Pediatric Neurology l UH Rainbow Babies & Childrens …

Our pediatric neurology team at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Childrens is recognized as a center of excellence. Among the best programsin the nation, we have the expertise to accurately evaluate, diagnose and treat the full range of neurological disorders children using the latest, most scientifically advanced diagnostic equipment, therapies, techniques and medications available. With a focus on family-centered care, we involve and educate patients and their families every step of the journey so together we can successfully manage or cure any neurological condition.

Because our team of neurologists have the experience and specialized expertiseacross a full range of neurological services, we help patients with any need, including:

Many of our team are also involved in regional and national clinical trials and other research projects to advance the quality of care and treatment of children with neurological conditions. In a collaborative manner, our patients have not only the neurology research resources available, but we bring together any pediatric specialties within UH Rainbow Babies & Childrens for your childs unique medical needs. Our goal is your goal to provide high quality, integrated and comprehensive care to your child.

Since 2001, the Epilepsy Center at UH Rainbow Babies & Childrens, led by specially trained pediatric epileptologists, has been recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Comprehensive Level IV Pediatric Epilepsy Center the highest designation possible.

Level IV Epilepsy Centers are experienced in the most complex forms of intensive neurodiagnostics monitoring, as well as more extensive medical, neuropsychological and psychosocial treatments. This national designation also includes complete evaluations for epilepsy surgery, including intracranial electrodes, and provides a broad range of expert surgical procedures.

In addition, our adult epilepsy program at UH Cleveland Medical Center has this unique national distinction as well, so patients who transition from our pediatric center to the adult center continue to receive the highest level of integrated and comprehensive care.

Historically, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was considered virtually untreatable. Medical care was used primarily to ensure adequate nutrition and avoid or delay respiratory failure.

At UH Rainbow Babies & Childrens advanced SMA Clinic, we are changing that prognosis. We offer Spinraza (nusinersen), a recently approved prescription drug that gives hope to those with SMA. It is a new spinal muscular atrophy treatment that is injected directly into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord and has shown great promise when used, especially in treating infants. Our dedicated neurology specialists embrace new treatment options such as Spinraza, as they strive to enhance the treatment and care of SMA patients of all ages.

For more information about any of our neurology, epilepsy or SMA programs or treatments, or if your child is displaying any developmental concerns, please contact our pediatric neurology experts. For urgent concerns, we offer same day appointments with neurology specialists through our convenient clinic locations. For an appointment, call 216-844-3691.

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Pediatric Neurology l UH Rainbow Babies & Childrens ...

Vascular Neurology | Neurology | University Hospitals …

At University Hospitals, our board-certified stroke specialists include vascular neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-critical care intensivists and interventional specialists, work together to combine their training and skill to handle the most complex neurovascular disorders.

Anyone who has experienced a suspected stroke or transient ischemic attack should call 9-1-1 to get to the emergency room for the right care, right away. Immediate care can make the difference in a successful recovery. At UH, our emergency team is trained to quickly recognize any suspected stroke symptoms, and this triggers a consult with our stroke specialists who will determine next steps.

There are a variety of symptoms that could indicate a possible stroke, including a sudden, severe, and uncharacteristic headache, slurred speech or difficulty talking or understanding, numbness or weakness, especially if it involves one side of the body, sudden trouble walking or standing or sudden blurred or lost vision involving one eye or seeing to one side.

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures or leaks causing bleeding into or around the brain. There are two main kinds of hemorrhagic stroke.

Intracerebral hemorrhage: This occurs when a fragile brain artery ruptures causing bleeding into the brain tissue. This rupture is very sudden and can be severe causing brain damage and swelling. The most common causes are:

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: results from bleeding around the brain, often causing a severe, "worst of my life" headache. Although this type of stroke only causes 5 percent of all strokes, it is the most severe. The most common causes are:

Hemorrhagic types of strokes can be very serious and sometimes life-threatening. Now with advanced imaging techniques such as CT angiography or MR angiography, many of these conditions can be identified before they cause severe bleeding and can be treated and repaired to prevent a stroke.

If you or someone you love has symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke or is found to have an AVM or an aneurysm that might cause a hemorrhagic stroke, it is important to seek treatment right away from a clinical specialist especially one that has the specialized training and experience in neurovascular specific disorders.

Using the latest imaging technology, our neurology team at University Hospitals will pinpoint your exact problem and determine the best treatment for your individual condition. Our specialists are available 24 hours a day, every day and respond within minutes to emergency situations. If surgery is necessary, our specialists will determine the best treatments available and discuss the options with you- whether traditional surgery or minimally invasive or endovascular techniques and arrange for rapid treatment to get the best outcomes.

Our post-operative unit teams are also highly-qualified to monitor patients recovering from neurovascular injuries. People who have had a stroke can be more susceptible to having another one or having a other medical problems, such as a heart attack or pneumonia. Depending on the severity of each condition, a patient may remain in our neurological intensive care unit, the neuro intermediate care unit or be seen in one of our post-operative areas. Either way, the stroke specialists can work as a team with specialists from medicine, surgery and anesthesia across University Hospitals system to help patients recover from their stroke or from surgery for improved health.

In addition to our emergency response efforts, our stroke specialists use a multidisciplinary approach to manage neurovascular conditions over time. Collaborative meetings happen every day, but every week, the team meets to discuss complex cases, review the individuals current state of health, treatment progress and next steps. By bringing multiple perspectives together with the expertise of an entire team, we provide the latest therapies and move you swiftly along the road to recovery.

The Comprehensive Stroke Center at University Hospitals Neurological Institute in Cleveland, Ohio has a legacy of innovation in advancing care protocols and overall excellence in outcomes.

Our entire neuroscience team at University Hospitals has a strong commitment to find better, faster and more effective ways to treat neurovascular conditions. With this dedication to research and discovery, our team participates in national and international clinical trials that offer the most cutting-edge and innovative treatments to our patients. These, along with other research efforts, keep us up-to-date on the newest therapies and prompt us to continuously re-envision how we address any neurological disorder.

With an experienced and skilled clinical team, collaborative treatment and sophisticated diagnostic technology, University Hospitals is equipped to handle all types and severity of neurovascular illness, especially the most complex. As a result, patients from near and far come to our facilities to receive care.

If you or someone you love is experiencing any of the symptoms associated with neurovascular disorders, our stroke specialist team can help. For more information, contact one of our team members at convenient locations across our system of care.

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Vascular Neurology | Neurology | University Hospitals ...

Neurology (Neuroscience) Florida Hospital

From Parkinsons disease, strokes and brain tumors to degenerative disc disease and sleep disorders, Florida Hospitaloffers patients a broad range of expert neurological care at treatment hubs across the state: The Florida Hospital Neuroscience Institutein Orlando and Tampa, andThe Brain & Spine Surgery Associates of Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Volusia. Whether treatment stems from injury or illness, our specialized physicians utilize todays most effective diagnostic measures to determine the best course of care.

At Florida Hospital Neuroscience Institute, neurological care involves an interdisciplinary team approach to diagnosis and treatment, supported by todays leading diagnostic, medical and surgical techniques.Being at the forefront of neurological medicine means we are committed to excellence in education, treatment, research, and care of all patients with neurological disorders and injuriesfrom newborns to adults. Our physicians specialize in a variety of areas including:

Our programs are led by skilled physicians and highly trained healthcare professionals working together to determine the best path of care for each patient.Request an appointmenttoday with a neuroscience specialist at Florida Hospital.

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Neurology (Neuroscience) Florida Hospital

Neurology – Excela Health

Our experienced audiologists have the ability to provide a full range of audiometric testing for adults and children. Visit our page to learn more!

Do you have questions about pregnancy, labor and delivery? Baby Talk with MyExcelaDoc has been created to help answer those questions!

It all begins at the Excela Health Family Additions Maternity Center inside Excela Westmoreland Hospital where experienced nurses and on-site pediatricians work side by side with doctors to deliver right here in Westmoreland County.Take the baby tour today!

Our Excela Health QuikDraw and QuikDraw PLUS locations throughout the region make diagnostic testing simple. Find out more and find a location near you!

We perform more than 275,000 outpatient Bone Density screenings per year. Find a location near you to schedule your next appointment.

We are the leading Heart and Vascular Center in Westmoreland County. Learn more about our dedication and contributions to cardiovascular health!

Heart services at Excela Health have been recognized by national, regional and local groups. Visit our page to learn more about our latest recognition!

Our cardiothoracic surgeons have the reputation for excellence in patient care and quality outcomes right here in Westmoreland

The care Excela Health offers you throughout your life and your children, addresses your individual needs, through pregnancy and the miracle of birth and beyond.

