FightMND Scientific Seminar Series
Tuesday 26th March,2024 12.00pm (AEDT)
An online scientific seminar series focused on MND Research. Hear from national experts and emerging leaders in MND research including the latest clinical trials, drug developments, pre-clinical models, discovery research and collaborative platforms. Learn, connect and share with the Australian MND research community.
For enquiries related to the seminar series, please contact: Dr Sarah Bennett [email protected]
Raymond Houck, Aclipse Therapeutics
M102: a Combined Nrf2 and HSF1 Activator for the Treatment of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and other Neurodegenerative Diseases
Tuesday, March 26th 2024, 12pm AEDT
M102 is a disease-modifying drug candidate for MND that activates Nrf2 and HSF1 signaling pathways, recently understood disease pathways in MND. Aclipse is one of the first companies taking a multiple pathway, multiple disease mechanism approach to MND. With this approach, the development of M102 is aimed at the treatment of all familial and sporadic MND patients. With a strong preclinical data package and extensive experience of the drug development team, M102 will efficiently move into the first-in-human clinical program soon.
Raymond K. Houck is the CEO of Aclipse Therapeutics. Mr Houck is a serial entrepreneur and has been the co-founder of four technology and biopharmaceutical companies. His expertise includes product and business development, sales and marketing, capital markets, M&A processes and recent IPO processes. Most recently, Mr. Houck was the CEO and co-founder of Thar Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage, specialty pharmaceutical company that focused on transforming intravenous drugs into oral drugs for new indications. Thar was acquired by Grünenthal GmbH in 2016. Mr. Houck holds an MS in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.
Future Seminars
March 26, 2024 – Raymond Houck, Aclipse Therapeutics
April 23, 2024 – Dr Alan Yu, The Florey
May 28, 2024 – TBC
June 25, 2024 – Prof Lawrence Steinman, Stanford University
Past Seminars
February 27, 2024 – Richard Cave
November 28 – Prof Anthony Akkari and Dr Loren Flynn
October 2023 – Prof Paul Talman and Ms Anjali Henders
September 2023 – Dr Rebecca San Gil
July 2023 – A/Prof Kelly Williams and Dr Lyndal Henden
May 2023 – A/Prof Joe Nicolazzo
April 2023 – Dr Avindra Nath, M.D.
February 2023 – Dr Frederik Steyn
November 2022 – A/Prof Mary-Louise Rogers
October 2022 – A/Prof Bradley Turner
September 2022 – Dr Thanuja Dharmadasa
February Seminar 2024
Richard Cave
27th February, 2024
How people living with MND use personalized automated speech recognition technology to support conversation
Voice banking technology allows people living with MND to preserve their voice for continued communication. Richard will outline his work in the field of automated speech recognition technology (ASR) and how it may benefit people living with MND. He will discuss some of the current strengths and weaknesses of the technology, as well as his current research to advance ASR and its implications for the adoption of technology. Richard welcomes discussion and questions as part of his presentation.
Richard Cave is a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) and PhD candidate at UCL in London. He provides specialist SLT consultancy to Google’s Project Relate, Project Euphonia, Look To Speak projects amongst others, facilitating co-design with people living with MND, head and neck cancer, laryngectomy, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke and many other conditions. Richard works with the MND Association and is a Clinical Ambassador to the Mouth Cancer Foundation – a non-profit in the UK. He is a National adviser for voice banking and MND to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and was awarded the Allied Health Professional recognition award for 2022 by the International Alliance of ALS Associations.