News

Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting
Board members Kathleen Welker and Janice Bolick spent three days in San Diego attending the SfN Annual Meeting (October, 2004). It was a great opportunity for TAN to meet with new and old friendly faces, including the SfN, AAN, ABC, NIH and especially, the former executive director of the International Essential Tremor Foundation. Kathleen communicated over the years with Judy Rosner, now science writer/editor for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, but had not experienced the pleasure of meeting Judy in person.

Kathleen and Janice attended the American Brain Coalition (ABC) meeting on Saturday afternoon. ABC is a (501)(c)(4) organization whose main goal is to reduce the burden of brain disorders. ABC is molded from the outcome of the first-ever Society for Neuroscience health advocacy workshop in New York City (July, 2003). Kathleen attended the workshop with other health advocacy leaders, who discussed and considered proposals for working together as one organization. The all day
workshop was instrumental in forming the ABC.
On Sunday Janice attended the session “How to Take Neuroscience into the Schools,” while Kathleen took part in the public advocacy forum “All Politics Are Local: Learn How You Can Make a Difference Today.” The NIH Neuroscience Blueprint was presented at the Forum. The Blueprint is the fundamental structure for advancing the collaboration of activities among fourteen NIH Institutes and Centers that endorse research on the nervous system. Both Kathleen and Janice attended the Brain Awareness Week campaign meeting. The SfN and Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives presented multiple ways to contribute to BAW.
TAN’s agenda for Monday included meeting with various Exhibitors, and viewing poster and platform presentations. TAN discovered that Vice-President Hokuto Morita was co-author of two posters. Hokuto chose the posters and platform sessions for the TAN Board members to attend that had the most promising implications for future essential tremor research. Kathleen spoke with Eleazar Vega-Saenz de Miera, presenter of the slides on the sodium channels in the olivo-cerebellar system. The primary investigator of “Potassium and Sodium Channels” is Rafael Llinas. Dr. Llinas’ research activities have contributed to the field of essential tremor; developing the Harmaline model of tremor, and the first researcher to suggest and study octanol in tremor. Kathleen and Janice found the presenters very approachable, and left the Annual Meeting with ideas and suggestions for educating neuroscientists about essential tremor.

Neurological Institute of New York…Columbia University
TAN’s First Vice President Hokuto Morita, visited Dr. Elan Louis to learn more about his research, the current state of essential tremor research, and what the most pressing needs are (September, 2004). Dr. Louis defined some of his ongoing projects, in particular the impact of environmental factors on tremor, and his brain pathology studies. He explained his exciting finds and stressed the need for patient participation in research. Dr. Louis also remarked that if more basic science researchers were to enter the field of essential tremor, the additional researchers could make an immediate impact.

The key to enticing new researchers to the field is to build interest through strong awareness and advocacy programs. TAN has taken Dr. Louis’ advice. TAN is committed to reaching out to young researchers. TAN builds awareness by attending conferences such as the Society for Neuroscience, to identify up and coming researchers.