Robotic surgery at Excela Health can perform relatively complex operations with greater precision, better range of motion and increased visibility.

To promote community health and wellness, Excela Health provides a variety of community-based health screenings and wellness events like Wellness Check blood screenings, blood pressure, stroke, vision and bone density screenings.

Excela Health's Concussion Clinic has a double-sided objective of providing education to prevent concussion and using the latest techniques to treat and evaluate recovery.

The Westmoreland County Crisis Hotline operates 365 days a year and is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, responding to depression, suicide, and other issues.

Our emergency medicine physicians and nurses who are dedicated to the care of patients with broken arms and broken hearts to stroke or sudden pain and more.

We perform more than 275,000 outpatient x-ray procedures a year through our of state-of-the-art technologies and attention to patient care from our highly skilled staff.

Because multiple images are taken within seconds, a 3D image is produced and allows the radiologist to see more detail inside the breast in a way not possible until now.

The digestive system is the power plant that keeps the body going day by day. Call us today to learn more!

Welcome to MedCare Equipment Company, a premier provider of home medical equipment (HME), supplies and respiratory care products. Call us today to learn more!

When a medical emergency happens, its good to know that help is close by. Excela Health's cutting edge emergency department is the best in the region!

Managing your diabetes usually isnt difficult, but it is very personal. Becoming an active participant in your care is what we do at Excela Health!

Flu like symptoms can be nerve-wracking. Call us today to set up an appointment to get your flu like symptoms evaluated. We are dedicated to your well-being.

While no one wants to have surgery, its good to know that top surgeons with specialized training and the best technology are right in your own backyard. Excela offers a range of surgical specialties and various options.

Heart services at Excela Health have been recognized by national, regional and local groups. Learn more about our most recent recognition.

Urgent orthopedic care for fractures and injuries are treated by surgeons specializing in reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, hand surgery and foot and ankle surgery.

Welcome to MedCare Equipment Company, a premier provider of home medical equipment (HME), supplies and respiratory care products. As an innovative leader in HME, we can help those with a temporary need or chronic issues meet the demands of daily living in a variety of settings.

A hospitalist is a doctor who specializes in caring for hospitalized patients only. Excela Health hospitalists are board certified physicians with expertise in hospital-based medicine. Our hospitalists direct your care during your hospital stay and provide information related to your hospitalization to your primary care physician.

Whether its a routine blood test or a specialized x-ray procedure, our QuikDraw and QuikDraw PLUS locations throughout the region make diagnostic testing simple.

The intensive care unit has the most dedicated and experienced staff in the region. Visit our site to learn more about how we provide excellence in healthcare!

Joint Replacement At Excela Health can be one of the best decisions you make. Visit our site to learn more about our joint replacement care team!

At Excela Health, an exceptional patient experience is our top priority. Thats why we have a joint replacement education program called Joint Works,

If you need a knee replacement, you will be taken care of at Excela Health with the most talented and experienced fellowship-trained surgeons in the region!

Excela Health laboratories are committed to providing high quality, cost effective laboratory services for Westmoreland County and beyond. Call us today!

Lifeline Emergency Response is the key to ensuring great help is close by. Dedicated emergency physicians are dedicated to the care of many different patients!

Mammography in Westmoreland County is one of the services we do best at Excela Health. Visit our site to learn more about how we can provide excellence in healthcare.

Welcome to MedCare Equipment Company, a premier provider of home medical equipment (HME), supplies and respiratory care products. Call us today to learn more!

Mental Health Services in Westmoreland County are provided by Excela Health. Learn more about how we provide excellence in healthcare with Mental health!

.MRI services in Westmoreland County are provided by Excela Health. Learn more about our MRI services today and visit our site!

Annually, more than 1,600 babies are delivered at the Family Additions Maternity Center and through it all, we offer individual sensitivity and care as well as professionalism and expertise.

Excela Healths Family Additions Maternity Center at our Westmoreland Hospital campus delivers award-winning quality care in family-friendly surroundings. To do that takes more than just a high level of attentive care. It also requires well-trained people, from physician specialists and physicians assistants to nurse practitioners, obstetrical nurses and other health care professionals.

Occupational therapy moves the patient toward greater independence. We teach the safest ways to perform daily activities, such as getting dressed, doing laundry, cooking and cleaning.

While no one wants to have surgery, its good to know that top surgeons with specialized training and the best technology are right in your own backyard. Excela offers a range of surgical specialties and various options.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from pain, you know that it can take a toll on your life - both physically and emotionally. But, you do not have to accepth chronic pain as a normal part of life in all cases.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from pain, you know that it can take a toll on your life - both physically and emotionally. But, you do not have to accepth chronic pain as a normal part of life in all cases.

If you and your doctor feel you need rehabilitation, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy after an operation or an injury, the quality of care you receive is vitally important. Excela Health Outpatient Rehabilitation delivers just that, of course. But convenience and accessibility make a big difference, too.

Getting you healthy and getting you home, equipped with the skills you need to deal with your daily life safely and efficiently: thats what we aim for at EPIC Rehab, the Excela Physical Improvement Center.

Of all the relationships we develop in life, one of the most important is that between the patient and the physician. Our primary care providers follow the Patient-Centered Medical Home model. This means that they value care coordination and communication the way you, as the patient, would. Your well-being is at the center of all they do. They will direct your care toward specialists or other services, if needed, and help you manage your overall health and wellness.

Heart services at Excela Health have been recognized by national, regional and local groups and include: Consumer Reports Ranks Excelas cardiothoracic surgical program among the nation's best with the Excela Health physician practice of Cardio-Thoracic Surgical Associates ranking among the Top 10 Percent nationally, receiving the highest rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center Plus for Cardiac Care ACE - Accreditation for

At our QuikDraw and QuikDraw PLUS sites, we make diagnostic testing simple. Just bring your doctor's order to any of our locations listed below for prompt and reliable test results. No appointment necessary for blood work, x-ray or EKG, however, all other tests require scheduling

Interventional Radiology allows radiologists to specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments using image guidance that, in particular instances, replaces the need for open surgery. Benefits to patients include: Less pain, shorter recovery and no large incisions.

If you and your doctor feel you need rehabilitation, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy after an operation or an injury, the quality of care you receive is vitally important. Excela Health Outpatient Rehabilitation delivers just that, of course. But convenience and accessibility make a big difference, too.

Because multiple images are taken within seconds, a 3D image is produced and allows the radiologist to see more detail inside the breast in a way not possible until now.

Urgent orthopedic care for fractures and injuries are treated by fellowship-trained surgeons specializing in adult reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, hand surgery and foot and ankle surgery. Urgent appointments are available today with convenient locations throughout Westmoreland County.

While no one wants to have surgery, its good to know that top surgeons with specialized training and the best technology are right in your own backyard. Excela offers a range of surgical specialties and various options.

Whats keeping you or those you love up at night? Could be a sleep disorder. Some sleep problems can lead to serious health issues such as heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, fatigue-related motor vehicle accidents, and decreased quality of life.

Speakers are available FREE of charge based on speaker availability for businesses, community groups and churches on a number of health-related topics.

Speech therapy covers a broad range of patient needs: not only improving speech, but also swallowing. A speech therapist can help with reading and writing skills, and with attention to needs such as attention span, memory and judgment.

Urgent orthopedic care for fractures and injuries are treated by fellowship-trained surgeons specializing in adult reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, hand surgery and foot and ankle surgery. Urgent appointments are available today with convenient locations throughout Westmoreland County.

At Excela Health, we perform more than 275,000 outpatient x-ray procedures a year through a combination of state-of-the-art technologies and attention to patient care and comfort from our highly skilled, professional staff. We pride ourselves on efficiency, so that patient diagnoses can occur more quickly while attending to the medical needs and dignity of our patients, all serving as a foundation for patient-centered imaging services.

Through our dedicated electrophysiology lab, those with heart rhythm disturbances can get top quality care from highly trained specialists while remaining close to home.

If a problem arises from the veins and arteries rather than the heart, vascular surgeons from the Excela Health Heart and Vascular Center work to get you back in circulation.

At Excela Health, we perform more than 275,000 outpatient x-ray procedures a year through a combination of state-of-the-art technologies and attention to patient care and comfort from our highly skilled, professional staff. We pride ourselves on efficiency, so that patient diagnoses can occur more quickly while attending to the medical needs and dignity of our patients, all serving as a foundation for patient-centered imaging services.

