Transverse Myelitis Network Gathering at Spinal Life Australia

By Jeanette Kretschmann

Spinal Life Australia

Dr. Cynthia Wang was our guest speaker at our annual event and joined us via video link from Dallas, Texas to present an update to our Transverse Myelitis Network members across Australia and New Zealand.

Dr. Wang is currently a James T. Lubin fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Greenberg at the University of Texas Southwestern and Children’s Health.

Dr. Wang spoke on:

1. Learning about the disease – What do we now know? An overview of Transverse Myelitis, CAPTURE study, Acute Flaccid Myelitis, MOG antibody syndrome.

2. Finding treatments for the disease – What can we now do? NMOSD drugs, Remyelinating drugs, Remyelinating stem cells.

3. The Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association: Eclipse Fund, Family Camp.

Sixteen members and partners attended in-person at our Brisbane office along with five members joining us via their home computers. Dr. Wang explained the nervous system could be quite complicated and gave us an analogy about the spine being a highway connecting the brain to the muscles that control the body and the nerves that produce sensations.

A question and answer session brought some interesting questions from both the in-person audience and the online participants.

We thank Dr. Wang for graciously giving up her Sunday evening to talk to us. Special thanks also go to Jim Lubin whose expertise with linking us all together is fantastic, along with many thanks to SRNA for making this all possible. We received wonderful feedback from people around Australia and New Zealand who shared the day with us. For anyone interested in Dr. Wang’s recording of the day, it can be found here: https://tma.ong/2JztLGG

Lunch and networking were enjoyed by all. Three new members joined us for the first time and were welcomed by long-standing members who attend every year.