Volume 11, Issue 2 - Barth Syndrome Foundation

A Continuum of Collaboration
Barth Syndrome 2012 Scientific and Medical Sessions
(Cont’d from page 1)
The BSF has always eagerly sponsored the SciMed sessions of the
Conference. There is a small group of BSF volunteers who work very hard
in advance of the meeting to make sure that all the invitees feel welcome
and are taken care of (herding cats comes to mind). For the 2002, 2006 and
2010 Conferences, the BSF was able to secure funding from the National
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these SciMed sessions. The BSF has applied to the NIH for funding the
2012 SciMed sessions as well. In 2010 and in other conference years,
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in their own countries, while several invitees generously paid their own
expenses to attend. Financial sponsorship of the SciMed sessions — from
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and valuable Conference to advance the progress of and communication
about Barth syndrome (BTHS) research.
A large part of the program for the SciMed sessions comes from the BSF Research Grant Recipients and other researchers
doing work on BTHS. All of the recent BSF Research Grant Recipients for the previous two years are invited to come to the
meeting and tell us about their work and what it means for the future. In addition to this resource, several members of the
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sessions. We try to include a keynote speaker at each Conference who will interest attendees from both the Family and the
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a part of the NIH) and a great friend of the BSF, Stephen C. Groft, Pharm.D, will be our keynote speaker. Dr. Groft will speak
on how ORDR and the NIH are expanding translational research activities in the growing area of rare disease research and
how these efforts have become an important part of the continuing evolution of the NIH as the premier biomedical research
funding organization in the world.
Poster Sessions
The Poster sessions have developed into another exciting part of the Conference. The Poster session allows both the
SciMed and Family attendees to meet with the researchers in an informal setting — a setting conducive to education and
relationship building. It is a rewarding development of these Conferences and of the Poster sessions in particular, to see
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from just such personal encounters, and we expect 2012 to continue this important work. Often the Poster sessions are the
primary area where the younger members of the BTHS research community are exposed not only to other researchers,
but to BTHS individuals and their families. These interactions play a vital part in advancing and invigorating our research
community for now and in the future.
New for 2012 is the offering of scholarship opportunities for young physicians to attend the SciMed sessions. We have
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that we wanted to institute a parallel program for young medical doctors. So, in response to the need to increase physician
recruitment and involvement, this new program is intended to help encourage physicians and other healthcare providers,
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ways to increase the quality of their treatment. By combining motivated researchers with caring healthcare providers, the
BSF seeks to make real advances in improving the future of BTHS individuals and their families.
Scholarships and Poster Stipends
BSF is pleased to be able to continue to offer stipends for those SciMed attendees who present posters. As
described above, this year BSF also will offer a scholarship program for young healthcare professionals to attend
the 2012 Conference. Both stipend programs are designed to defray the cost of attending the Conference and
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information and forms related to poster presenters and to the stipend programs are available on the BSF website at
www.barthsyndrome.org. (Photo courtesy of Cherie Schrader ~ BSF 2010 Conference)
Barth Syndrome Journal ~ Volume 11, Issue 2 Page 5