When you volunteer at Excela Health, you become part of a unique group of individuals motivated by various reasons but together, working toward one goal improving the health and well-being of every life touched. And the opportunities to volunteer are as varied as the people seeking to help.

Excela Healths medical professionals understand the many complex reasons that can cause a weight problem. And we put together the latest surgical techniques with a focus on individual support, before and after surgery, to make your steps to a healthier life clearer, simpler and easier.

Excela Health offers a wide variety of health-related screenings, educational classes, support groups, a Speaker's Bureau and health fairs to make health care more accessible to the communities it serves. Through these venues, and others, you have the opportunity to pursue a course of wellness, find needed support, learn about Excela Health capabilities and how we can help, or discover unknown health conditions early on, so treatment can begin quickly while offering the best possible chance for

At Excela Health, we perform more than 275,000 outpatient x-ray procedures a year through a combination of state-of-the-art technologies and attention to patient care and comfort from our highly skilled, professional staff. We pride ourselves on efficiency, so that patient diagnoses can occur more quickly while attending to the medical needs and dignity of our patients, all serving as a foundation for patient-centered imaging services.

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Neurology - Excela Health

Bendigo neurology patients forced to drive hours for specialist care – Bendigo Advertiser

Motor neurone disease sufferers in Bendigo forced to drive hours for 20-minute medical appointments.

Carolyn Hutchison has to travel hours to Melbourne for routine neurology appointments as short as 20-minutes. Pictures: DARREN HOWE

A California Gully woman with motor neurone disease says a dearth of specialistneurologists in Bendigois forcing patients with complex conditionsinto lengthy round trips for routine appointments.

Carolyn Hutchison says she and other MND sufferers have to drive to Melbourne for appointments as short as 20 minutes becausethe one part-time neurologist in Bendigo does not specialise in the condition.

Theres a few other people here in Bendigo with MND who also travel down and see the same neurologist, she says.

They try and do a lot of appointments while were down there so its a whole day out travelling and when youre already tired,having to get up at 7.30 in the morning for an appointment at 10.30 is just crazy and you dont get home until after dinner.

Ms Hutchison saysher Melbourne neurologistcansometimesspeak to her via video link, but there are times when she has no choice but to make the trip, even though her condition means she is unable to drive and has to rely on family to get her there.

Carolyn Hutchison is one of at least five MND sufferers in Bendigo who are unable to access the specialist neurology they need outside Melbourne.

Ms Hutchinsons 18-year-oldson, Zamien, also travels to Melbourne for neurology appointments after suffering a stroke as a childresulting from complications from cancer, and she sayseven having a part time Bendigo-based doctor would make a big difference for both of them.

Hes also linked up with [the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre]but Peter Mac actually come up to Bendigo every six months, so we can have our Peter Mac appointments here but we cant see the neurosurgeon, she says.

Weve got this beautiful big new hospital and we just donthave the staff, it just seems a shame, it really does.

Ms Hutchison saysshe is aware of at least four other patientsin the regionwho all have to drive to Melbourne to see the same neurologist.

We have an MND meet-up every month and theres a gentleman that comes from Castlemaine, theres myself, theres [another man] and a lady who comes from Rochester as well and were hoping to get a new member soon, she says.

So theres at least five of us that are within this area that could benefit from a neurologist if he visited Bendigo.

A Bendigo Health spokeswoman said whilethehospital did not have a neurologist on staff, it hada number of physicians with extensive neurology expertise.

As part of the development of our next strategic plan, Bendigo Health is currently undertaking extensive planning regarding our service delivery profile for the future to ensure we continue to play our role in the state-wide service delivery framework, she said.

St John of God Hospital Bendigo was contacted for comment.

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Bendigo neurology patients forced to drive hours for specialist care - Bendigo Advertiser

Mendelsohn & Maltese Neurology Consultants

Office Hours

Monday: 10:00 - 6:30 pm

Tuesday: 9:00 - 4:30 pm

Wednesday: 9:00 - 4:00 pm

Thursday: 9:00 - 5:00 pm

Friday: 9:00 - 1:00 pm

Saturday: closed

Sunday: closed

We are closed daily for lunch from 12:15 - 1:15 pm.

Dr. Todd J. Maltese

Dr. Laura M. Davids

650 Hawkins Avenue, Suite 7

Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

Phone: (631) 737-0055

Fax: (631) 737-0076

In June 2016, we modernized our practice with a completely electronic medical records system. To access your electronic health records, please visit our Patient Portal by clicking HERE.

We would like to welcome Dr. Laura Davids, M.D., to our practice. She joined us in September 2016 after completing her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She looks forward to continuing our office's tradition of quality, patient-focused care.

We manage a wide variety of neurologic ailments, with the treatment plan tailored towards each patient's needs.

To learn more about each of our providers, please click HERE.

We accept most major insurance plans. Click HERE for a list of the insurances that we accept.

Most new patients can be seen within 1-2 weeks. Please call today to check our availability.

Please call 631-737-0055 during our regular business hours to schedule an appointment.

Mendelsohn & Maltese Neurology Consultants

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Mendelsohn & Maltese Neurology Consultants

South Shore Neurologic Associates, PC

*Please be advised*The only way to contact your provider is through our phone systemsIn order to reduce wait times, we have instated voicemail boxes for each providerYou can find the extensions here(If you are experiencing a medical emergency seek immediate attention)

South Shore Neurologic Associates, PC is a comprehensive Neurologic care facility which is dedicated to alleviating the symptoms of neurological illness, neurological injury and chronic pain through excellence in patient care, advocacy, service, education and research. We have been providing neurologic care for people living in Suffolk County, Long Island since 1980. We have expanded our practice over the years to set standards in neurologic care on Long Island; through research and innovative treatments while providing comprehensive and personal patient care at our offices in Islip, Patchogue, and Riverhead as well as affiliated hospitals.

We are currently affiliated with Southside Hospital in Bayshore, Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in Patchogue, and Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.

Our seventeen Neurologists are supported by a professional staff with specializations in Neuroradiology, Infusion Nursing, Clinical Research, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Pain Management, and Acupuncture.

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South Shore Neurologic Associates, PC

Evotec in neurology iPSC drug discovery collaboration with stem-cell specialist Censo – FierceBiotech

Evotec has reached a collaboration with Censo Biotechnologies, using the latters patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to expand its platform for drug discovery.

Scientists get iPSCs by reprograming human adult somatic cells to make them resemble embryonic stem cells, which can become any cell type of the body. For this alliance, Censo will use its donors sourcing and cell reprograming technologies to create a bespoke library of hundreds of patient-derived iPS cell lines, and Evotec will use them for target validation, drug screening, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics analyses.

These stem cell-like cells created from people suffering from a disease allow researchers to replicate or mimic the disease ex vivo under lab conditions. This approach is particularly helpful for understanding of the mechanism of diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers. The current contract between Evotec and Censo, with an initial two-year term, will first focus on central nervous system diseases, an area that both companies excel in.

RELATED:Axiogenesis in stem cell collab with ion channel expert Metrion

The Hamburg, Germany-based Evotec has been involved in neurological research for over two decades, having taken part in the discovery process of about a dozen preclinical candidates. The CROs expertise spans some key target classes such as enzymes, GPCRs and ion channels, and in therapeutic areas of neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation, among others.

Censo is the product of a 2016 merger between Roslin Cellab and Roslin Cell Sciencestwo spinouts from the Roslin Institute both focused on using stem cells for drug discovery. Operating from its Edinburgh and Cambridge facilities in the U.K., Censo can generate iPSCs from large cohorts of samples for drug researches, and usually partner with other companies for assay development.

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Evotec in neurology iPSC drug discovery collaboration with stem-cell specialist Censo - FierceBiotech

Wednesday, July 5, 2017 – LWW Journals (blog)

In the August/September 2017 issue ofNeurology Now, we feature letters in response to various stories in the June/July 2017 issue. Here, we include other letters we didn't have room to print. Our story on Peg Van Horn, an 87-year-old who has had spasmodic dysphonia for more than 20 years, was particularly resonant.

Many Voices

Thank you for publishing an article about Peg Van Horn in Pictures of You ("Talking Points," June/July 2017, bit.ly/NN-TalkingPoints).Ialso have spasmodic dysphonia and have been involved with the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association (NSDA) community since 1989.Our community has thousands of members who live vibrantly like Peg Van Horn.We in the NSDA are always happy when word gets out about this rare neurologic voice disorder.We want everyone with spasmodic dysphonia to know that there is help and hope. You are not alone.

