Co-funding Institute(s):
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Advancing Translational Research in Dystonia
November 30, 2008
Chicago, IL
Contact for additional information: Dr. Danilo A. Tagle, NINDS (301) 496-5745
DescriptionThe goal of this conference is to stimulate and advance translational research that will lead to better understanding and treatment of dystonia. It is expected that results from this workshop will help inform the Cure Dystonia Initiative (CDI) that was recently established by the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF). The CDI provides direction, management, and seed funding for projects aimed directly at the development of therapeutics and helps to create formal and informal partnerships among academia, Federal institutions, and biopharmaceutical companies. The Initiative encompasses a number of promising avenues, including novel therapeutics, small molecule pharmaceutics, and repurposing existing drugs. CDI approaches dystonia as a drug discovery and development problem. The primary mechanism of funding is through research contracts and grants for drug candidate screening and delivery of materials and research data of translational or clinical value.