Understanding a Cure Symposium

FA Research is a global effort and involves diverse projects and approaches from the lab bench to the clinic. One key feature of the FA research community is collaboration and partnership. We will introduce you to some academic and industry researchers working on FA to demonstrate the range and depth of research projects needed to advance treatments for the condition. In this symposium, you will also learn about each investigator’s personal commitment and passion for FA science and meet a dynamic patient panel who will share their own perspectives on research.

2018 Symposium Agenda

5:00pm - 6:00pm Reception & Cocktail Hour

6:00pm - 6:10pm Welcome - Charles J. Lockwood, MD, Senior Vice President, USF Health
Dean, Morsani College of Medicine

6:10pm - 6:20pm USF Ataxia Research Center - Theresa Zesiewicz, MD, FAAN, University of South Florida

6:20pm - 8:00pm Patient, Advocacy Organization & Scientific Panels

6:25pm - 6:55pm Patient Panel - Living with FA & Perspectives on Research Participation
Moderator - Felicia DeRosa

• Laurel Avery, Florida
• Allison Dana, South Carolina
• Annie Hamilton, New York
• Sam Hill, Maryland

7:05pm - 7:35pm Advocacy Organization Panel
Moderator - Herman Fernandez

• President - Ron Bartek, FARA
• Scientific Director - Sanjay Bidichandani, PhD, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
• Board Director – Pat Ritschel, FARA

7:40pm – 8:10pm Scientific Panel - FA Treatment Approaches
Moderator - Jen Farmer

• Stephanie Cherqui, PhD Associate Professor, UC San Diego
• Edmund Doherty, Pharm D, VP Medical Affairs, Reata Pharmaceuticals
• Carole Ben-Maimon, MD, CEO, Chondrial Therapeutics - Board Director, Chondrial Therapeutics
• Hao Wang, PhD, Senior Scientific Director, Clinical Neuroscience-CNS TAU, Takeda Pharmaceuticals

8:10pm - 8:20pm Closing Comments - Clifton Gooch, MD, University of South Florida

FARA 2017 Symposium at USF Health