Mary Bifaro

Charlotte, NC

I enjoyed reading the latest issue of Neurology Now and especially the Pictures of You interview with Peg Van Horn. I was diagnosed with adductor spasmodic dysphonia more than 16 years ago and Peg's description of and experience with this rare voice condition is very much what I have experienced. Thank you for shining a light on this condition, and my sincere appreciation to Peg Van Horn for sharing her insights, frustrations, and delightful way of encouraging all living with this disorder. The NSDA is an invaluable organization and resource for patients and their families living with this rare voice disorder.

Charlie Reavis

President

National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association

Alpharetta, GA

I was delighted to read the article about Peg van Horn and her spasmodic dysphonia (SD) in the recent edition of Neurology Now. Thank you for such an excellent and informative article, and for helping spread awareness about SD both in the neurologic community and to the wider public.The article is well written, and shows the positive attitude Peg has after living with the disorder for more than 20 years. Your article ticks all the boxes in terms of reaching and educating the right audience.Thank you for writing about Peg Van Horn and putting a human face to our voice disorder. David Barton Past President NSDA

Auckland, NZ

Thoughts on Diet

I just finished reading the current issue and was particularly interested in comments about the Feingold diet ("Brain Food," June/July 2016, bit.ly/NN-BrainFood).Reading about the diet more than 40 years ago made a major difference in our family's life.

Our youngest son taught himself how to read before he was 4 years old. Sometimes he was a pleasant child, sometimes he was extremely fidgety, unable to sit still long enough to practice the piano. Or, if we were in the car, he would constantly poke and jab the person next to him.One night he was unable to sleep and chewed the drywall off the bottom ledge of the window in his bedroom, swung on a small closet door, tearing it off the hinges, and was in and out of his toy box.I had to sit in a rocking chair with him and rock him until he calmed down enough to sleep. There were times when he was totally uncooperative and would throw temper tantrums. Then I heard about Feingold's diet, and discovered through trial and error that he could not tolerate sugar, but honey was fine.He couldn't eat chocolate, but carob was okay.Anything with red or yellow food coloring affected him.He could eat a slice of tomato, but could not tolerate tomato sauce.I ended up changing our family's diet by editing all my recipes and buying groceries to accommodate his needs. When my son left home to attend university, I stopped monitoring his diet.I felt dietary choices were now his to make.I may not have followed the diet to the letter, but Feingold's book helped me start to help my son be the wonderful person he is. Marvel Riley Livingston, TX 77399

Fasting and prayer as treatment for pediatric epilepsy was described inMark 9:29, probably 2000 years ago. As for the Feingold Diet, if artificial foodcolorings don't cross the blood brain barrier, they are unlikely to change behavior.

C B Brill, MD

Philadelphia, PA

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Wednesday, July 5, 2017 - LWW Journals (blog)

Measuring iron in the brain can point to dementia – Medical News Today

Researchers have discovered a way of detecting the progression of dementia in people with Parkinsons disease by measuring iron deposits in their brains.

A team of researchers has discovered that it is possible to measure the progression of dementia in people with Parkinsons disease by tracking iron deposits in their brains.

Their findings appeared in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Scanning for dementia progression in Parkinsons usually focuses on the loss of sections of the brain. However, brain imaging can typically only detect these changes late in the diseases progression.

As a consequence, doctors typically assess dementia progression by tracking symptoms.

The new research suggests that scanning techniques might be able to detect dementia far earlier and more accurately.

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the characteristics of dementia include a loss of the ability to think, reason, or remember. Other signs include changes in a persons behavior that affect their everyday life.

Various diseases can cause dementia, and a person can sometimes have mixed dementias at the same time.

There is a strong association between Parkinsons disease and dementia. Up to 50% of people with Parkinsons are also affected by dementia.

People with Parkinsons may experience stiffness in their joints, shaking or tremors, and difficulty walking.

It develops when a persons brain cells die, although it is not yet clear why this happens. At its extreme, Parkinsons can damage large volumes of a persons brain. It is at this stage that scans can detect it.

It is the loss of this brain volume that often causes the symptoms of dementia.

According to the NIA, people with Parkinsons often have a buildup of protein in their brains, something also seen in people with Alzheimers disease.

The authors of the study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry note that the presence of iron in a persons brain a natural part of the aging process has been linked to the increased presence of protein.

According to the lead author of the study Dr. Rimona Weil from University College London (UCL), Queen Square Institute of Neurology in the United Kingdom, Iron in the brain is of growing interest to people researching neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinsons and dementias.

As you get older, iron accumulates in the brain, but its also linked to the buildup of harmful brain proteins, so were starting to find evidence that it could be useful in monitoring disease progression, and potentially even in diagnostics.

Rather than measuring Parkinsons by scanning for the loss of brain volume, the researchers instead used a new technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping, which uses magnetic resonance imaging.

The team selected 97 people with Parkinsons disease who had received a diagnosis of the disease within the previous 10 years, as well as a control group of 37 age-equivalent people who did not have the disease.

The researchers tested both groups for their thinking and memory skills, and also for their motor functions that affect balance and movement.

The researchers then used the new scanning technique to measure the presence of iron in each persons brain. They compared the quantity of iron with their scores for thinking, memory, and motor function.

They found that people who had higher amounts of iron in their brains performed worse in their thinking, memory, and motor functions, depending on the location of the iron buildup.

For example, people with more iron in the hippocampus and thalamus regions of their brain, which affect thinking and memory, performed worse in these areas.

The findings are significant as they give researchers a new way of identifying the development of dementia far earlier and with more accuracy than current techniques.

This would be invaluable for researchers conducting clinical studies on the development of Parkinsons and dementia, but could also be potentially valuable for the early diagnosis of dementia.

According to the first author of the study George Thomas, Its really promising to see measures like this, which can potentially track the varying progression of Parkinsons disease, as it could help clinicians devise better treatment plans for people based on how their condition manifests.

The co-author of the study, Dr. Julio Acosta-Cabronero from Tenoke Ltd. and the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, also comments on the findings:

We were surprised at how well the iron levels measured in different regions of the brain with MRI were correlated with cognitive and motor skills.

We hope that brain iron measurement could be useful for a wide range of conditions, such as to gauge dementia severity or to see which brain regions are affected by other movement, neuromuscular, and neuroinflammatory disorders, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and drug abuse.

Dr. Julio Acosta-Cabronero

The team plans to continue tracking the development of dementia in their study participants to gain further information on how the diseases development relates to iron levels in the brain.

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Measuring iron in the brain can point to dementia - Medical News Today

Poster session unites Duke Neurology’s clinical and basic research wings – Duke Department of Neurology

The Duke Neurology Departments clinical, translational, and basic science wings came together last Thursday to discuss their work and collaborate at the Division of Translational Brain Sciences and Neurology Residents first joint poster session.

Research faculty, postdoctoral associates, clinical neurology residents, and other members of the Department presented more than 30 ongoing research projects from a variety of disciplines and perspectives.

Chief Resident Abhi Kapuria, MD, gave a short presentation on a pilot project using augmented reality to improve epilepsy surgery; Assistant Professor Simon Davis, PhD, discussed his ongoing research using transcranial magnetic stimulation to analyze how networks within the brain change over the lifespan.

Other projects examined repurposing a medication developed for HIV for use in dystonia, how mutations in the SNCA gene affect nuclear function in Parkinsons disease, and enhancing neural progenitor cell migration after stroke.

The poster session was the first step towards building a strong collaborative community among the research faculty in our new division of Translational Brain Sciences and the clinical side of the Department, said Ornit Chiba-Falek, PhD, Chief of the Departments new Division of Translational Brain Sciences. By working together, our basic and translational scientists, and our clinicians will bring greater success to our Department, with the whole much greater than the sum of its parts.

Chiba-Falek hopes to build on the success of this event by making the session an ongoing biannual event. The next session is scheduled for this October.

The full list of the posters at the session is as follows:

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Poster session unites Duke Neurology's clinical and basic research wings - Duke Department of Neurology

Adapting to COVID-19: Protocols Implemented by Neurology Departments in New York Hospitals – Neurology Advisor

With New York State now having the most number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on a global scale, physicians within the Department of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital published in Neurology a manuscript highlighting protocols implemented at their respective departments, and guidance for other institutions to consider, when preparing for the influx of patients with COVID-19.

The manuscript authors noted changes for routine meetings with key staff and leadership regarding inpatient and outpatient clinical care activities, human resource issues and public health guidelines helped to ease concerns. Mental health support, through the use of free private counseling services and hospital-wide tele-mental health support, was also a critical part of their efforts.

