Parkinson's Disease In The Crossfire 2008

Henry P. and Georgette Goldschmidt Professor and
Chairman, Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and
Chief of the Neurology Service at the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY

Dr. Olanow received his medical degree from the University of Toronto, performed his neurology training at the New York Neurological Institute at Columbia University, and did post-graduate studies in neuroanatomy at Columbia University. He served on the faculties of McGill University, Duke University, and the University of South Florida prior to assuming his present position. Dr. Olanow has authored more than 300 publications primarily related to Parkinson's Disease and neurodegeneration. He is past President of the Movement Disorder Society and past Treasurer of the American Neurological Association. He has served on numerous editorial and scientific advisory boards and has lectured at Universities and Conferences throughout the world.

Parker Family Professor of Neurology
Director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Stern, Parker Family Professor of Neurology, is also the Director of the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Philadelphia Veteran's Hospital. The Center at Penn is one of the largest of its type in the country and has a long track record of achievement in clinical trials and experimental therapeutics. Dr. Stern has authored or co-authored numerous papers on Parkinson's disease and edited or co-edited 8 books. He has served on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Neurology's Movement Disorders Section and is a member of the American Neurological Association. He has held several leadership positions in the International Movement Disorders Society and is currently secretary-elect. In addition to serving as institutional investigator for numerous clinical trials, Dr. Stern has been the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of many studies related to Parkinson's disease. He serves on numerous consulting boards and has lectured throughout the world on Parkinson's and related disorders.

Scientific Director, Chief Operating Officer, and
Founder of the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, California

Dr. Langston, a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Medicine, served as a faculty member at Stanford University Medical School and Chairman of Neurology at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California before founding the Parkinson's Institute. Dr. Langston is internationally recognized for the discovery of the link between a chemical known as MPTP and Parkinsonism, which lead to the development of a new model for the study of Parkinson's Disease, and stimulated great interest in the possibility that environmental factors play a role in causing the disease. His current research interests include the study of mechanisms of neuronal degeneration, the etiology of Parkinson's Disease, and developing new strategies to slow or halt disease progression.

Dr. Langston has published over 300 papers on Parkinson's Disease and related disorders, and has received many awards for his work. The most recent of these was the Movement Disorders Research Award from the American Academy of Neurology. He serves on numerous advisory boards, including the Scientific Advisory Boards for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease Research and the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. He is also a devoted father, soccer coach, and skier.

Professor of Neurology and Community and Preventive Medicine,
University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York

Dr. Kieburtz' primary clinical and research interests are in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases affecting the basal ganglia, particularly Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, and HIV-related neurologic disorders. He has been an active participant in the research activities of the Parkinson Study Group since 1989, and currently is Chair of the Executive Committee. He is the principal investigator for the NINDS-sponsored program (NET-PD) of neuroprotective agents for PD. He currently serves on the International Executive Committee of the Movement Disorders Society and as Chair of the FDA Peripheral and Central Nervous System Advisory Committee. His publications and presentations have focused on experimental therapeutics and clinical research design strategies.