BSF Kicks Off 2009 with New Program that will Bring the Scientific and Treatment Communities into Dialog with Lay Public

Breakfast talk gives BSF members the chance to connect over the latest science that promises to change brain tumor diagnosis and treatment

The Brain Science Foundation will be providing its members with breakfast and a lecture delivered by top researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital (and affiliate institutions) in terms understandable to the lay public.

The quarterly event titled, BSF's Breakfast at the Brigham, will be held at the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), as a series of intimate round table sessions that will provide clear and accurate information on the latest brain tumor initiatives underway at the BWH Department of Neurosurgery, and will address attendee questions on advances that could change the face of brain tumor research.

Additionally, the event will give researchers the opportunity to inform a small group of BSF members on the opportunities and challenges that comprise the increasingly competitive scientific environment. Such insight will enable members to better understand the dynamics that ultimately determine the prioritization of research projects and influence their timelines.

The first breakfast event, to be held at 8:00 am on Thursday, February 5th, 2009, and titled, “Looking for Brain Tumor Genes: What's New,” will feature a lecture by BWH neurosurgeon and Yale professor, Dr. Elizabeth Claus, PhD, regarding the latest methods of looking for genes (family and population-based) for both meningioma and glioma. Dr. Claus will also discuss latest developments from the Meningioma Consortium, the families she has found and the analyses she is planning, as well as an overview on the GLIOGENE project.

This event is by invitation only; however, if you are interested in attending, please contact BWH senior project manager, Tammy Gilson-Hodge at TGILSON-HODGE@PARTNERS.ORG or
617-525-8395. A schedule for future breakfast briefings will be posted in the weeks ahead.

BSF principal investigators at the BWH participate in many educational activities for the lay, clinical, and business community, including public lectures, media sessions, and science pieces for the lay and medical press.

Breakfast at the Brigham will feature these experts in an open forum that will encourage dialog around the science and issues that are critical to improved treatments and quality of life. Bridging the gap between the brain tumor research community and the lay public is an important aspect of the BSF's mission, since public and private support for this research is crucial for success.