBMT-BMF Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award RecipientCongressman Chaka Fattah, The United States Congressman from 2nd District of Pennsylvania, USA 8:40-8:45New Ways to Measure Brain ActivityGeoff Ling, MD, PhD, FAAN, Director of Biological Technologies, Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA), Professor and Acting Chair of the Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), USA 8:45-8:50Mapping Brain Function – A Key to Finding Effective Treatments for TBI and PTSDTimothy J. O’Leary, MD, PhD Acting Chief R&D Officer The US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research & development, USA 8:50-8:55Neuroimaging of Brain Injury in the US MilitaryJames P. Kelly, MA, MD, FAAN, FANA Director, National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA 8:55-9:00Ambulance Based Treatment for Acute StrokeEric M. Bailey, Ph.D. Founder & CEO, Neurologica Corporation, USA 9:00-9:05Creating Windows into the Brain: The Emerging Synergy of Neuroscience and Medical DevicesTimothy Denison, Ph.D. Director of Core Technology, Technical Fellow, Medtronic Corporation, USA 9:05-9:10Brain Mapping During Awake Brain Surgery Ramin Rak, M.D., F.A.N.S.Attending Neurosurgeon, North Shore-LIJ Health Systems, Winthrop University Hospital, Catholic Health System, Long Island, NY; SBMT Board Member; Director, Brain Tumor Program, North Shore-LIJ Huntington HospitalCo-Surgical Director& Director Of Awake Craniotomy & Brain Mapping Program, Long Island Brain Tumor Center, USA 9:10-9:15Los Alamos Contributions to Next Generation Brain Mapping and TherapeuticsDavid Pesiri, PhDDirector, The Richard P. Feynman Center for InnovationLos Alamos National Laboratory, USA 9:15-9:20Functional imaging in the pediatric brainMichael R. Yochelson, MD, MBAVice President of Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, SBMT Board MemberVice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine MedStar Georgetown University HospitalProfessor, Clinical Neurology & Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine Georgetown University, USA 9:20-9:25The Cyberbrain project: monitoring and modulation of brain function using wireless brain electrodesPantaleo Romanelli, MDScientific Director, AB Medica, SBMT Board Member Scientist, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France Consultant Neurosurgeon and Scientific Director, CDI, Milano, Italy 9:25-9:30Impact of Neurological Disorders on the World Economy, A $1T Question?Kirsty Duncan, PhD, Member of Parliament of Canada Professor of Health Studies at University of Toronto Member of Board of Directors of SBMT, Recipient of 2012 SBMT-BMF Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award Moderator:Dr. Babak Kateb | Founding Chairman of the Board of Directors|CEO and Scientific Director Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (SBMT)| Director of National Centre for Nano-Bio-Electronics (NCNBE)| Scientist| Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute| Department of Neurosurgery| Cedars Sinai Medical Center| Chief Editor| SBMT-PLoSOne NeuroMapping & Therapeutics| Editor of The Textbook of Nanoneuroscience and Nanoneurosurgery, President and Scientific Director of Brain Mapping Foundation, 9:35-10:00 Discussion Program End Sharp at 10AM EST https://www.worldbrainmapping.org/2nd-annual-brain-mapping-day
Sydney’s ‘brain-mass’ to put stem cells, false supplements on trial
Source:Xinhua Published: 2014-3-12 14:17:15 The latest potentialities of global stem cell research will come under the microscope when one of the world’s largest ever gatherings of leading neurosurgeons, neurologists and psychiatrists mass in Sydney next week for the World Congress of the Society of Brain Mapping and Therapeutics ( SBMT). The theme of the conference is “Brain Therapeutics, bringing together engineering, art, science and medicine.” UNSW Associate Professor Kuldip Sidhu, co-convener of the event and president of the California-based SBMT told Xinhua that”This is a unique opportunity for researchers from all over the world to hear about the most cutting-edge research and hopefully it will lead to further collaborations down the track.” According to a University spokesman, Sidhu will be presenting a world-first study “Brain in the Petri dish” with Scientia Professor Perminder Sachdev from UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and Dr Henri Chung which will touch on breakthrough technology concerning patient-derived stem cell technology (iPSC). With the ultimate potential to assist early onset of Alzheimer’ s disease treatment, the discussion will lift the lid on a brain disease process to be modeled in the Petri dish with cells derived from patients. The arrival of so many leading neuroscientists in Sydney is also certain to be watched nervously by the booming nutrient supplement industry after a major report released last month suggested the booming international market for nutrient supplements — worth 68 billion U.S. dollars according to research from Euromonitor — as woefully lacking scientific confirmation. The report, commissioned by Alzheimer’s Disease International and Compass Group, recommended that”clear, consistent and independent evidence-based advice”on nutritional supplements be made available to those at risk of, or already living with dementia. The Sydney event will also honor global achievements in neuro- scientific achievements. Sidhu will be awarded the “Pioneer in Medicine Award” for his contributions to stem cell research and his global consortium approach in iPSC technology. Dr Charlie Teo, a Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW, will receive the “Humanitarian Award” for his work including establishing and funding a hospital in India and operating on patients who don’t have the money to get appropriate care in the developing world. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will be given the ” Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award” by the SBMT. The prime minister is being recognized for his support of brain research through a massive Australian — 200 million U.S. dollars – – dementia initiative. The U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah, who will be at the Congress, will receive the same award. The conference kicks off in Sydney next week. Posted in: Asia-Pacific, Biology
