The Gut Brain Axis as a Critical Element in the Development of Parkinson's Disease

Event Details

Background

Each year approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and by 2030, nearly one million people in the U.S. will be living with the disease. Parkinson's disease symptoms are not limited to motor dysfunction and patients who develop Parkinson's disease often have a history of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which may occur decades before the appearance of motor symptoms. There is a need for research on the neuropathological events in the GI tract that may provide insights into the disease origins and mechanisms associated with progressive neurodegeneration with the goal of developing innovative early-phase diagnostic tools or preventative therapies.

Mini symposium Objectives

1. Provide an introduction to the workshop entitled “Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gut Brain Axis: Parkinson’s Disease” to be held September 30 - October 1, 2021.
2. Present an overview of the current concepts of brain-gut communications in Parkinson’s Disease.

Organizing Committee

John Wiley, M.D., University of Michigan, co-chair
Gary Mawe, Ph.D., University of Vermont, co-chair
Kirsteen Browning Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Fredric Manfredsson, Ph.D., Barrow Neurological Institute
Terez Shea-Donohue, Ph.D., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Frank Hamilton, M.D., NIDDK
Patricia Greenwel, Ph.D., NIDDK
Beth-Anne Sieber, Ph.D., National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Jonathan Hollander, Ph.D., National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Lewis Morris, private citizen, Tahoma Park, MD

Registration Deadline

March 3, 2021

Agenda

March 4, 2021

Co-chairs and Moderators
Gary Mawe, Ph.D., Samuel W. Thayer Professor of Neurological Sciences, The University of Vermont

John Wiley, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Director of Functional Bowel Disorders, University of Michigan Medical Center

4:00 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.

Introduction
Gary Mawe, Ph.D., Samuel W. Thayer Professor of Neurological Sciences, The University of Vermont
John Wiley, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Director of Functional Bowel Disorders, University of Michigan Medical Center

4:05 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.

Parkinson’s Disease Is Complicated: It Takes Guts
J. Timothy Greenamyre, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurology, Director, Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases

4:20 p.m. – 4:35 p.m.

Parkinson’s Disease: Do We Have the Nerves to Study What Goes Wrong?
Kirsteen Browning, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

4:35 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.

The Role of Alpha-Synuclein in Peripheral Disease Symptomology
Fredric Manfredsson, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Lead Investigator, Parkinson’s Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute

4:50 p.m.- 5:15 p.m.

Discussion