World Parkinson Coalition® Announces New Board Leadership

NEW YORK, NY, USA, January 3, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The World Parkinson Coalition (WPC) announced the appointment of new Executive Leadership and two new Board members who will lead the Coalition for the next three years up through the 7th World Parkinson Congress. Taking over the position of President is Professor Roger Barker, MBBS, PhD, University of Cambridge, UK, Vice President is Malú Gamez Tansey, PhD, University of Florida College of Medicine, USA, Secretary is Alice Nieuwboer, PhD, KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Belgium, and remaining as Treasurer is Rajesh Pahwa, MD, Kansas School of Medicine, USA. Two new board members will join the WPC Board starting in January 2024, Marina Romero-Ramos, PhD and Jeffrey Kordower, PhD.

The WPC hosts the most unique international conference in the Parkinson’s space with impactful outcomes. Every three years the WPC brings together basic scientists, neurologists, general physicians, nurses, rehab specialists, clinicians, as well as people with Parkinson’s (PwP) and their care partners. The WPC’s mission is to get experts out of their silos to connect with others to better understand how to advance the clinical and basic science of Parkinson’s to not only expedite the discovery of new treatments but also to better understand the purpose and impact of new treatments and when and how to use them. “Board members play a major role in steering the work of the WPC, so we are thrilled to announce our two newest directors and our new Executive leadership”, said Elizabeth Pollard, WPC Executive Director.

Drawing on their many years of experience in the Parkinson’s field as movement disorder researchers, Professor Marina Romero-Ramos from Aarhus University, Denmark, and Dr. Jeffrey Kordower from Arizona State University, USA, are both long time champions of the WPC and will help expand the Coalition’s reach and guide the WPC in its future planning.

A pioneer in the field of neural transplantation techniques, Dr. Jeffrey Kordower has spoken at many of the past World Parkinson Congresses and served on the program committee off and on throughout the past 20 years. Kordower is the founding director of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center and endowed chair as The Charlene and J. Orin Edson Distinguished Director at the ASU Biodesign Institute. He has been a pioneer in the field of neural transplantation techniques and his pathbreaking investigations into the underpinnings of neurodegenerative disease have made him a leader in the field. Kordower’s interests include the study of gene and stem cell therapies, disease pathogenesis including the morphological and molecular changes during the course of neurodegeneration, learning and memory, and aging.

Professor Marina Romero-Ramos joins the Board after serving as a Program Chair and speaker at the WPC 2023. Romero-Ramos serves as a Board member of the Danish Society for Neuroscience. She graduated from the University of Seville (Spain), where she received her PhD in 2000. Later she was a postdoctoral fellow first with Prof. Marie-Françoise Chesselet at UCLA School of Medicine (USA), and later a Marie Curie Fellow with Dr. Kirik and Prof. A. Bjorklund in Lund University (Sweden). She is now Professor at the Dept. of Biomedicine at the Faculty of Health, Aarhus University (Denmark), where she leads a research team focused on the different aspects of the alpha-synuclein associated neurodegenerative event with a special interest in the immune component of PD. Her lab’s work is particularly focused on the periphery-brain interaction and they have shown how immune changes in blood evolve during PD in relation to the brain events and influencing the symptomatology. Dr. Romero-Ramos is also working to understand how variations in the immune system contribute to the sex differences observed in PD.

“The WPC is such a special experience for the Parkinson’s community and in particular junior researchers. I have encouraged the junior scientists in my lab and other labs to attend the WPC every chance they get, the impact for scientists to meet and hear directly from people living with PD is profound and I am honored to be a Board member of an organization that has really moved the needle on patient engagement and connecting community members,” said Romero-Ramos.

“We are thrilled with our newest Board members,” said WPC President, Dr. Roger Barker. “Their many years of experience in the field, and diverse expertise, will help provide fresh insights to our organization as we continue to make great progress in our mission.”

A complete list of the WPC Board of Directors is available at www.worldpdcoalition.org/board

About the World Parkinson Coalition^®
The World Parkinson Coalition Inc. provides an international cross-pollinated forum for learning about the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, caregiver initiatives and advocacy work related to Parkinson's disease. The triennial World Parkinson Congresses provide a space for the global Parkinson’s community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, people with Parkinson’s and their care partners to meet in person, network, and discuss advances in Parkinson’s research, improve understanding and promote advocacy worldwide, while influencing future research and care options.

About Parkinson’s Disease 
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological disease in the world. There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

###

Julie Winn
World Parkinson Coalition
+1 802-578-1704
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok