Dr. Sillitoe to present a special keynote lecture at the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation

Dr. Roy Sillitoe, associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine and investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, has been invited by the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) to present a special keynote lecture about his research in dystonia at the DMRF Medical and Scientific Advisory Council (MSAC) in San Antonio, Texas on February 15, 2018.

Dystonia is a movement disorder that affects several hundred thousand adults and children in the U.S. alone. The mission of the DMRF is to advance research to find treatments, to promote awareness and education, and to support the needs and well-being of individuals and families affected by dystonia.

Dr. Sillitoe combines molecular genetics, neuroanatomical tract tracing, and in vivo electrophysiology to investigate the developmental origins of various brain disorders that affect circuit formation. He is particularly interested in the region of the brain called the cerebellum that controls movement in which the dysfunction has been implicated in dystonia. Recently, his laboratory showed deep brain stimulation of a specific group of cells in the cerebellum corrects motor function in a model of dystonia.

The DMRF was founded in 1976 by Samuel and Frances Belzberg, of Vancouver, British Columbia and has grown from a small family-based foundation to a membership-driven organization of approximately 46,000 members. The membership of the DMRF is comprised of individuals living with all forms dystonia, their friends and families, donors, healthcare professionals and researchers.

The DMRF Medical and Scientific Advisory Council is comprised of preeminent scientists in multiple disciplines that include microbiology, genetics, brain circuitry, and epidemiology.

Watch this video to learn more about Dr. Sillitoe’s research on dystonia.