8th Annual ALS Seminar Keynote Speaker is Hawaii Born Research Scientist from Harvard University
By Jennifer Li, 4/2/2008 12:58:00 AM
HONOLULU, HAWAII — During national ALS Awareness Month in May, the Muscular Dystrophy Association wants to ensure that members of the public know the deadly effects of ALS and the importance of helping to defeat it. In Honolulu, MDA will sponsor it’s 8th annual ALS seminar 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 19 at the Queen’s Conference Center. The event will raise awareness about health services, research and information available from MDA’s ALS Division.

Keynote speaker will be Hawaii born Dr. Justin Ichida, Harvard University Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology research scientist. He will present cutting edge research updates on "Patient-specific stem cells for regenerative medicine and disease modeling." Other speakers will include MDA clinic co-director Dr. Jayson Takata, and MDA health care services coordinator Jennifer Li. There will be demonstrations from local vendors in breakout rooms: Tax, Insurance, Legal, Travel and Medical Equipment.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a devastating disorder that destroys the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. Muscles grow progressively weaker until paralyzed, and death usually occurs within three to five years. The disease typically strikes adults in the prime of life. Its cause is unknown, and no cure has yet been found. For information about the 8th annual ALS seminar, call the MDA Honolulu office at 808-593-4454 or email jli@mdausa.org. For information about MDA’s ALS Division, visit http://www.als-mda.org

About MDA MDA is a voluntary health organization working to defeat 43 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. Residents of Hawaii affected by ALS and other neuromuscular diseases receive medical care at Castle Medical Center on Oahu, Kauai Medical Center on Kauai, Maui Medical Group on Maui, Hilo Medical Center in Hilo, and Kona Life Care Center in Kona.

About Justin Ichida, Ph.D. Dr. Ichida graduated from Iolani School in 1996 and completed an undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics at UCLA. He went on to earn his Ph.D. Molecular Biology at Harvard Medical School in 2006. He is currently conducting postdoctoral research at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute under the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Eggan. The goal is to create patient-specific stem cells for regenerative medicine and the study of complex diseases.

About “Patient-specific Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling” Neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS take a devastating toll on people and their families. The research focuses on creating patient-specific stem cells that can be differentiated to become specific cell types such as motor neurons. These differentiated cells are used to recreate diseases such as ALS in a Petri dish to study the causes of the disease and find compounds that stop its progression. In addition, these cells are used as regenerative medicine to restore lost function.


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