Brain Mapping Foundation (BMF) and Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) Present the 2014 Prestigious Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award to Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott, the US Congressman Chaka Fattah and shed light on the importance of working as a consortium
BEVERLEY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, the Brain Mapping Foundation and the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics announced the 2014 recipients of the prestigious Pioneer in Medicine Award, as well as their annual awards to recognize those who have made notable contributions to brain research in various ways, including the Healthcare Policy Award, Beacon of Courage and Dedication Award, and the Humanitarian Award. The Society will honor each recipient at the Brain Mapping Foundation’s Gala on March 17, 2014 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney as part of their 11th Annual World Congress in Australia. Each year, SBMT and the Brain Mapping Foundation recognize individuals who have made a profound impact on our understanding of brain function and related diseases. Nominations are made by members of the society and decisions are made by the awards committee. The Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award is presented to lawmakers who have demonstrated visionary policies laws that have contributed to the advancement of science, technology, education, and medicine. The past recipients of this prestigious award include California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (2008), U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (2009), U.S. Senator Harry Reid (2010), U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (2011), Canadian Parliament Member Kirsty Duncan (2012), U.S. Congressman Jim Moran (2013), Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (2013), and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (2013). This year, Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott and the US Congressman Chaka Fattah are the recipients of this prestigious award. Prime Minister Abbott is recognized for his visionary support of brain research through his $200M dementia initiative in Australia. Congressman Fattah is honored due to his impressive track record in promoting neuroscience legislation through the US Congress including his significant role in President Obama’s BRAIN initiative. “These remarkable lawmakers now have joined the impressive list of past recipients of this prestigious award for their remarkable contribution to the field through supporting groundbreaking initiatives.” Dr. Babak Kateb, Founding Chairman of the Board of SBMT and President of Brain Mapping Foundation, and Director of National Center for Nano-Bio-Electronics, Editor of the Textbook of Nanoneuroscience and Nanoneurosurgery, Research Scientist, Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, CA, USA. The Pioneer in Medicine Award will be presented to Dr. Kuldip Sidhu for his landmark contributions to stem cell research, including spearheading the building of a unique global consortium for study of the patient-derived stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). He co-authored the findings with 2012 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Shinya Yamanaka. “This is also the recognition of an important area of research that is destined to bring a paradigm change in human medicine” said Prof Sidhu. “The awards committee has been impressed with pioneering work of Professor Sidhu. His ground breaking consortium approach is a great example of how Brain Mapping Foundation would like to plan and execute its global alliance for NanoBioElectronic.” said Dr. Shouleh Nikzad, newly elected President of SBMT (2014-2015) and member of the board of Brain Mapping Foundation, Co-chair of the Award Committee, and Senior Research Scientist and Lead of the Advanced UV/Vis/NIR Detector Arrays, Imaging Systems, and Nanoscience Group, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, CA, USA. The Society annually recognizes the remarkable humanitarian work done by one of its members. This year, Professor Charlie Teo will receive the Humanitarian Award for his humanitarian work across the globe including establishing and funding a hospital in India and operating on patients who lack the financial means to get such care across the developing world. “I think you will never go wrong with the philosophy; it is better to give than to receive” stated by Dr. Charlie Teo. “One of the most important goals of the SBMT is to get the best that medicine has to offer to those in dire need who cannot otherwise afford such therapies. Charlie is a clear example of how SBMT and its members bring the cutting edge science and medicine to the impoverished of the world”, Said Ret. U.S. Army Colonel Michael Roy, Professor of Internal Medicine at USUHS and the past President of SBMT (2012-13). Brain Mapping Foundation and Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics annually recognize the public awareness efforts of individuals outside of the medical profession. Past recipients of this coveted award include two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman for his role in the movie Rain Man, as well as other efforts of his to raise public awareness of Autism. This year, BMF and SBMT award a remarkable nurse from Sydney Australia, Sharn McNeill, who has been diagnosed by Lou Gehrig Disease (also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS). Sharn ,who is also a nurse and triathlete, has raised awareness about this devastating neurological disorder in Australia and enabled the Brain Mapping Foundation to shed light on the importance of funding to treat neurological disorders in Australia. “I am both deeply touched and very honored to receive this award. My illness has given me a platform to help raise awareness about neurological disorders and the amazing work of this association and foundation, while inspiring people everywhere to live their lives to the fullest. This award inspires me to contribute in every possible way to find cure for ALS,” said, Sharn McNeill. “Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Congressman Fattah have significantly contributed to the brain research through scientifically based policies and initiatives, Dr. Kuldip Sidhu has impacted the field through a unique collaborative and consortium approach, Dr. Charlie Teo, who is a fantastic neurosurgeon, has taken a lead to bring the best medicine to the poor and the most needy; he has also supported advancing research through his Cure-for-Life Foundation. Sharn McNeill is an inspiring individual who has raised awareness about ALS in Australia through her Shine4Sharn Foundation. These colleagues all have one characteristic in common; they have brought people together in order to address complex issues,” states Dr. Babak Kateb and he continued, “We are celebrating and recognizing the inspiring work of these remarkable leaders which has been accomplished through revolutionary approach and unique initiative. These individuals truly have advanced the field in fundamental ways through collaboration. Such spirit of collaboration is at the heart of SBMT and BMF missions.” The 11th Annual World Congress is jointly sponsored by AusBiotech and accredited by International Society for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Medicine (ISMRM) and American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). “Australia had to bid and compete with 5 other
Blood Pressure Protein Could Rid Alzheimer’s Brain Of Amyloid Plaques
Alzheimer’s disease is undoubtedly a complex condition. Scientists still aren’t quite sure how it starts and there is no cure for it. But the processes that cause it to worsen, which include the formation of plaques and inflammation, may be possible to reverse, according to a new study. Researchers from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have found that a protein associated with high blood pressure may be able to induce an immune response against Alzheimer’s. Somewhere along the line of Alzheimer’s development, peptide amino acids called amyloid-beta begin to form plaques in the brain. These plaques build up in the space between nerve cells and inside blood vessels, blocking communication, and depleting a person’s memory. The condition worsens when the immune system tries to fight off the plaques, and ends up causing inflammation. For the new study, researchers show how an enzyme, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which normally causes blood vessels to tighten, may also break down amyloid plaques, subsequently preventing inflammation among other Alzheimer’s-related problems. To test the effects of ACE on the amyloid plaque-ridden brain, the researchers genetically engineered some lab mice to produce extra ACE in some immune cells, like macrophages and microglia. Meanwhile, other mice were engineered to have amyloid plaques and Alzheimer’s symptoms. The offspring of these mice, when tested, performed similarly to normal mice in learning performance and memory tests, according to the surprised scientists. “We were absolutely astonished by the lack of Alzheimer’s related pathology in the crossed mice … At first we thought we had a genotyping error in identifying these mice as carriers of the aggressive familial Alzheimer’s mutations. But we verified their genotypes and ran the experiments again and again, and confirmed the same findings,” said Dr. Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, assistant professor of neurosurgery in the Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Medical Sciences, in a statement. Having an abundance of ACE in these key immune cells led to a “near-complete prevention” of cognitive decline, which the researchers proved was caused by ACE when they administered ACE inhibitors — drugs used for people with high blood pressure — on the mice. Although the researchers weren’t quite sure about the exact mechanism by which ACE cleared amyloid plaques from blood vessels, “the enzyme has been found to break down longer amyloid peptides into shorter fragments that can more readily be ‘washed away’ or cleared from the system,” Koronyo-Hamaoui told Medical Daily in an email. Still, the researchers don’t necessarily plan on increasing ACE levels in humans. Instead, the most informative finding from the study “is the effectiveness of combining an approach to enhance the immune response with that of delivering inflammatory cells to enzymatically destroy beta-amyloid,” they wrote. Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 5.1 million Americans. It usually begins to set in sometime around 60 years old, and slowly eats away at a person’s ability to recall, think, and carry out even the simplest tasks. Amyloid plaques are only one characteristic of the disease — other features include neurofibrillary tangles made of the protein, tau, and a loss of connections between nerve cells. Understanding the interplay between each one of these features and how they contribute to Alzheimer’s is what makes the affliction so complex. Source: Bernstein K, Koronyo Y, Salumbides B, et al. Angiotensin-converting enzyme over expression in myelomonocytes prevents Alzheimer’s-like cognitive decline. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2014.
