The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) has been honored as the recipient of the National Achievement Award, given by the board of directors at the Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) for its work on advocating for funding of stem cell research. The award will be presented at “The Stem Cell Summit,” which is a joint project of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Burrill Life Sciences Media Group, and GPI. The summit is a two-day event, to be held October 2-3 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.
“Because human embryonic stem cell research (hESCR) is critical to advancing understanding of and treatments for Parkinson’s disease, the Parkinson’s community is dedicated to expanding the current federal policy that has limited this research,” said PAN CEO Amy Comstock Rick. “PAN advocates have been instrumental in the passage of stem cell legislation several times in the House and Senate. They continue to work to expand the current policy on hESCR.”
PAN has been active in pushing several pieces of legislation in the past few years that would have greatly furthered the federal funding of stem cell research. These bills included the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (H.R. 810), approved by the House in 2005 and the Senate in 2006, only to be vetoed by President Bush. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (H.R. 3, S.5) was passed by the House and Senate, but also vetoed by the President. PAN also took a stand against S.30, the HOPE Act. This bill was functionally stopped in 2007.
“The National Achievement Award goes to the organization that has made the greatest impact in promoting awareness of the lifesaving cause of stem cell research,” said Bernard Siegel, J.D., executive director of GPI. “Without a doubt, PAN has been at the forefront of the battle for many years and has made a huge difference since its inception in 1991. PAN is paving the way to one day make it possible to cure diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, and Diabetes.”
The Stem Cell Summit will focus on the future of stem cell research and its potential to advance treatments for millions suffering from devastating medical conditions. For more information or to register, please visit www.thestemcellsummit.com.
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