Dystonia Medical Research Foundation

THE MISSION OF THE DMRF IS TO ADVANCE RESEARCH FOR MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS AND ULTIMATELY A CURE FOR DYSTONIA, TO PROMOTE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION AND TO SUPPORT THE WELL BEING OF DYSTONIA AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.

SCIENCE-INCLUDES:ISSUING 3 REQUESTS FOR APPLICATIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, MANAGING THE PEER REVIEW PROCESS OF 31 SUBMITTED GRANT RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AND CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS, SELECTING, FUNDING AND MANAGING 8 RESEARCH GRANTS, 2 RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS, 1 CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP, 1 RESEARCH CONTRACT AND COFUNDING 2 CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS WITH THE DYSTONIA COALITION, ALL AIMED AT CREATING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DYSTONIA, IDENTIFYING AND MODIFYING CARRIER GENES, AND DEVELOPING IMPROVED TREATMENTS AND ULTIMATELY A CURE FOR DYSTONIA; ANDMEETING WITH PHARMACOLOGICAL AND BIOTECH COMPANIES TO ENGAGE THEM IN THE DEVELOPMENTOF TREATMENTS FOR DYSTONIA; ANDPLANNING FOR SAMUEL BELZBERG 6TH INTERNATIONAL DYSTONIA SYMPOSIUM IN 2023; ANDCONTINUED FUNDING OF A CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SUPPORT TRAINING OF PHYSICIANS IN PREPARATION FOR A CLINICAL AND/OR RESEARCH CAREER IN MOVEMENT DISORDERS WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON DYSTONIA; ANDSPONSORING AND PARTICIPATING IN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL PARKINSON'S AND MOVEMENT DISORDERS PAN AMERICAN SECTION MEETING; ANDREVIEWING CURRENT RESEARCH DATA AND EXPLORING STUDIES NEEDED TO ACCELERATE IMPROVED TREATMENTS; ANDSUPPORTING AND MAINTAINING THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES TO ACCELERATE DYSTONIA RESEARCH GLOBALLY SUCH AS THE DYSTONIA BRAIN COLLECTIVE AND GLOBAL DYSTONIA REGISTRY FOR USE BY THE INTERNATIONAL DYSTONIA COMMUNITY.IN ADDITION, DMRF IS SERVING IN ITS TWELTH YEAR WITH NO COMPENSATION AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER FOR THE DYSTONIA COALITION, WHICH, IS A COLLABORATION OF MEDICAL RESEARCHERS AND PATIENT ADVOCACY GROUPS SUPPORTED BY THE OFFICE OF RARE DISEASES RESEARCH IN THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCING TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS) AT THE NIH. THE GOAL OF THE COALITION IS TO ADVANCE THE PACE OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INTO DYSTONIA TO FIND BETTER TREATMENTS AND A CURE. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COALITION ARE TO DEVELOP A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MANY DIFFERENT FEATURES OF DYSTONIA AND HOW THEY CHANGE OVER THE YEARS, TO DEVELOP VALIDATED DIAGNOSTIC STRATEGIES AND RATING TOOLS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING PATIENTS IN CLINICAL TRIALS, TO ESTABLISH A NATURAL HISTORY STUDY BIOREPOSITORY WHERE SAMPLES OF BLOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS CAN BE STORED AND DISTRIBUTED FOR RESEARCH, TO CATALYZE CLINICAL TRIALS FOR PROMISING NEW TREATMENTS AND TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. THE DMRF WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING $557,315 RESTRICTED FOR DYSTONIA COALITION WORK NOT INCLUDED IN THE FOUNDATION'S REVENUES AND EXPENSES.THE DMRF PARTNERED WITH FRONTIERS MEDIA TO LAUNCH "DYSTONIA", THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL DEDICATED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE DISORDER. THE JOURNAL WILL BRING VISIBILITY TO THE GROWING DYSTONIA FIELD AND HIGHLIGHT ADVANCEMENTS IN SCIENCE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. BECAUSE OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC,THE 6TH SAMUEL BELZBERG INTERNATIONAL DYSTONIA SYMPOSIUM WAS RESCHEDULED FROM JUNE 2020 TO JUNE 2023. THE RESCHEDULING HAS BEEN MANAGED BY THE DMRF AND PLANNING FOR THE 2023 PROGRAM CONTINUES. THE DMRF HOSTED A VIRTUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING ENTITLED "DEFINING THE ROLE OF BRAIN NETWORKS IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF DYSTONIA". BY GATHERING TOGETHER A SELECT GROUP OF RESEARCHERS EXPLORING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE, THE DMRF HOPES TO ESTABLISH CONNECTIONS BETWEEN GREAT SCIENTIFIC MINDS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF DYSTONIA.