Training led by nursing leaders were provided for proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), nasopharyngeal sampling technique, and protocols for screening patients for possible COVID-19 symptoms. A daily checklist was completed by nurses for all patients with possible symptoms and a daily nurse huddle occurs to share information on COVID-19 and to discuss possible and positive cases on the unit. A COVID-19 related binder was created to compile documents such as clinical guidelines, hospital protocols and policies.

Authors also noted that schedules were developed to scale down inpatient services to necessary staff including resident trainees. Further, all teams practiced social distancing and teaching occurred in workrooms, instead of at the bedside, to limit the number of team members entering patient rooms. The departments also cancelled all elective admissions for non-urgent purposes and closed their epilepsy monitoring units to patients and instead resorted to curbside consultations.

In-person visits to the resident clinic were converted to telemedicine visits. Any urgent admissions were screened for possible COVID-19 symptoms and rescreening for symptoms was conducted when a patient arrived from a different facility or was directly admitted to the inpatient unit. Patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 were centralized to designated hospitals and specialized teams for treatment.

The authors indicated that their respective neurocritical care units (NICUs) have been coordinating with the intensive care (ICU) to manage the significant number of patients with COVID-19 requiring transfer into the NICU. Faculty within the NICU provided routine education and preparation to staff and trainees regarding acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) management, guidelines for non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, and high flow nasal cannula oxygen for suspected or confirmed patients with COVID-19.

Ambulatory staff members were also trained to screen patients, and those accompanying patients, for symptoms indicative of COVID-19 during tele-neurology visits. Moreover, to further support efforts to practice remotely, laptops and technical support was provided by departments for outpatient practitioners. Lastly, all medical student clerkships were suspended and all non-critical clinical and basic research was slowed. Departments set up a 96-hour ramp down policy to complete ongoing critical experiments, stopped noncritical experiments and all new experiments, and a virtual curriculum was created for medical students on rotation.

The importance of coordinated, multi-disciplinary efforts to prepare neurology departments for the COVID-19 outbreak is essential, manuscript authors noted. They add that We have worked cohesively within the department, the hospital, and university to implement strategies to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission and perform the best of care for our patients. The authors emphasized that this pandemic should be taken seriously and that despite challenges ahead, further necessary adjustments will continue to be of importance for neurology departments everywhere.

Reference

Waldman G, Mayeux R, Claassen J, et al. Preparing a neurology department for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): Early experiences at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City [published online April 6, 2020]. Neurology. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000009519

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Adapting to COVID-19: Protocols Implemented by Neurology Departments in New York Hospitals - Neurology Advisor

VA-sponsored study says research on long-term dangers of antimalarials is inconclusive – WUSA9.com

WASHINGTON Veterans hoping a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine would vindicate their claims of serious long-term side effects caused by antimalarial drugs were disappointed Tuesday when it failed to draw any concrete links instead only finding that further research was warranted.

The report was the result of a more than year-long process undertaken by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) and sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal was to look into possible long-term neurological and psychiatric effects of antimalarial drugs particularly of mefloquine (brand name Lariam), which has been linked to insomnia, depression, anxiety, severe nightmares and suicidal and homicidal ideation.

FULL REPORT | Assessment of Long-Term Health Effects of Antimalarial Drugs When Used for Prophylaxis

WUSA9 has reported for years on the stories of U.S. servicemen and women, and members of the Peace Corps, who were prescribed mefloquine while deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and subsequently reported long-term, sometimes permanent, neurological and psychological damage as a result.

RELATED: Army SSGT who pleaded guilty to murdering 16 in Afghanistan wants new civilian trial, says 'mefloquine psychosis' was ignored

RELATED: Navy SEAL sues Roche, claims anti-malaria drug caused permanent paranoia, nightmares

RELATED: After the Peace Corps: a volunteer's harrowing story after using an anti-malaria drug

The FDA ordered mefloquine labeled with a black box warning in 2013, noting that neurological side effects can occur at any time during use, and can last for months to years after the drug is stopped. The military reclassified mefloquine as a drug-of-last-resort following the FDAs black box decision, and its former U.S. manufacturer, Roche, no longer produces it in the United States.

Veterans and advocacy organizations have pushed for the Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize the service-related disabilities they say antimalarials like mefloquine have caused.

But the committee, which was made up of professionals from the fields of epidemiology, psychiatry, neuroscience and other health disciplines, did not come to that conclusion instead finding that the 21 existing studies looking at long-term adverse effects of antimalarial drugs were, taken together, inconclusive.

The committee recognized that adverse events while taking some antimalarial drugs are quite common, but the pressing, well-justified question of whether health problems continue after use has simply not generated the rigorous research needed to answer it, said committee chair Dr. David Savitz, professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health in a statement Tuesday. The absence of evidence on long-term health effects of these drugs does not mean the link doesnt exist, only that there is a critical need for well-designed studies to answer important safety questions.

The committee did find there was empirical basis for additional research into possible long-term adverse events caused by four common antimalarials:

The only case where the committee felt there was sufficient evidence to come to a positive conclusion was the link between tafenoquine and vortex keratopathy a harmless condition involving microscopic sediment buildup in the cornea.

Dr. Remington Nevin, a former Army epidemiologist and physician who testified before the committee last January, said the report appeared to have been hamstrung by the Department of Veterans Affairs decision to restrict the committee from conducting its own review of veterans medical records.

"Veterans disabled by the militarys reckless misuse of mefloquine should be deeply disappointed that the VA tied the hands of committee members by preventing them from reviewing their medical records, Nevin said. Expert drug regulators in the U.S., Canada, and the European Union have already concluded on the basis of a careful review of such records that mefloquine does cause permanent neuropsychiatric disability. The committee's rushed and error-filled report represents a tragic missed opportunity to begin to recognize the human suffering caused by this drug. Veterans deserve better.

A spokeswoman for the National Academies said reviewing individual cases was beyond the statement of task the VA set for the committee. She also noted that the committee didn't dispute the body of evidence regarding side effects while actively taking antimalarials:

"There is robust evidence about concurrentside effects of mefloquine. However, not enough studies were designed to specifically determine whether the drugs cause long-termside effects that occur while the drug was in use and persist after cessation; or occur months or years after the drug was stopped. Veterans certainly deserve answers, and even though conducting high-quality research to answer this question is challenging, that should not prevent it from being done."

Committee Chair Dr. David Savitz also released an expanded statement to WUSA9:

Although several other individuals and research groups have reviewed subsets of the literature on mefloquine and its association with adverse health outcomes, they used different frameworks, inclusion criteria, or methods to judge association or causality, and therefore their conclusions may differ from those of this committee. This committee was charged with examining persistent or latent adverse events specifically, not adverse events that occur during use of a drug or immediately after its use has ended. The published literature is very limited in both the number and the quality of studies that examined adverse events 28 days or longer after the use of an antimalarial drug (e.g., mefloquine) ended. Studying the persistent or latent effects of exposures is challenging and there is not one definitive study that can be done to put the issue to rest. But it is possible to design and conduct studies that would contribute to the evidence base on whether there are persistent or latent health outcomes associated with use of an antimalarial drug. Such studies should include explicit documentation of the antimalarial dosage used; timing of both antimalarial drug use and symptom or event occurrence; sufficient sample sizes; extended follow-up of users that includes assessments at multiple time points; and validated documentation of potential confounders and health outcomes, including a careful collection of neurologic and psychiatric outcomes using validated instruments.

RELATED: How a drug prescribed by the Peace Corps shattered a family

RELATED: The Peace Corps and anti-malaria drugs: What you need to know

RELATED: Retired Army General calls on VA leaders to take responsibility for anti-malaria drug side effects

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Jordan Fischer is an investigative reporter with WUSA9. Follow him on Twitter at @JordanOnRecord.

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Scientists Connect Brain Cells to Machines Over the… – Labiotech.eu

An international group of researchers has set up a brain-machine interface between cultured nerve cells and electronic chips linked over the internet, which could lead to the development of AI implants for treating neurological disorders.

As described in a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, the team set up a system where cultured rat nerve cells in Italy could send real-time electrical signals to artificial neurons circuits that behave like nerve cells in Switzerland. The online signals were passed via electronic synapses or memristors in the UK. The signals could also go the other way, sending communications from the artificial nerve cells to the biological nerve cells.

Technology linking the nervous system with machines, called neural interfacing, is an established field, including technology such as cochlear implants treating hearing loss. In the last few decades, however, scientists have made technological advances that let machines use artificial neural networks and integrate better with real brains. This could lead to implantable AI computing chips that treat complex neurological problems like Parkinsons disease.