The Hidden Benefit of ACE: Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
HEALTH NEWS The Hidden Benefit of ACE: Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention A new study shows that turning up the activity of a blood pressure protein can clear beta-amyloid plaques from the brain. Drugs that are currently approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease address the symptoms, but do little to stop the steady loss of mental ability in the elderly. But a new study conducted by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center offers clues to how the debilitating plaques that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s could be cleared away. The research, published today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, is a long way from a cure for Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects some 5.5 million people in the U.S. and is expected to rise to 11 to 16 million by 2050. However, understanding the role that the immune system plays in this condition could lead the way to more effective treatments. Read More: A Brief History of Alzheimer’s Disease » Ramping Up ACE Protects the Brain Researchers focused on a naturally-occurring protein—angiotensin-converting enzyme, or ACE—that is found throughout the body. This enzyme is best known for its role in controlling blood pressure. Drugs called ACE inhibitors are used to treat high blood pressure by blocking the activity of the enzyme, leading to a widening of the blood vessels and a drop in blood pressure. But instead of lowering the effects of ACE, researchers ramped it up in specific cells in the immune systems of mice—including monocytes, macrophages, and microglia. Mice with the super-activated immune cells were then crossbred with mice that were genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Results showed that the offspring were protected from the effects of Alzheimer’s. In lab tests, their learning and memory skills were similar to those of normal mice. In addition, their brains showed a reduction in a protein—beta-amyloid—that has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease in humans. There was also a decrease in the number of brain plaques that occur when beta-amyloid proteins clump together. After initial tests, the researchers gave ACE inhibitors to the offspring mice. This reversed the brain benefits they experienced, implying that the enzyme was, in fact, responsible for protecting them from symptoms of Alzheimer’s. “We were absolutely astonished by the lack of Alzheimer’s-associated pathology in the crossed mice at the age of seven months and again at a 13-month follow-up,” said senior author Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in a press release. “Even more importantly, this strategy resulted in a near-complete prevention of the cognitive decline in this mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.” Learn More: What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease? » Enzyme Clears Away Brain Plaques Alzheimer’s is an age-related brain disorder that develops over a period of years. More than 90 percent of cases start after the age of 65, and symptoms include memory loss, confusion, and difficulty recognizing family and friends. Four drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but they don’t slow it’s progression, which eventually leads to a severe loss of mental function. Accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain—both in free form and as plaques—is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, although scientists still don’t know whether they directly cause the decline in mental ability. It is thought that the proteins may damage and destroy brain cells, as well as cause inflammation in the brain that further reduces mental function. Scientists also don’t know if the beta-amyloid proteins accumulate because the brain produces too much of them, or because the brain is unable to remove them quickly enough. By increasing the amount of ACE produced by immune cells that enter the brain, however, the researchers in this study were able to speed up the process by which beta-amyloid proteins are broken down and removed by the immune cells. Know the Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease » A Two-Pronged Approach To Prevention Because this research was done in mice, it will be a long time before it leads to practical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease in humans. In their paper, the researchers emphasize that, more importantly, their work proves that a two-prong approach to preventing damage done by beta-amyloid plaques in the brain can be successful. “While it is possible to envision a strategy for delivering ACE-overexpressing monocytes to patients,” the authors wrote, “perhaps the most informative finding of our studies is the effectiveness of combining an approach to enhance the immune response with that of delivering inflammatory cells to… destroy beta-amyloid.”