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Dr Avindra Nath (NIH intramural study) to give Solve webinar, 21 April

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Registration now open:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/re...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Solve said:
Dr. Avindra Nath received his medical degree from Christian Medical College in India in 1981. He completed a residency in Neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, followed by a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neurovirology at the same institution.

He then obtained a fellowship in Neuro-AIDS at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS).

He held faculty positions at the University of Manitoba (1990-97) and the University of Kentucky (1997-2002).

In 2002, he joined Johns Hopkins University as Professor of Neurology and Director of the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological Infections.

He joined NIH in 2011 as the Clinical Director of NINDS, the Director of the Translational Neuroscience Center and Chief of the Section of Infections of the Nervous System.

His research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of retroviral infections of the nervous system and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for these diseases.

He is the Principal Investigator on NIH’s new intramural study on ME/CFS.
 

geraldt52

Senior Member
Messages
602
"...His research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of retroviral infections of the nervous system..."

Coincidence?
 

viggster

Senior Member
Messages
464
"...His research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of retroviral infections of the nervous system..."

Coincidence?
Not sure what you mean. Nath was chosen to lead the intramural study because he's researched neurological effects of HIV & other viruses. He's also done some work looking at possible endogenous retroviruses in ALS & other neurological disorders.
 

geraldt52

Senior Member
Messages
602
Not sure what you mean. Nath was chosen to lead the intramural study because he's researched neurological effects of HIV & other viruses. He's also done some work looking at possible endogenous retroviruses in ALS & other neurological disorders.
While I accept the fact that mistakes were made in the WPI debacle, I'm still not convinced that CFS is not, or is not in part, a "retroviral infection of the nervous system". I'm troubled with things Judy Mikovits has done and said, but I have trouble dismissing Frank and Sandra Ruscetti. I was just wondering aloud, given his prior work, if there is any deeper meaning that can be gleaned from Nath's selection as the lead for the NIH investigation...
 

Yogi

Senior Member
Messages
1,132
I could not find this on the upcoming events. I assume it starts now 5pm GMT?
 

Yogi

Senior Member
Messages
1,132
6pm BST (in 40 minutes).

Thanks Sasha. Some websites when searching for 'GMT to EST' are stating 5pm and others I now see state 6pm.

BST is one hour ahead of GMT. Ahh I see I should have searched for BST.

DOH ...silly me!!
 

viggster

Senior Member
Messages
464
While I accept the fact that mistakes were made in the WPI debacle, I'm still not convinced that CFS is not, or is not in part, a "retroviral infection of the nervous system". I'm troubled with things Judy Mikovits has done and said, but I have trouble dismissing Frank and Sandra Ruscetti. I was just wondering aloud, given his prior work, if there is any deeper meaning that can be gleaned from Nath's selection as the lead for the NIH investigation...
Well, science is a team sport. If the Ruscettis think they have a new virus, they need to deposit the sequence in GenBank and publish their findings. In absence of public information, the sounds coming out of their mouths can't be evaluated and are pretty close to meaningless.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
image.jpg


Interesting that Dr Nath choose the name myalgic encephalomyelopathy.

But then later on he says myalgic encephalomyelitis.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
image.jpg


Nath comes from a virology background, interested both in immunology and neurology. Current work is zika virus.

Goal is not to become ME expert, goal is to find something.

Study design: any study design is a process in evolution. Things will change as they see necessary (Ex adding another control group)

'We have worldclass expertise' 'we cannot do large studies at NIH, limited beds'

Team member of the study: NIH peeps do not want their name mentioned, others didn't want to be involved at all. Talk about community being antagonistic.

Timeline of study: when you remove control group, got to go to scientific review, go to IRB again. By summer, start enrolling.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
Question and answers:

Would you agree that scientists/dr who pick pts have capacity of bias?
- we will not eliminate everybody's biases. So you design the study so the biases will become irrelevant.
- depressed patient would stand out in the crowd.
- Wrong pt population study would be more important in treatment trials.

Some on NIH study have opinion on somatization...
- my role is I am interested in immunology and that is the research question is what I am interested in. He is designing the study so psych bias will not be important.

will the pts do a 2 days CPET following Stevens protocol?
- he is interested in immunology.
His goal is to study 'fatigued patients' (his expression) exercise them, study immune profile before and after.
He has been asked 'have you talked to this person or that person' he will be talking to a few who claim expertise in the field for a one day seminar

have you spoken to Fluge and Mella?
- i read their study but I can't talk to everyone that publishhes a paper, it doesn't make much sense

Do you have plans to study adrenergic and muscarinic antibodies?
-He has a unique way to look for auto-antibodies to the brain. I am certain we will find autoantibodies to the brain if there are to be find

They are planning to do spinal tabs on 2different occasions, before and after exercise.

Pts will be in hospital for a week. Study will last 2 years.

Pt participation: will the study include pt representative ?
-he is eager to do that however if can get complicated. Feedback is important and he agrees with that but mechanism can get difficult