One key challenge to developing brain-machine interfaces is that lots of time, effort and money are needed to get experts and specialist equipment in one place to link up. This is what the researchers, based in the UK, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland, wanted to combat by connecting nerve cells with machines via the internet.

The virtual lab connecting Southampton, UK; Zurich, Switzerland; and Padova, Italy.

To achieve the same outcome, scientists would have to be co-located, spending significant time in a place and resources for physically linking the capabilities, said Themis Prodromakis, Professor of Nanotechnology at the University of Southampton, and lead author of the study.

There are several academic groups and companies also developing brain-machine interfaces, such as the US firm Blackrock Microsystems and the Dublin-based Medtronic. However, Prodromakis told me that this is the first time anyone has combined biological nerve cells, artificial nerve cells, and memristors into one system across the internet.

It sets the basis for a novel scenario that was never encountered during natural evolution, where biological and artificial neurons are linked together and communicate across global networks; laying the foundations for the internet of neuro-electronics, Prodromakis stated.

This study could pave the way for advances in neurological treatments. For example, it could lead to implanted AI chips that can help patients to control blood pressure, or prevent bladder problems caused by neurological conditions.

In another potential application, AI implants could treat the symptoms of Parkinsons disease patients. Unlike deep brain stimulation a neurostimulation technique currently used for some patients with Parkinsons disease this tech could learn and replace the function of damaged brain tissue.

Image from Shutterstock and the University of Southampton

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Scientists Connect Brain Cells to Machines Over the... - Labiotech.eu

Australian of the Year James Muecke forced to give up surgery due to neurological condition – ABC News

Posted January 27, 2020 15:24:40

The 2020 Australian of the Year, ophthalmologist James Muecke, plans to use his new title to increase awareness about the debilitating consequences of diabetes, but behind the scenes he has had to face his own health challenge.

The Adelaide eye doctor has spent about three decades working to prevent and treat blindness in some of the world's poorest countries.

"We're now seeing fantastic results. Children are surviving and they're actually keeping vision, which is immensely satisfying," Dr Muecke told 7.30.

"I loved the idea of doing very fine work with my hands and so microsurgery was always something that appealed to me as a doctor, and that then drove me down a pathway of ophthalmology.

"I loved the idea of surgery on the eye, such a delicate structure."

In a cruel twist, Dr Muecke has revealed he has been forced to stop doing the surgery he loves because of an inherited medical condition.

"Unfortunately I have a neurological disability which I've inherited from my father, which is impacting on my ability to use my right hand," he said.

"Fortunately it's not a life-threatening condition but it is a career-destroying condition.

"In the next year or two I'll have to bow out of my medical career sadly."

Having tackled some of the most confronting eye conditions, Dr Muecke is philosophical about his own medical challenge.

"I've met many people in my life who've had much tougher battles and their resilience is incredibly admirable," he said.

The condition has forced Dr Muecke to change his focus from surgery to advocacy.

He plans to use his Australian of the Year title to lobby hard for measures to tackle obesity, which can cause type 2 diabetes. The dietary-caused disease can cause blindness.

"Diabetes is now affecting one in 10 of our population," he said.

"Every year I'm seeing more and more patients who are losing vision as a result of this disease, a disease which is actually entirely preventable."

Dr Muecke is calling for a tax on sugar and said confronting advertising, similar to anti-smoking campaigns, was warranted.

"The government can help by reducing the time and space for sweet products, particularly during children's TV," he said.

"I think we need to have a clearer labelling system of sweet products, and for those products with high sugar content, taxing would be very important to help people choose lower sugar alternatives," he told 7.30.

Diabetes cost Neil Hansell his eyesight. He is now the face of Dr Muecke's campaign to highlight the debilitating consequences of the disease.

"Basically I went to bed one night, woke up the next morning and everything was black," Mr Hansell said.

"I would describe Dr Muecke as being very, very passionate at what he does, extremely loyal to all the people who come and see him.

"He's an inspiration really. I put him up there with Fred Hollows, he's that good."

It is an obvious comparison, but Dr Muecke said he was forging his own path.

"Well Fred [Hollows] was an absolute Aussie hero, he's a legendary character, he was an ophthalmologist like myself. Fred's passion was cataract blindness that is the leading cause of blindness in the world.

"My agenda is that there are quite literally hundreds of eye diseases, many of these are blinding and some are deadly," he told 7.30.

Dr Muecke's charity work goes back decades. In 2000 he co-founded Vision Myanmar and a few years later Sight for All, an organisation which uses Australian and New Zealand eye specialists to train overseas doctors.

"We've trained colleagues across many of the poorest countries in Asia, including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and ultimately our projects are now impacting on roughly a million people every year," he said.

Watch this story on 7.30 tonight.

Topics:doctors-and-medical-professionals,health,eyes,diseases-and-disorders,diabetes,australia,adelaide-5000,sa

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Australian of the Year James Muecke forced to give up surgery due to neurological condition - ABC News

Watch Bill Mahers Campaign Ad for Democrats That Mocks Neurological Mess Trump (Video) – TheWrap

Bill Maher said that Democrats have to stop talking about playing as dirty as the Republicans and start doing it and hes gave them a head start by making a campaign ad for the 2020 presidential election that targets Trumps brain.

Ever since Democrats lost the 2016 election theres been a backlash to the when they go low, we go high approach, Maher said on Fridays Real Time. But they never say what exactly it is we should do, just, We gotta fight dirty. OK. But how?

After recommending Democrats enlist some reptilian scumbags of our own to match the efforts of Republican dirty tricksters on their payroll like Roger Stone, Karl Rove and Rudy Giuliani, Maher said he then suggested focusing on Trumps mental state.

Also Read: Bill Maher Also Feels Pretty Hopeless After Today's Senate Vote on Impeachment Witnesses

Trump is a neurological mess, but the Democrats are too scared to make an issue of it when actually it would cut together really well as a campaign ad, the comedian said, cuing the video.

The ad showed the president mumbling and stumbling over his words, recalling how those whove known Trump in the past have said hes not the same person he was and another saying he may be having small strokes. It ends with footage of the POTUS boarding Air Force One with toilet paper stuck on his shoe.

Also Read: Senate Republicans Vote Down Additional Witnesses in Trump Impeachment Trial

No one wishes ill health on the president, but a country needs a leader to be there a leader who is ALL there, the ad concluded.

Maher added, Make that go viral, would ya, because Democrats should really be running that for real.

You can catch the faux ad above followed by a Real Time creation of a deepfake of the infamous (and completely unsubstantiated) pee tape.

There's just over a year to go until the 2020 presidential election, but the competition to potentially replace Donald Trump in the White House is already stiff.

There's a lot to keep track of, but we're here to help. Here's TheWrap's list of everyone who is running for president so far and who has dropped out.

Joe Biden Democratic Party

Entered Race: April 25, 2019

The former Obama VP was a late entry to the race, formally declaring his run for the presidency on April 25. But he's long been a presumed frontrunner, leading many early polls. This is his third presidential run, and for months he's been telling anyone who'll listen that he'd be the most qualified candidate for the job. He's also already been under scrutiny over criticism about his behavior with women, prompting him to post a video promising he'd be "more mindful and respectful" of a woman's "personal space."

Biden has also been prone to embarrassing slips of the tongue, among them placing the assassinations of RFK and MLK in "the late '70s," mistaking his campaign's text number for a website, waxing nostalgic about his friendships with Senate segregationists, and saying "poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids."

Elizabeth Warren Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 9, 2019

The Massachusetts Senator formally announced her candidacy on Feb. 9 at a rally in her home state, and shortly after followed up with a tweet that read: "I believe in an America of opportunity. My daddy ended up as a janitor, but his little girl got the chance to be a public school teacher, a college professor, a United States Senator and a candidate for President of the United States. #Warren2020."

Bernie Sanders Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 19, 2019

Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the 2016 contest for the Democratic nomination, has recorded a campaign video in which he says he is running for president in 2020, according to a report in Politico.

Pete Buttigieg Democratic Party

Entered Race: April 14, 2019

The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana would becomethe first openly gay presidential nominee from a major political party. Buttigieg's platform includes a plan to further empower Black America and economic reform.

Tulsi Gabbard Democratic Party

Entered Race: Jan. 11, 2019

Gabbard, a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016, but in 2020 she's all-in on herself. Gabbard is running on immigration and criminal justice reform.

Andrew Yang Democratic Party

Entered Race: Nov. 6, 2017

The entrepreneur and son of immigrant parents from Taiwan became a contender a year ago, tellingThe New York Timesthat he will advocate for a universal basic income.

