The UAB MS Center hosted its 5th Biennial UAB Multiple Sclerosis Symposium: Immunological, Clinical & Aging Considerations on Friday, June 28, 2019. The event aimed to enhance the understanding and knowledge of the immunological considerations involved in the treatment of MS, to examine the current, changing landscape of treatment options for best utilization of immunomodulatory treatments, and to explore the implications of aging and lifestyle considerations on disease progression.
The schedule included a welcome dinner on June 27, 2019 for the invited speakers, with the Symposium to follow as an all-day event on Friday, June 28, 2019 at the UAB Alumni Society House. Breakfast, Lunch, & Post-Event Reception was provided.
This year’s event brought together leading researchers and clinicians in the MS field focused on three thematic areas: 1) Neurorepair and Immunological Concepts, 2) Therapeutics and the Clinical Landscape, and 3) Aging with MS and Lifestyle Considerations. A strong UAB and community participation was noted with approximately 90 attendees, as well as an engaged audience participation in the discussion sections of each lecture. Additionally, multiple graduate student trainees, fellows, and postdoctoral fellows were selected for participation in the poster sessions, representing the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Program, NIH Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Department of Neurology, and School of Health Professionals.
Invited Speakers inlcuded the following:
- Jeffrey Bennett, MD, PhD, University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Melissa Brown, PhD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Gary Cutter, PhD, UAB School of Public Health
- Laurie Harrington, PhD, UAB School of Medicine
- Ethan G. Hughes, PhD, University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Benjamin Jones, MD, UAB School of Medicine
- Fred Lublin, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- William Meador, MD, UAB School of Medicine
- Robert Motl, PhD, UAB School of Health Professions
- John Rinker II, MD, UAB School of Medicine
- Brian Sandroff, PhD, UAB School of Health Professions
- Zhaoqi Yan, PhD, UAB School of Medicine
This is the 5th such Symposium to be hosted by the UAB Multiple Sclerosis Center. The next event will be held in 2021.