ScienceView | GeNeDis 2014 – A great success!

For four days the beautiful island of Corfu, Greece has been the epicenter of neurodegenerative diseases, as many exciting news kept emerging between 10-13 April at the 1st World Congress on Geriatrics and Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Genedis 2014.

These news is believed to have an impact on the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. The scientific team of the Department of Informatics of the Ionian University, Greece, presented for the first time the mechanics of the birth of Parkinson’s disease, bringing high hopes for its suspension. Furthermore, a Bioinformatics and Human Electrophysiology Laboratory started operating in the Department of Informatics and it was also declared that a diagnostic center for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease will be established in Corfu.

All the findings and news that emerged from Genedis 2014 will be soon presented to the European Commission, as the Commissioner for Research & Innovation, Ms. Marie Geoghegan-Quinn has invited the organising committee, Department of Informatics of Ionian University and Science View, in Brussels in order to inform her on the results of the Congress.

The success of Genedis 2014 is also indicated by the fact that for the first time in Greece a congress brought together world known experts for many different scientific fields, ranging from basic science to clinical and pharmaceutical developments, who actually established an international forum for the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices and care initiatives. Leading scientists and experts, students, physicians and nurses, professionals and many other participants discussed the latest major challenges, new drug targets, the development of new biomarkers, imaging techniques, novel protocols for early diagnosis of neurogenerative diseases and several other scientific achievements.

Among the scientists who came to Corfu for GeNeDis 2014 were: Prof. Nikolaos Robakis (Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and experimental therapeutics. First A.P. Slaner Professor for Alzheimer disease research. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NYU, USA), Prof. George Paxinos (AO DSc FASSA FAA NHMRC Australia Fellow, Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker St and Hospital Rd, Randwick, Sydney, Australia), Prof. Benjamin Wolozin (Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Boston University), Prof. Arno Villringer (Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig), Prof. Panteleimon Giannakopoulos (Faculté de médecine, Université de Genève), Prof. Vasilis Ntziachristos (Institute for biological and medical imagingm Technische Universität München), Prof. Constantin Bouras (University of Geneva), and others.

During Genedis 2014, the partcipants had the opportunity to attend an innovative Neuroscience Opera by Oded Ben-Horin, Associate Professor, Stord Haugesund University College, Norway. Oded Ben-Horin is the idea developer of the Write a Science Opera (WASO) educational concept which is based on the widespread Write an Opera methodology, as part of the EU programme CREAT-IT.

In addition, the participants attended an painting exhibition titled “Science in Art”, by Mrs Polina Simou, doctoral candidate at the Department of Arts, Audio & Visual of Ionian University.

The great success of the 1st World Congress on Geriatrics and research & prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, GeNeDis 2014, laid the foundations for its continuation on an annual basis, and the participants made a promise to meet again next Spring.

Genedis 2014 was held under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Health and was supported by the European Commission and the Commissioner for Research and Innovation Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. The Congress was organised by the Ionian University and Science View and co-organised by the Hellenic Open University, Greece, University of Salento, Italy, and Region of Ionian Islands, Greece. It was also supported by many medical associations and societies.

GeNeDis 2014 proceedings will be published by Springer in the Series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (AEMB), 2012- Impact Factor: 1.825.