Neurologist Who Discovered Gene That Causes Huntington's Disease Talks to Pediatricians and Community Leaders at Nemours

Jacksonville, Florida
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 @ 12:49 PM EDT
by: Odette Struys
Phone: (904) 697-4186
ostruys@nemours.org

Who:

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems

What:

An evening with special guest Joseph Martin, MD, PhD, Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Neurobiology and Clinical Neuroscience, and former Dean of the Harvard Faculty of Medicine.

Why:

To celebrate Dr. Martin’s visit and to offer an opportunity for Jacksonville pediatricians and community leaders to meet one of the nation’s leading thought starters in neuro-medicine. Dr. Martin was part of a consortium that discovered the gene that causes Huntington’s Disease.

When:

Thursday July 26, at 6:45 p.m.

Where:

Nemours Children’s Clinic, 10^th Floor Auditorium (807 Childrens Way)

Special to Media:

Dr. Martin will be available for media interviews during a private reception at the Nemours Children’s Clinic (807 Children’s Way) from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., at the KidsWalk connector bridge over I-95 located on the fourth floor of Nemours.

Quote from Nemours:

"Dr. Martin is nationally renown for his work in neurobiology and neurodegenerative conditions. Nemours is very proud and honored to have him share some of his latest research and findings with us here in Jacksonville,” said Laura Bailet, PhD, Executive Director of Nemours BrightStart! Dyslexia Initiative. “It’s not that often that someone of his caliber visits the First Coast, so we are thrilled to host a reception to honor him.”

About Dr. Martin:

His well known research has focused on understanding the causes of neurological and neurodegenerative disease.

In 1980, he established the National Institute of Health sponsored Huntington Disease Center. Early work in the Center led to a breakthrough in identifying a genetic marker near the gene for Huntingtons disease; this culminated in the identification of the gene for the disorder. (Huntington’s Disease [HD] results from genetically programmed degeneration of brain cells that causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbance. HD is a familial disease, passed from parent to child through a mutation in the normal gene.)

In 2001, Dr. Martin formed the Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, a virtual community of over 700 neurology and neuroscientist faculty and researchers working together to convert neuroscience understanding into treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Martin is the author or co-author of more than 300 scientific articles and reviews, and is a former editor of Harrisons Principles of Internal Medicine, a widely used medical textbook. He has served on the editorial boards of the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Neurology, and Science.

He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and chaired the Institute of Medicines (IOM) Committee that led to the development of the Human Brain mapping initiative, an ongoing research activity supported by several federal agencies.

modified: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 @ 07:56 AM EDT
created: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 @ 12:49 PM EDT

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.