Jeffrey Kordower, MD, a world leader in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease research, will be presenting the Carol Swarts, MD Distinguished Lecture on Oct. 15 at the Durham Research Center Auditorium (Room 1002) at 10:15 a.m.
Dr. Kordower is the founding director of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center and the Charlene and J. Orin Edson Distinguished Director and endowed chair at the Biodesign Institute at ASU. He also is the scientific cofounder of Kenai Therapeutics, and is a widely recognized internationally recognized thought leader in the field of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
Dr. Swarts, who will be attending the event, said she was excited to hear from Dr. Kordower, noting that his dedication to fighting neurodegenerative diseases reminded her of all the achievements made by UNMC faculty that include those of Howard Gendelman, MD, the current chair of the UNMC Department Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience Department and his group.
“Dr. Gendelman has been devoted to this effort for decades,” Dr. Swarts said. “He has been researching diagnostics and therapies for neurodegenerative disorders through trying to affect key disease-linked inflammatory processes. Dr. Kordower has developed a complementary but different approach to combat so common disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. It’s so exciting to have two people who are now seeing improvements, and that we may someday soon have treatments that combat both and return the brain to normal function.”
Dr. Swarts, whose family has been greatly affected by Alzheimer’s disease, said the work of Drs. Gendelman and Kordower may prove to be game changers in the effort to find treatments.
Joel Alperson, the chief business officer of NeuralRegen, a company cofounded by Drs. Swarts, Gendelman, and John Oehlerking, said he was looking forward to hearing from Dr. Kordower.
“We tend to get immersed in our own work, our own direction, on these diseases,” Alperson said. “It will be fascinating to hear some of the approaches, some of the challenges, from his perspective, and to learn more from someone who is so talented.”
Breakfast will be served to the first 30 attendees.