Motor neurone disease webinar: Perspectives, progress and positivity

As part of Motor Neurone Disease NZ’s (MND NZ) commitment to connecting the MND community with global researchers you are invited to a live webinar by the world-renowned Neurologist Dr Richard Bedlack from Duke Health and Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina, USA. 

📅Thursday 30 July

🕛12pm – 1pm NZST

👉🏼Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Vq1e2Hb1Ty-pHkFSYq-6cg#/registration

Richard will present the latest MND/ALS data and insights on a wide range of topics in his trademark hope-filled, relatable and colourful style.

Co-hosted by MND NZ Honorary Medical Advisor Dr James Cleland FRACP and MND NZ CE Mark Leggett, this webinar will focus on Dr Bedlack’s favourite recent clinical developments and ongoing research including:

• ALS/MND subtypes (ex. Genetic vs. sporadic, upper vs. lower motor neuron predominant)
• Tofersen for SOD1 ALS/MND
• Real world data on riluzole
• Dextromethorphan/quinidine for bulbar dysfunction
• Respiratory strength training exercises
• High glycaemic index diet
• Avoiding GLP-1 modulating meds
• Research on targeting other ALS/MND causes
• Understanding outliers

👉🏼Find out more about Richard Bedlack, Neurologist in this ABC YouTube Clip and in his bio below.

We invite neurologists, health professionals and everyone in the MND community to attend and be part of this important presentation. You must register to attend.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, please register to receive the recording after the event.

Richard Bedlack: Presenter Bio

References to ALS below can be read as ALS/MND in New Zealand. Motor neurone disease (MND) is referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the United States – the most common form of MND.

Dr. Richard Bedlack grew up in a small town in central Connecticut. He went to college at William and Mary in Virginia, then back to Connecticut for an MD and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at UConn. Finally, he went to Duke where he completed his Medicine Internship, Neurology Residency, Neuromuscular Fellowship, and Masters in Clinical Research Science.

He is currently Stewart, Hughes, and Wendt Distinguished Professor of ALS at Duke and Director of the Duke ALS Program. He has won awards for teaching and patient care, including best Neurology teacher at Duke, Health Care Hero, Strength Hope, & Caring Award, America’s Top Doctor, the American Academy of Neurology Patient Advocate of the Year, the Rasmussen ALS Patient Advocate of the Year, Forbes-Norris Award, and Hop-On-A-Cure AMP Award. He has received ALS research grants, participated in ALS clinical trials, and published more than 180 ALS articles.

Richard is the leader of the international ALSUntangled program which utilises social networking to investigate alternative and off-label treatment options for patients with ALS, and leader of the ALS Reversals program which attempts to understand why some people with ALS recover from it, and to make this happen more often.

He lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Shelly, a mischievous black cat, and a closet full of eye-catching blazers.