New WCM-q Webinar Series Addresses Neurodegenerative Diseases

A new series by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) is helping healthcare professionals stay up to date with the latest research into a range of debilitating neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and various forms of dementia.

The series, titled Protein Misfolding Diseases and Neurodegeneration: From Experimental Approach to Clinical Therapy, is coordinated by the Division of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at WCM-Q and features online webinars presented by leading medical researchers. The course director is WCM-Q’s Dr. Ali Chaari, assistant professor of biology, an expert in the role of amyloid proteins in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

The first instalment of the series was presented by Professor Tiago Fleming Outeiro, director of the Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration at University Medical Center in Göttingen, Germany. Prof. Outeiro gave a presentation titled The Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Bench to Bedside in which he discussed the role of protein aggregation in neurodegeneration, and defined targets for therapeutic intervention in various neurodegenerative diseases. He also explained how to identify molecular alterations in synucleinopathies, a group of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, which are characterized by abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein in neurons, nerve fibers or glial cells (non-neuronal cells which nourish and protect the neurons).

Prof. Outeiro said: “It was an honor to speak in this high-quality webinar series and to have the responsibility to give the opening lecture. I find the topic of the webinar series extremely timely, and I believe that the discussions resulting from the webinars will not only contribute to the training of junior scientists but will also enable high level discussions with the community interested in neurodegenerative diseases.”

Registration is now open for the next webinar in the series, titled Disease Modification in Parkinson Disease: An Update.

The webinar series is accredited locally by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Healthcare Professions – Accreditation Section and internationally by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).