Spring 2009 - MSConnection

Page 11

CHAPTER NEWS

We walked on the wild side in Phoenix. We walked on the wild side for the first time in Prescott. And now, our walk season has finally drawn to a close with the 16th Annual walk MS: Tucson Walk on the Wild Side. The 1st walk MS: Prescott Walk on the Wild Side had 270 walkers, 39 teams and raised $24, 645! The 21st annual walk MS: Phoenix Walk on the Wild Side had 3,707 walkers, 287 teams and raised $357,473.97! The 16th annual walk MS: Tucson Walk on the Wild Side had 724 walkers, 57 teams and raised $62,920.11! Thanks to everyone who participated in these events as walkers and volunteers. Without your dedication to moving towards a world free of multiple sclerosis, these events wouldn’t have been possible. The money raised through our walk events continue to fund important Arizona Chapter programs, services, advocacy efforts and fund MS research initiatives. 10 JOIN THE MOVEMENT: nationalMSsociety.org

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Mark Your Calendars ! As this walk season is ending, next years walk season is getting ready to begin. We’re excited to announce our dates for the Prescott and Phoenix walks coming up this fall! The 2nd annual walk MS: Prescott Walk on the Wild Side will be held on : Saturday, October 17, 2009 The 22nd annual walk MS: Phoenix Walk on the Wild Side will be held on: Saturday, November 7, 2009 Stay tuned for details and registration information for these as well as our other upcoming events:

MS Awareness Night with the Phoenix Coyotes April 11, 2009 - 5:00 p.m. Jobing.com Arena Join the Phoenix Coyotes, the National MS Society - Arizona Chapter and those living with MS for the season finale game vs. division rival Anaheim Ducks.

Corks and Chords 2009 September 12, 2009 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Mayo Clinic Join the Arizona Chapter for our 3rd Annual Corks and Chords, an evening of wine and music to end MS.

Last fall, nearly 100 Societysponsored young research fellows met in Chicago to share information, generate new ideas, and strengthen their commitment to MS research.

Moving to the next level

Held in conjunction with the Society’s National Conference, the Tykeson Conference offered young scientists a chance to meet people who live with MS every day.

NEWLY DIAGNOSED

walk MS Updates and New Dates Announced

MS Historic conference motivates new MS researchers

The Tykeson Fellows “You can read about MS in Conference featured talks medical papers,” said fellow by 21 fellows, in addition to Jennifer Kanter, PhD (Harvard presentations from more University, Boston), “but what The conference was seasoned investigators, sponsored by a generous you learn from talking to including a keynote address by contribution from Donald someone with the disease is so Stanford University’s Lawrence Tykeson, Honorary Life much more real.” She knows this Director of the Society’s personally because her father Steinman, MD. National Board of had MS. Directors, with additional Presenters analyzed what is support from Avanir known about the development Dr. Kanter does the 50-mile Pharmaceuticals, Biogen of MS—and the roles played Challenge Walk MS with her Idec, Genentech, and the by genes and the immune mother and sister. At the Society’s Wisconsin system. Fellows discussed their National Conference she Chapter. work on strategies to stop MS encouraged her colleagues immune attacks, including: to participate in the Society’s WalkMS and BikeMS events. “If you want to feel the ∫ Yueting Zhang, PhD (Mount Sinai School happiness that you get when an experiment of Medicine), who presented findings from goes well, go to a Society event—you’ll feel a team led by her mentor Gareth John, it every time!” VetMB, PhD, on an immune messenger protein called interleukin-11 that Moving forward promotes the survival and maturation of “This first-ever Tykeson Fellows Conference myelin-making cells. was a resounding success,” said Patricia O’Looney, PhD, vice president of Biomedical ∫ Philip L. De Jager, MD, PhD (Brigham & Research at the Society, who is already Women’s Hospital), who reported on his planning the next meeting. team’s finding that CD58, a possible MS susceptibility gene, appears to contain genetic variations that affect inflammation and nerve degeneration separately, suggesting that they might be two different genetic processes.

The second Tykeson Fellows Conference will be held in 2010 in conjunction with the joint annual meeting of the Consortium of MS Centers and ACTRIMS (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in MS). TOLL FREE NUMBER 1 800 344 4867 11 3/18/2009 10:26:46 AM


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