John Delaney Democratic Party

Entered Race: July 28, 2017

TheU.S. Representative for Maryland's 6th district declaredback in July 2017. He says he'll "end reckless trade wars and expand trade," "create a universal health care system" and "launch a national AI strategy."

Amy Klobuchar Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 10, 2019

The Minnesota Democrat, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, announced her bid on Feb. 10, 2019, saying that she wanted to work for "everyone who wanted their work recognized." Klobuchar's key issues she wants to tackle if elected president include revising voting rights protections and prioritizing cybersecurity.

Michael Bennet Democratic Party

Entered Race: May 2, 2019

The Colorado senator has been a vocal supporter on advancing the field of artificial intelligence and expanding the Child Tax Credit. He didn't qualify for the fourth Democratic debate but he's vowed to keep running.

Wayne Messam Democratic Candidate

Entered Race: March 28, 2019

The mayor of Miramar, Florida, a city near Miami, is a first-generation American who has called for end the filibuster and erasing student debt. He only raised $5 -- five -- during the quarter that ended Sep. 30, but he's still in the race.

Tom Steyer Democratic Party

Entered Race: July 9, 2019

The billionaire and climate change activist entered the race in July, saying in a video "if you think that there's something absolutely critical, try as hard as you can and let the chips fall where they may. And that's exactly what I'm doing. My name's Tom Steyer, and I'm running for president."

Joe Sestak Democratic Party

Entered Race: June 23, 2019

The former Pennsylvania Congressman has a plan for America that includes investing in American manufacturing and strengthening antitrust laws.

Deval Patrick - Democratic Party

Entered Race: Nov. 14, 2019

The former governor of Massachusetts acknowledged the challenge of jumping into the Democratic primary so late in the game. But in his announcement he took a veiled swipe at other candidates, saying the party was torn between "nostalgia" and "our big idea or no way.

Michael Bloomberg - Democratic Party

Entered Race: Nov. 24, 2019

The former mayor of New York is the second billionaire to enter the crowded Democratic field with just one year until the election. Bloomberg plans to fund his own campaign and is reportedly spending $30 million in TV ads to launch his campaign.

Bill Weld Republican Party

Entered Race: April 15, 2019

Weld is a former Governor of Massachusetts who has been on the record about his displeasure of Trump, specifically Trump's desire to be more of a "king than a president."

Joe Walsh Republican Party

Entered Race: Aug. 25, 2019

The former congressman from Illinois turned conservative talk show host announced in August 2019 that he would enter the GOP primaries to challenge President Trump. "I'm running because he's unfit; somebody needs to step up and there needs to be an alternative. The country is sick of this guy's tantrum -- he's a child," he told ABC News.

Cory Booker Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 1, 2019

Dropped Out: Jan. 13, 2020

The New Jersey senator and former mayor of Newark formally tossed his name into the presidential hat on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. Booker ran on a platform of ending mass incarceration if he were to be elected president. His absence in the race ahead of the caucuses made the remaining Democratic field significantly less diverse.

Marianne Williamson Democratic Party

Entered Race: Jan. 28, 2019

Dropped Out: Jan. 10, 2020

The "Healing the Soul of America" author and founder of Project Angel Food announced her candidacy during a political rally at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 28. Williamson ran on a platform of reparations and "economic justice for women and children."

Eric Swalwell

Entered Race: April 8, 2019 Dropped Out: July 8, 2019

The California congressman wrote in a statement on his campaign's website about his decision to bow out of the 2020 presidential race, "Ill never forget the people I met and lessons I learned while travelling [sic] around our great nation especially in the communities most affected by gun violence."

Seth Moulton Democratic Party

Entered Race: April 22, 2019

Dropped Out: August 23, 2019

The Massachusetts congressman and Iraq War veteran ended his campaign for president in a speech to the DNC in San Fransisco. I think its evident that this is now a three-way race between Biden, Warren and Sanders, and really its a debate about how far left the party should go, Mr. Moulton told the New York Times.

John Hickenlooper

Entered Race: March 4, 2019 Dropped Out: Aug. 15, 2019

The former Colorado governor supported stricter gun control laws and free trade.

Jay Inslee Democratic Party

Entered Race: March 1, 2019 Dropped Out: Aug. 21, 2019

The Governor of Washington ran on a platform focused on climate change, proposing a "100% Clean Energy for America Plan" that would see emissions drop to zero by 2035.

He announced he was dropping out of the race during an appearance on "The Rachel Maddow Show."

"It's become clear that I'm not going to be carrying the ball," Inslee told Maddow. "I'm not going to be the President, I'm withdrawing tonight from the race."

Inslee added that he's optimistic that climate change will be a major part of the Democratic party's priorities.

Kirsten Gillibrand - Democratic Party

Entered Race: Jan. 15, 2019

Dropped Out: Aug. 28, 2019

The senator from New York announced her bid Tuesday, Jan. 15 on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." Gillibrand, whose campaign slogan is "Brave Wins," supported paid family leave and protecting women's rights.

On August 28, 2019, she announced her withdrawal. "To our supporters: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, let's go beat Donald Trump and win back the Senate," she tweeted.

Howard Schultz Independent

Dropped Out: Sept. 6, 2019

In January the former Starbucks CEO expressed initial interest in running. In August, Schultz reportedly suspended his campaigning until after Labor Day, citing medical issues. In September, Schultz cited those issues and more in a letter on his website as reasons he had to take himself out of the running.

"My belief in the need to reform our two-party system has not wavered, but I have concluded that an independent campaign for the White House is not how I can best serve our country at this time," he wrote.

Schultz is a co-founder of the venture capital firm Maveron, which is an investor in TheWrap.

Bill De Blasio Democratic Party

Entered Race: May 16, 2019

Dropped Out: Sept. 20, 2019

The New York City mayor was looking for more taxes for the wealthy and regulating "gig jobs" under his proposed Universal Labor Standards.

Beto O'Rourke Democratic Party

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Watch Bill Mahers Campaign Ad for Democrats That Mocks Neurological Mess Trump (Video) - TheWrap

Jeffrey Goldberg Appointed Chief Executive Officer and Director of Immunitas Therapeutics – Business Wire

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immunitas Therapeutics (Immunitas), an innovative single cell genomics discovery platform company focused on developing breakthrough immuno-oncology therapies, today announced it has appointed Jeffrey M. Goldberg as Chief Executive Officer and Director. He succeeds founding CEO, Christoph Westphal, M.D, Ph.D., who assumes the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

One of the central challenges of drug development has been bridging the gap between laboratory research in model organisms to meaningful clinical advances in humans, said Jeff Goldberg. Immunitas and our scientific co-founders use single cell genomic sequencing and sophisticated computational biology techniques to look at human biology directly. I believe this innovative approach can help to accelerate the development of new therapies for patients. I am excited to be joining the Immunitas team as we discover and develop these highly targeted new immuno-oncology therapies.

Immunitas identifies novel, promising oncology targets with potential applicability across both solid and liquid tumors. Additionally, as part of the discovery process, Immunitas develops key biomarkers to guide the selection of patients who may benefit from its new drugs. The company leverages its expertise in antibody discovery and engineering to create therapies that modulate these targets. Immunitas is currently advancing a number of programs toward early human studies, including a lead program with fully-human monoclonal antibodies that will be developed as single agents using a clinical biomarker strategy to guide early efficacy studies.

Jeff Goldberg has over 20 years of industry experience driving programs from discovery through all phases of drug development to commercialization in multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, renal, and rare diseases, said Lea Hachigian, President and Director, Immunitas Therapeutics. We are fortunate to have his demonstrated ability leading and building teams as we create an oncology company powered by our human biology-focused approach to immunology.

Mr. Goldberg joins the Immunitas Board of Directors, which includes Dr. Laura Brass, Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund, Dr. Jrgen Eckhardt, Head of Leaps by Bayer, Bayers strategic venture capital unit, Dr. Lea Hachigian, Principal, Longwood Fund, Dr. Lucio Iannone, Director of Venture Investments of Leaps by Bayer, Dr. Christoph Westphal, co-founder and General Partner of Longwood Fund, and Dr. Vincent Xiang, Managing Director at Hillhouse Capital.

