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Click Here 42 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 26, 2003 ‘Wings of Hope II’ conference might generate some answers By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Bionic brains and other innovative approaches to brain restoration will be discussed Saturday when "Wings of Hope II" convenes in Medford. Researchers will come from as far as South Carolina and Chicago to talk about their work in gene therapy, neural stem cell biology and strategies for saving endangered neurons. The conference is a project of the Ashland-based Margot Anderson Brain Restoration Foundation. Herm and Mardie Edel created the foundation in 1999 in memory of their daughter, who died at age 32 from a brain injury. "It’s our own little way to spread the word" about brain restoration, Herm Edel says. Advertisement The Edels staged the first Wings of Hope two years ago. Along with a day of medical presentations, they organized an evening of entertainment. Proceeds from the event provided about $200,000 for brain research. With another evening of entertainment set to follow this year’s conference, the Edels hope to raise enough money to give away another $150,000. "We’re not any big-shot foundation giving away millions of dollars," Herm Edel says, noting that the foundation’s grants usually range from $10,000 to $30,000. "What we do is spread the word that there’s hope." Although those amounts are small compared to the sums awarded by other foundations, they’re not without value, says Dr. Dennis Bourdette, acting chairman of the neurology department at Oregon Health & Science University. "Those are grants you can consider as seed money for larger grants," Bourdette says. "To compete at the National Institutes of Health for larger grants, you need initial data, and you have to have seed money to get that initial data." The program also provides encouragement for physicians who work with patients with brain ailments, says Dr. Cornelia Byers of Medford. "Wings of Hope was a tremendous boon to me," said Byers, a veteran of 20 years’ work with brain injuries. "Sitting there and listening to those scientists talk about their research infused me with hope again." Bourdette said Wings of Hope gives Southern Oregon residents "an opportunity to hear some world-class research scientists talk about what they’re doing and participate in a fun evening that will raise money for scientists across the country." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Conference participants Wings of Hope II begins at 10 a.m. Saturdayat the Smullin Center at Rogue Valley Medical Center, 2825 E. Barnett Road. The program includes: Theodre Berger, Ph.D., University of Southern California, "Building the Bionic Brain: Unlocking the Brain’s Mathematical Model." Ann-Charlotte Granholm-Bentley, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, "Biological Mechanisms for Memory and Motor Impairment with Aging." Dorothy Kozlowski, Ph.D., DePaul University, "Approaches to Traumatic Brain Injury: Gene Therapy and Neurogenesis." Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., Stanford University, "Stress and Neurodegeneration: Strategies for Saving the Endangered Neuron." Dr. Evan Snyder, Ph.D., Burnham Institute, "Neural Stem Cell Biology and CNS Restoration." A champagne dinner and evening of entertainment at the Rogue Valley Country Club will begin at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the gala will support brain-restoration research. Performers will include Peter Yarrow, Alexander Tutunov, the Oregon Singing Trio, Leslie Kendall, Kurt Bernhardt, the Paul French singers and Deidre Henry. Tickets for the symposium are $75 (including lunch) for the general public and $100 for physicians and healthcare professionals, who will receive continuing medical education credits. Dinner tickets, which include the symposium, are $150. For more information about the event, or to order tickets, please call 608-6323 or visit the Web site at:www.brainrestoration.com Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times