Mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified as an important factor in diseases ranging from neurodegenerative conditions (ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Disease), epilepsy, psychiatric illness and autism, to cardiovascular disease, liver/kidney disease, diabetes and cancer. The wide-ranging impact of mitochondria in so many diseases makes them prime targets for therapeutics.   Additionally, medications for many diseases cause unwanted toxicity to the mitochondria. Mitochondrial toxicity is one of the leading causes of attrition in the drug development process, as well as in post-market drug withdrawals. Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction & Toxicity (the first conference of its kind in the US) will present the latest research in new targeting pathways, novel therapeutics, and methods to decrease or eliminate mitochondrial toxicity when developing therapeutics for many indications.

Speakers include:

• Martin Picard, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Researcher, Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania
• Pilar M. Corena-McLeod, Ph.D., Neuropsycopharmacology Laboratory, Mayo Clinic
• Noah Walton, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, CNS, Astellas Research Ins
• Robert L. Elliott, M.D., Ph.D., Elliott-Barnett-Head Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center
• Paola Marignani, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University
• Andreas Wiederkehr, Ph.D., Head, Mitochondrial Research, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Switzerland
• Jerry R. Colca, Ph.D., President and CSO, Metabolic Solutions Development Company
• Yvonne Will, Ph.D., Compound Safety Prediction- WWMC, Cell Based Assays and Mitochondrial Biology, Pfizer R&D
• Nagendra Nadava, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute