This Thanksgiving season I again wish to share with you my pride of the accomplishments of our team and to update you on the clinical, research and educational activities of the Parkinson Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine. These achievements would not be possible without the continued support of our patients, friends and colleagues, for which I am so grateful. In addition to providing the most professional, comprehensive and compassionate care for patients with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, we have made substantial contributions in advancing knowledge about the cause and treatment of these disorders. The following are some PDCMDC highlights of the past year.
- According to the April 3, 2006 edition of U.S. News & World Report, Baylor College of Medicine is ranked among the top 10 research medical schools in the country (above Cornell and Columbia) and is one of only 4 medical schools to achieve top 10% ranking in both research and primary care medical school categories and the top 10% ranking in the biological sciences program.
- The BCM Board of Trustees, recognizing the need for expansion and independence, has instructed management to proceed with the development of a detailed plan for building an integrated Baylor Clinic and Hospital near the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. This is part of the planned expansion of the Texas Medical Center, already the world's largest medical center, from 135 acres to 1,000 acres, the size of Manhattan's financial district!
- Our PDCMDC also continues to expand, and in January 2006, Dr. Christopher Kenney joined our faculty in addition to Drs. Ondo and Shahed, and four movement disorders fellows. We also have been allocated much needed additional research and administrative space on the 18th floor of Smith Tower. To highlight these exciting developments we have updated our brochures and a short video.
- Dr. Jankovic, the founder and director of the PDCMDC, was profiled in BCM's online newsletter "Findings".
- An author of over 600 articles/chapters (>100 since 2005), Dr. Jankovic has continued to be listed as a Highly Cited Researcher since 2004. Only four other Baylor physicians have received this honor.
- In addition to serving on the editorial boards of Medlink Neurology, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica; Journal of Neurological Sciences; Current Trends in Neurology; Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics; Dr. Jankovic has been invited to serve on the editorial boards of Neurotoxicity Research, Neurology Today and other boards. He also continues to serve on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the International Tremor Foundation, Tourette Syndrome Association, Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, The Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
- The 5th edition of the book Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, edited by Drs. Jankovic and Tolosa, which includes a CD "Video Atlas of Movement Disorders", was published in September 2006 (www.lww.com). Other books just published or soon to be published include:
- Childress MK, Hallett M, Jankovic J, Silberstein SD. A Multispecialty Guide to the Use of Botulinum Neurotoxins. Neurotoxin Institute, New York, NY, 2006:1-154.
- Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, eds. Neurology in Clinical Practice, 5th Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann (Elsevier), Philadelphia, PA, 2007
- Fahn S, Jankovic J. Movement Disorders for the Clinical Practitioner, Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, 2007
- During the past year, Dr. Jankovic has delivered a number of prestigious lectures, including the First Jay Gorell Memorial Lecture at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, the First William Koller Memorial Lecture, Kansas City Neurology Neurosurgery Society, Kansas City, and the 29th Annual Lewis A. Leavitt, M.D. Memorial Lecture, BCM and The University of Texas, Houston, Texas. He was also honored by his selection as the James W. Stephens Visiting Professor, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Dystonia Visiting Professor, University of Miami. Dr. Jankovic was also invited as a Visiting Professor in the following institutions: Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel, 2005; Basal Ganglia Club of Israel, Tel Aviv, 2005; University of California, San Francisco, CA, 2006; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2006; University of California, San Diego, CA, 2006; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2006; University of Colorado, Denver, CO, 2006; Colorado Society of Clinical Neurologists, Denver, CO, 2006; University of Miami, Miami, FL, 2006; University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, 2006; and University of Washington, Seattle, WA. He also lectured at the International Centre of Biocybernetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland and at the Inaugural Symposium of The Korean Movement Disorders Society, Seoul, South Korea and Busan, South Korea.
- The PDCMDC research investigators have played a prominent role in various national and international symposia, including the World Parkinson Congress, held in February in Washington, DC. Over 20 presentations were made by the PDCMDC team at the 10th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Kyoto, Japan.
- Along with the Parkinson's Research Laboratory, directed by Weidong Le, M.D., Ph.D., this year PDCMDC has published year over 50 scientific articles on the genetics of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, Tourette syndrome and other movement disorders. We have also characterized animal models of Parkinson's disease and have utilized them to study mechanisms of neurodegeneration and test novel therapeutic and neuroprotective strategies. The PDCMDC is one a few selected centers to participate in the study, partly supported by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research, of a novel gene therapy, neurturin, a potent nervous system trophic factor in an attempt to slow or stop Parkinson's disease progression.
Although we have successfully competed for funding for our various research projects, we are particularly grateful to our patients and friends who have contributed generously to our research fund. As the federal support for research is shrinking we increasingly depend on support from the local community and philanthropy. For example, last year have received over $70,000 from Maury Meyer, money he raised during the Dr. Sol J. and Miriam Rogers Memorial Golf Tourney, despite the winds of hurricane Rita. To read the story about this amazing man with Parkinson's disease and the golf tournament designed to raise money to fight the disorder, see the newsletter BCM Findings. We are also grateful for the continued support we have received as Centers of Excellence for the National Parkinson Foundation and the Huntington Disease Society of America.
These are just some of the highlights of our activities and accomplishments over the past year. None of the achievements, however, would have been possible without the untiring efforts of the entire family of dedicated physicians, nurses and other professional staff at the PDCMDC. I know that there is much work still to be done to bring us closer to the goal of finding the cure for these disorders. I am grateful to you for your generous support as we continue to make progress in our fight against these diseases. By continuing to invest in clinical and basic research, breakthroughs in treatment—and a cure—will be forthcoming.
With warm appreciation,
Joseph Jankovic, M.D.