AWARENESS AND EDUCATION-INCLUDES:PUBLISHING THE "DYSTONIA DIALOGUE" NEWS MAGAZINE THREE TIMES A YEAR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE VOLUNTEER EDITORIAL BOARD AND DISTRIBUTING IT VIA MAIL OR ELECTRONIC COPY TO OVER 50,000 PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND INTERESTED PERSONS TO INFORM THEM OF THE LATEST RESEARCH AND FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES; ANDCREATING AND DISSEMINATING OVER TWENTY-SIX DYSTONIA RELATED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AS WELL AS PROMOTING AND DISTRIBUTING A CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT DYSTONIA AND CD/DVDS TO REQUESTING INDIVIDUALS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE VARIOUS FORMS OF DYSTONIA AND TREATMENT OPTIONS; ANDHOSTING A COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE, ELEVEN WEBINARS, AND ELECTRONIC SOCIAL NETWORKS SUCH AS THE ONLINE DYSTONIA BULLETIN BOARD, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES POSTED ON YOUTUBE TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR AFFECTED PERSONS AND THEIR FAMILIES; ANDCREATING AND DISSEMINATING A MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER AND PERIODIC EMAIL ALERTS TO SHARE INFORMATION ON DYSTONIA RELATED EVENTS, NEWS, AND ACTIVITIES; ANDCREATING AND DISSEMINATING A DYSTONIA AWARENESS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO EMPOWER PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AND INCREASE THE PUBLIC'S AWARENESS OF DYSTONIA; ANDPARTICIPATING IN ADVOCACY TO PROMOTE AWARENESS AMONGST LAWMAKERS ON TOPICS IMPORTANT TO DYSTONIA PATIENTS. SEE SCHEDULE O, PART III 4D FOR DETAILS.

MEMBERSHIP AND SUPPORT-INCLUDES:PLANNING AND SUPPORTING VIRTUAL PATIENT SYMPOSIA AND VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FORUMS ATTENDED BY PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHICH PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT RESEARCH AND TREATMENT OPTIONS AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP PERSONAL NETWORKS AND REDUCE ISOLATION FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY DYSTONIA; ANDCREATING VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL FORUMS FOR DYSTONIA-AFFECTED PERSONS AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND PROMOTING SUPPORT RESOURCES TO AID IN DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE SUCH AS A NETWORK OF SUPPORT GROUPS AND AN ELECTRONIC SOCIAL NETWORK, INCLUDING BULLETIN BOARDS AND TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY DYSTONIA AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES; ANDDEVELOPING 48 SUPPORT GROUPS AND FORUMS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS AN ENDURING RESOURCE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY DYSTONIA AND THEIR FAMILIES; PROVIDING ONGOING LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEER SUPPORT LEADERS BY CREATING ELECTRONIC FORUMS FOR LEADERS TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT; PROVIDING WEBINAR TRAINING AND ONGOING SUPPORT FOR SUPPORT LEADERS, AND DISTRIBUTING A SUPPORT GROUP MANUAL WHICH PROVIDES VALUBLE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES FOR EFFECTIVE SUPPORT LEADERSHIP; ANDPROVIDING MEETING MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SUCH AS EMAIL AND POSTAL NOTIFICATIONS AND A WEB-BASED CALENDAR ABOUT UPCOMING SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS INCLUDING SUPPLYING DYSTONIA BROCHURES TO ALL SUPPORT GROUPS.