Huntington Disease Summit
Introduction

Today HD affected families in India face a plethora of challenges in dealing with the disease with meagre institutional support. Clinicians and health care professionals face their own challenges in treating, in keeping abreast with the rapidly evolving guidelines. This HD conference is the first in India to discuss the important aspects of HD for the benefit of affected families and the involved professionals. This event will be graced by the president of IHA, the president of EHA, founding director of George Huntington institute besides prominent clinicians and therapists from India

Objectives

  1. To bring about changes in the model of care, attitudes, protocols for treatment and give boost for HD research in India.
  2. Formal announcement of the HD society for India, a platform through which all the stakeholders work together with shared objectives and vision.

Venue

Conference Hall, MV Govindaswamy building. NIMHANS, hosur road, Bengaluru 560029

Dates

August 16th & August 17th 2019

Themes of the Conference

  1. HD clinical aspects, latest pharmaco-non-pharmacotherapy guidelines for treatment
  2. Ethics involved in HD diagnosis (symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, pre-natal) and importance of genetic counselling
  3. Research in HD, latest drug trials, hope for the future
  4. Unmet needs of HD patients and the need for improved health services (Patient’s perspectives) through policy changes.
  5. Establishment of HDSi, aims, objectives, road map for next 2 years- Press meet

PROGRAMME

Day 1: 16thAugust 2019
8.30 am onwards
Registration
Inauguration and Lighting of the Lamp
9.30 -10.40am
Invocation/Director’s address /HOD address/ Inauguration of HDSI Address by Founder member of HDSI : Dr Nayana Shah
HD: the international perspective : Mr Svein Olaf Olsen
HD experience in GCAT clinic : Dr Sanjeev Jain
Tea Break (10.40-11.00AM)
Clinical Services and care for HD in India
Chairs:Dr Sanjeev Jain & Dr Ravi Yadav
11.00-11.50am
HD experience at the NIMHANS Clinic : Prof Pramod Pal
HD experience in Kolkata : Dr Hrishikesh Kumar
Present and future prospects for HD treatment
Chairs: Dr Vijay Chandru & Prof Sharat Chandra
12.00- 12.50pm
Clinical trials – Nuts and bolts: Dr Ralf Reilmann
Open platform for Rare diseases: Dr Vijay Chandru
1.00-1.30pm
Update on treatment guidelines for HD
Panel Discussion : Dr RalfReilmann,Dr Sanjeev Jain, Dr Pramod Pal & Dr Hrishikesh Kumar
Lunch break with posters(1.30-2.30PM)
HD diaries
2.30-4.30pm
Dr Meenakshi Bhat: Introduction of ethical issues in late onset disorders
Compiled narrative of patient experiences : Ms Bhakti and Mr Vikas Bhat
Panel : Ms Astri Arnesen, Dr Hrishikesh Kumar, Dr Meenakshi Bhat
Tea break (4.30-5.00 PM)
Patient narratives contd.
Chairs: Dr Nikhil Ratna and Dr Meera Purushottam
5.00-5.40pm
The European HD family experience: Ms Astri Arnesen & Mr Svein Olaf Olsen
Caring for a patient with dementia: Wing Cmdr Sabbarwal
Day 2: 17thAugust 2019
9.00am – onwards
Registration
Genetics of Huntington’s disease
Chairs: Prof Sharat Chandra/Dr Ralf Reilman ; Dr. Gautham Arunachal & Dr Sanjeev Jain
9.30-10.00 am
HD genetics, history and geography; the road ahead : Dr Sanjeev Jain
10-10.40 am
Genetic Diagnostics & Ethical Issues: Dr Meera Purushottam & Dr Nikhil Ratna
Pre implantation genetics, prenatal counseling: Dr Sridevi Hegde
Tea break (10.40-11.00am)
Support for HD
Chair: Dr Meera Purushottam
11.00-12.20pm
Outcome and co-morbidities in HD : Dr Nitish Kamble
HD rehabilitation and care: Dr B K Yamini
IHA organization and support for HDSI : Mr Svein Olaf Olsen
EHA – model/insights for patient support group: Ms Astri Arnesen
12.30-1.30pm
Question answer session
Lunch break with posters (1.30-2.30PM)
2.30-3.00pm
Travails and Victories of Thalassemia Patient Groups: From Disability Bill to
Free Medicines : Dr Namitha Kumar
3-3.20pm
HD treatment – is Insurance available? : Ms Vijayalakshmi Magal
3.20-3.40pm
Targeting mutant huntingtin toxicity by DNA aptamers and small molecules: Dr Ravi Vijayvargia
3.40-4.00pm
Questions and Answers
4.30-5.00pm
Concluding Session
High tea for all participants(5.00-5.30pm)
5:30-6:30pm
HDSI, aims, objectives, road map ahead (HDSI board members and advisors)

List of Speakers

Dr Ralf Reilmann,Founding director, George-Huntington-Institute, Muenster, GermanyDr Nayana Shah,Director, Manthan- Centre for Human and Organization Development,Ahmedabad, INDIA
Mr Svein Olaf Olsen,President, The International Huntington´s Association, Norway
Ms Astri Arnesen, President, European Huntington Association, Norway
Dr Sanjeev Jain, Professor,Molecular genetics laboratory, Dept of Psychiatry, NIMHANS
Dr Pramod Pal, Professor,Department of Neurology, NIMHANS
Dr Hrishikesh Kumar, Head,Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurosciences, KolkataDr Vijay Chandru,co-Founder & Director at Strand Life Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, IndiaDr Sridevi Hegde,Head, Department of Medical Genetics, Manipal Hospital,Bengaluru
Prof H Sharat Chandra,Honorary Director, Centre for Human Genetics, Bengaluru
Dr Meenakshi Bhat,Faculty, Centre for Human genetics, Bengaluru.
Dr Ravi Yadav,Professor, Department of Neurology, NIMHANS.
Dr Nitish Kamble, Assoc ProfessorDepartment of Neurology, NIMHANS
Dr B K Yamini, Asst Professor, Department of Speech pathology, NIMHANS
Dr Namitha Kumar, Scientist,Centre for health Ecologies and Technology (CHET), BangaloreDr Meera Purushottam, Senior Scientific officer, Molecular Genetics lab, Dept of PsychiatryDr Nikhil Ratna,Doctoral Student, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, NIMHANS
Dr Ravi Vijayvargia,Department of Biochemistry, M .S. University of Baroda
Dr Gautham Arunachal, Asst Professor, Department of Human genetics, NIMHANS
Ms Vijaylakshmi Magal,Insurance Consultant and Trainer, Bengaluru

Organizing Committee

Dr Sanjeev Jain
Dr Pramod Pal
Dr Nitish Kamble
(Dr Yamini
Dr Selva Ganapathy
Dr Priya Thomas
Dr Meera