Special LMNN Seminar - Journey Round My Brain

 
In this talk Benjamin Stecher takes the audience through his journey investigating the neurodegenerative disease research field from his own diagnosis up to the present day. Along the way he highlights the key lessons learned as he traveled the world, going from one lab to the next, learning from some of the best minds in the field, and covers some pitfalls in humanity’s attempts to treat our degenerating brains. The talk is designed to challenge the audience to think critically about the intersection between biomedical science and society and proposes ways to improve outcomes for those living with neurodegenerative diseases.

Bio

Benjamin Stecher was born in Nairobi, Kenya but grew up just outside Toronto, Canada. He studied history and philosophy at the University of Guelph, but as soon as he graduated he took off and spent most of the next decade living and working in East Asia as an education consultant.
All that changed when, at 29 years old, Benjamin was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The promising future he had been building towards suddenly faded and was replaced by a gloomy fog of uncertainty and despair. As his disease progressed, he realized that he needed to come back home to learn how to better manage his disease.

But, as he started visiting labs and attending conferences, he soon found himself enthralled by the rampant pace at which biomedical science has progressed in the 21^st century. He spent the next couple of years traveling the world visiting research centers and pharmaceutical companies to learn from the top minds in the field all that he could about this disease and what therapies were on the horizon.

He now speaks regularly at academic centers and biotech companies on issues related to neurodegenerative diseases, research advocacy and healthcare. He is also the founder of Tomorrow Edition (tmrwedition.com), and a patient advisor to several organizations including the Toronto Western Hospital Movement Disorder Clinic and the World Parkinson's Congress. Benjamin has also authored several peer-review papers and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Parkinson’s.

https://epfl.zoom.us/j/969095339