Jeff Goldberg is an experienced biotech program and brand leader with over 20 years of industry experience. He has driven programs from discovery and pre-clinical through IND, clinical trials, NDA, and commercialization in multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, renal, and other rare and orphan diseases. Mr. Goldberg joins Immunitas from Akcea Therapeutics, where he was Chief Operating Officer from the time of its formation in January 2015. Previously, Mr. Goldberg was VP of Business Operations, leading both program management and business development at Proteostasis Therapeutics, Inc., a biotech company focusing on neurology and rare diseases. He also spent more than 11 years in positions of increasing responsibility with Genzyme and Sanofi, providing brand management for two marketed products within Sanofi Oncology. Prior to joining Sanofi Oncology, Mr. Goldberg served as Global Program Lead for Genzyme's stem cell mobilization agent Mozobil, leading the global launch team and overseeing the program management and marketing functions for the product. He began his career at Genzyme as Director, Program Management overseeing the development and launch of Renvela in patients undergoing dialysis. Mr. Goldberg has both an MBA and a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.

About Immunitas Therapeutics

Immunitas Therapeutics, founded by Longwood Fund, employs a single cell genomics platform to dissect the biology of immune cells in human tumors, thereby advancing discoveries directly from the bench into meaningful clinical improvements. Our focus on human data allows us to start with and stay closer to the biology that is most relevant in patients and greatly accelerates the pace of our research. The Immunitas team of scientific pioneers innovates around each step of the drug development process, first identifying novel targets, then designing therapeutic strategies, and developing key biomarkers to guide the selection of patients who may benefit from our new drugs. Lead programs from this platform have demonstrated single agent activity against challenging tumors and fully-human monoclonal antibodies are advancing towards clinical studies. http://www.ImmunitasTx.com.

Immunitas the human approach to oncology

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Jeffrey Goldberg Appointed Chief Executive Officer and Director of Immunitas Therapeutics - Business Wire

When Disability Isnt a Special Need but a Special Skill – The New York Times

Thom, who has a terrific stage voice and manner, leaves no question as to the theaters loss in limiting her range of roles. Her performance of Mouth is as terrifying as any and yet, in its vulnerability to neurological static, more human than most. You understand how the very lonely woman Beckett wrote could have wound up that way.

I would hate to have missed this performance, and yet it might easily never have happened. Feeling for too many years that theater was not a space I could occupy, Thom said in a post-show discussion, she almost gave up on it. (As a performer, she would have been deemed uncastable; as an audience member, disruptive.) Only in finding Not I, produced by Battersea Arts Center along with Thoms organization Touretteshero, did she find a way to occupy the only seat in the house I couldnt be asked to leave.

Thats admirable, sure. But the key is that once seated there, Thom uses her position to explore something beyond just Tourettes. Shining a light into Beckett from a different angle, she illuminates a different part of the rest of us as well.

A similar idea animates The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes, running at the Publics Manhattan mother ship through Jan. 19. At first, the play seems to be merely a witty piece of documentary theater, recreating a real-life meeting at which the performers (Michael Chan, Simon Laherty, Sarah Mainwaring and Scott Price) bicker over their parliamentary roles and chafe about definitions. Some, we learn, are comfortable calling themselves disabled but others are not; Price thinks of himself as someone who, in addition to a thick Australian accent, has an autistic dialect.

The equating of accent and autism, one of which we usually consider trivial and the other hugely portentous, was eye-opening for me. If Prices autism is a dialect, surely my own neurological makeup is one, too. What are all our habits of thinking, our charming neuroses, our nature and character, if seen uncharitably, but undiagnosed defects? What is so typical about neurotypical minds?

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When Disability Isnt a Special Need but a Special Skill - The New York Times

A new study shows the neurological reason for obesity and how to combat it – Big Think

In the modern world, with seemingly simple conveniences such as refrigeration and electricity, perspective is hard. Understanding how to preserve foodeven knowing what actually qualified as foodrequired a lot of trial and error for our first 350,000 years on this planet. What we call progress isn't always the case. For every advancement there is a cost.

Obesity would have been a hard concept for our ancestors to understand. There was little opportunity for it to emerge. Advancements in food preservation and storage, such as processed foods and ice boxes, opened up an entirely new means of existence. We've paid for those technologies with "diseases of affluence," such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Humans were not biologically designed to have food, especially high-calorie food, perpetually available.

Authors of a recent study funded by The National Institute of General Medical Sciences and University of Virginia Brain Institute and published in Current Biology write that, "The widespread availability of energy-dense, rewarding foods is correlated with the increased incidence of obesity across the globe." The team, led by University of Virginia biology professor Ali Gler, discovered a link between the brain's biological clock and pleasure centera link that is driving obesity.

The obesity problem is the result of a perfect storm. Humans were designed to gorge when food is available; previously, we didn't know when the next meal would arrive. That's no longer the case. High-calorie foods, those crammed with sugars and carbohydrates, activate our brain's pleasure center; the good feeling is a biological signal for satiation. We feel satisfied then become addicted to and dependent on that feeling. Processed food companies have long exploited this fact. The ability to store food for extended periods of time, a relatively new capability, ensured that our next mealour next fifty mealsare waiting in the kitchen.

Electricity prompted not only the emergence of refrigeration, but also indoor lighting and eventually smartphones, which also play a role in this conundrum. The sun, for most of time, served as a natural alarm clock. We rose and set with it. As this is no longer the case, we thwart our biological rhythm by sleeping at odd hours or not enough, both of which negatively impact our health. The constant usage of phones also negatively impacts our circadian rhythm, with poor sleep also contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Whereas high-calorie foods were previously difficult to secure, Gler says that this is no longer the case.

"The calories of a full meal may now be packed into a small volume, such as a brownie or a super-size soda. It is very easy for people to over-consume calories and gain excessive weight, often resulting in obesity and a lifetime of related health problems."

Readily available high-calorie foods set off our pleasure center, causing us not only to overeat at meal time, but to snack all day. This is one of the surest ways to gain weight, the study notes. Tragically, our bodies store more calories eaten between meals as fat than those eaten during regular meal times.

"We're learning that when we eat is just as important as how much we eat. A calorie is not just a calorie. Calories consumed between meals or at odd hours become stored as fat, and that is the recipe for poor health."

Not actually food.

Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Obesity is costing the United States $147 billion every year. Even the richest nation on Earth cannot afford this bill, especially given how much better we can utilize that money.

One important way that we can combat this trend is by closing our feeding window. As research has shown, Americans eat in an average feeding window of 14.75 hours a day. Intermittent fasting has been shown to help promote weight loss. While there are debates regarding exact fasting duration, it appears that closing your feeing window to a 10-hour period is beneficial. Some research has even even suggested that a 12-hour feeding window is helpful for shedding pounds.

Gler notes that "we evolved under pressures we no longer have." Our pressures are different now, such as this exploitation of our innate pleasure-seeking capacities. Convenience always comes at a cost. Refrigerators and light bulbs have not been everyday objects for that long of a time, and while we don't have to envision living without them, we can certainly make better use of both.

Line up the timeline of obesity trends with technological advancements and we are on safe ground speculating beyond correlation. As this study shows, it's part of our genetic inheritance: give us food and we'll eat it. Closing your feeding window and eating fewer carbohydrates might fly in the face of common wisdom, but nothing is wise about the situation we're in. Good health demands of us this discipline.

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Stay in touch with Derek on Twitter and Facebook. His next book is Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy.

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A new study shows the neurological reason for obesity and how to combat it - Big Think

University Neurology Cole Neuroscience Center – UTMC

Welcome tothe University Neurology Cole Neuroscience Center. We are a full-service neurology clinic, offering neurological consultation, Nerve Conduction Studies (electrical testing of nerve function), EMG (a test of muscle and nerve function), and EEG (brainwave testing).

Our Center was established as a result of the generous support of Robert and Monica Cole and the ColeFamily Foundation. The Cole Family Foundation made a strong commitment not only to clinical care, but also to research in the field of neuroscience. Through solid leadership and financial support of the Cole Family Foundationthe commitment to clinical excellence is evidenced by the growth in the patient population from a few hundred fifteen years ago to over 5,000 patients. Scientific research started with Cole Familys participation as the major benefactor in the acquisition of the first PET scan at TheUniversity of Tennessee Medical Center and the endowment of a chair in Molecular Neuro Imaging.

Our specialists work together to develop treatment plans that assist the entire family. From access to the latest diagnostic tools and the newest clinical trials, to offering counseling and long-term care options, the University Neurology Cole Neuroscience Center has so much to offer especially hope.

Conditionstreated in our office include:

Wetake a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. This effort is coordinated by our neurologistsas well as advanced registered nurse practitioners, social workers, registered nurses and a team of cognitive evaluation specialists.

Spanning beyond traditional approaches, the primary medical team also consults with neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, nutritionists, and physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapists. The result of this collaboration is a unique program of care developed with each patient and their caregiver that addresses all their specific needs.

Download new patient packets and get general patient information. Learn More

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University Neurology Cole Neuroscience Center - UTMC