Brian G. Weinshenker, MD
Dr. Brian G. Weinshenker is Professor of Neurology and Consultant at Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN. Dr. Weinshenker's major research interests are directed at the understanding of inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system including multiple sclerosis including: 1) natural history of multiple sclerosis; 2) defining clinical and radiologic differential diagnosis of inflammatory myelopathy; 3) classification, diagnosis, and treatment of severe inflammatory demyelinating syndromes of the central nervous system including neuromyelitis optica; 4) McArdle’s sign, a recently rediscovered clinical sign that is highly specific for multiple sclerosis. He was awarded the John J. Dystel award for multiple sclerosis research in 2011 by the American Academy of Neurology and National Multiple Sclerosis Society (USA).
Caitlin Hoffman, MD, FACS, FAAP
Dr. Caitlin Hoffman is an award-winning neurosurgeon who specializes in pediatric neurosurgery as well as in adult and pediatric epilepsy surgery. She has completed fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery with a focus on surgical epilepsy and craniofacial disorders. Her clinical research focuses on advancement of minimally invasive approaches toward epilepsy treatment and genomic factors associated with outcome in craniosynostosis. Her academic focus is in surgical and health care disparities with current research focusing on the impact of longitudinal mentorship for under-represented minority pipeline students. She also has a significant interest in global neurosurgery and is co-chair for an international summit on the state and future of global neurosurgery initiatives and is involved in the department’s Tanzania mission to provide training and surgical presence.
Dr. Hoffman has published academic papers in leading journals including Cancer Research, Nature Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics on topics ranging from mechanisms of tumor progression to pediatric cerebrovascular disorders.
Josep Dalmau, MD, PhD, FAAN
Dr. Josep Dalmau received his MD and PhD from the Autonoma University of Barcelona, Spain. He trained in Neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and afterwards was appointed to the faculty. After 11 years at Memorial, he became co-director of Neuro-oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and in 2002 joined the University of Pennsylvania as Professor of Neurology. He is currently ICREA Research Professor at IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic and Adjunct Professor of Neurology at Penn.
Dr. Dalmau’s early work focused on cancer associated neuroimmunologic disorders and evolved with his discovery and characterization of autoimmune encephalitis, a new category of disorders mediated by antibodies to neuronal cell surface and synaptic proteins. This work included uncovering the mechanisms underlying autoimmune encephalitis and the development of the first animal models of these disorders. His research has been continuously funded by agencies including the USA National Institutes of Health, the Spanish Health Institute and the European Commission. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to clinical medicine he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, USA and has received numerous awards including the distinguished George W. Jacoby award (American Neurological Association), the Rey Jaime I Prize (Spain), and the Zülch Prize (Max Planck Society), as well as many career awards and distinguished lectureships. He has been a highly cited researcher (Clarivate Analytics) since 2015. Throughout his career he has mentored numerous junior faculty, fellows, residents and graduate students whom have gone on to develop successful, research careers throughout the world.
Bruce Carleton, FCP, FISPE
Dr. Bruce Carleton has been at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital for 30 years taking care of kids. He is Director of the Med Safe Programme and Chief of the Division of Translational Therapeutics, in the Department of Pediatrics and a Senior Clinician Scientist at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. A Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Genetics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Population & Public Health at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, his work in human genomics is more recent, since 2004. When he isn’t working he can be found boating, hiking, biking and camping around remote locations on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and Hawai’i. The latter of course pre-pandemic. Now his exotic destinations include El Patio de Cabana (his porch) and La Kitchen (sounds more exotic than it is in reality but makes him feel like he is traveling again).
Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, is the group within AstraZeneca focused on rare diseases, created following the 2021 acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. As a leader in rare diseases for nearly 30 years, Alexion is focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions through the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing medicines. Alexion focuses its research efforts on novel molecules and targets in the complement cascade and its development efforts on haematology, nephrology, neurology, metabolic disorders, cardiology, ophthalmology, and acute care. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Alexion has offices around the globe and serves patients in more than 50 countries.
