Tampa, FL (Feb. 2, 2011) — Some of the country’s leading physicians and researchers in the fields of Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis will gather later this month for a conference to discuss the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of these neurological disorders.

“Innovations & Insights: Parkinson’s Disease & Multiple Sclerosis,” sponsored by USF Health, will be held Feb. 19 and 20, 2011, at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

The conference is directed to neurologists, neurosurgeons, primary care and geriatric physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, physician assistants, social workers and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.

Among the speakers (Feb. 19) will be Robert Hauser, MD, MBA, director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at the University of South Florida, which is designated a National Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. The USF center recently became one of 16 official U.S. study sites for the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative, a landmark observational clinical study sponsored by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which will use a combination of advanced imaging, biologics sampling and behavioral assessments to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease progression.

Kottil Rammohan, MD, director of the University of Miami Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence, will discuss emerging oral therapies for multiple sclerosis (Feb. 20). Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral drug, Gilenya, to reduce relapses and delay disability progression in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, and more oral therapies are in the pipeline. Existing treatments have typically included either lifelong injections or infusions.

The program is supported by an educational grant from TEVA Neuroscience. For more information, including a full list of speakers and topics, please visit https://cmetracker.net/USF/Files/Brochures/219185.pdf