CCTS Spring Conference Open for Attendee Registration
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 22, 2012) — The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) will present the 7th Annual CCTS Spring Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., March 29, at the Lexington Convention Center. The conference will host three events including the Appalachian Health Summit, sponsored by the Appalachian Translational Research Network; the Spring Neuroscience Research Day, sponsored by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience; and the UK College of Dentistry Research Day.
The conference is free and open to interested students, researchers and community members, however registration is required by March 16. The full schedule and registration are at: http://www.ccts.uky.edu/Events/CCTSConference_ahs.aspx . Also online are the call for Mentor Awards due Feb. 24; the call for abstracts, due March 2; and the call for registration, due March 16.
The Appalachian Health Summit is the annual meeting of the Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) whose members include the University of Kentucky, the Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, Marshall University and West Virginia University, along with regional members Morehead State University and the University of Pikeville. The Appalachian Regional Commission is also a sponsor. The mission of the ATRN is to promote collaborative research among participating institutions and organizations, and summit sessions will integrate researchers from different disciplines, perspectives and institutions. With the theme of "Neurological Disorders: Quality of Life and Potential for Recovery," sessions will focus on:
- Quality of life following neurotrauma, with research from the Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network - a unique collective of patients with spinal cord or traumatic brain injury, their caregivers, physicians, healthcare providers and community members;
- Chronic pain and substance abuse, showcasing new research on “killing the pain” in Appalachia through prescription drugs and other risky behaviors;
- New therapies for stroke, exploring the latest therapies for stroke via deep brain stimulation and portable robotics; and
- New paradigms in drug development, on infrastructure and expertise now available to support drug discovery and development among ATRN partners.
In his keynote address, Reggie Edgerton of the University of California - Los Angeles Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, will present recent efforts by a team from the U.S., Russia and Switzerland to develop a new therapy combining drugs, electrical stimulation and aggressive rehabilitation to treat spinal cord injury. In animal models, this therapy has permitted rats with severe spinal cord injury to achieve full-weight walking. In 2009, Susan Harkema and a team at the University of Louisville utilized this combined approach to treat a 23-year paraplegic human who achieved full-weight standing through therapy.
The Spring Neuroscience Research Day sponsored by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience will feature two internationally known neuroscientists: Jacqueline Crawley of the National Institute of Mental Health, who has developed a mouse model of autism to understand its causes and discover treatments; and Tim Schallert of the University of Texas - Austin Department of Psychology, whose research investigates the impact of combined gene therapy, drugs and motor enrichment techniques to increase growth factors in the brain for treatment of dopamine-dependent disorders.
The conference will conclude with sessions on grant opportunities, junior scholar presentations, research roundtables, and a combined poster session featuring research from students, postdocs, residents and junior faculty. Abstracts are invited on all topics and types of research across the spectrum of clinical and translational science.
For more information, visit http://www.ccts.uky.edu/Events/CCTSConference_ahs.aspx.
MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Elliott, allison.elliott@uky.edu