Macklin Mini-Fellowship in Ataxia Edification

The Gordon and Marilyn Macklin Foundation and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Ataxia Resource Core (JHARC) are pleased to sponsor the 2008 competition for the Macklin Mini-Fellowships in Ataxia Edification. Cerebellar ataxia is characterized by incoordination of gait, speech, and/or eye-movements and may result from a variety of causes, including genetic disease, toxic/metabolic/infectious agents, stroke, tumors, and unidentified factors. Although cerebellar ataxia has a significant impact on the lives of patients and their families, treatment options are limited. This mini-fellowship is designed to promote ataxia awareness among the most promising young individuals who are in the process of exploring or defining their future career goals.

Macklin Fellows will be invited to attend the 25th Annual Medical Meeting of the Chesapeake Chapter of the National Ataxia Foundation, which will be held on Saturday, February 16th, 2008, in the Theater Arts Building auditorium at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. We are proud to welcome this year's keynote speaker, Mr. Bill Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy, The Eyes of Nye), who will help us to celebrate the inauguration of the JHARC Clinical Coordination Center. Mr. Nye will be joined by representatives from patients' families, research laboratories, and the medical community to discuss various aspects of the ataxia experience. Fellows will be invited to a special session with the speakers and donors, and will also be provided with ample opportunity to meet with patients and their families on a personal basis. We expect to award mini-fellowships to approximately 16 applicants from the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. Minority applications are encouraged.

For more information about ataxia and related issues, please visit the official website of the National Ataxia Foundation at http://www.ataxia.org/.

Application procedure: Please submit a curriculum vitae to ataxiaresearch@jhu.edu. with 'Macklin Mini-Fellowship Application' in the subject line. A cover letter should state what you hope to learn from this conference and how individuals can change the future for ataxia.

Deadline: Applications must be received by January 31, 2008. Winners will be notified by e-mail on February 4, 2008.

Other attendees: All individuals, whether or not selected for the mini-fellowships, are welcome to attend the meeting. Please indicate interest in attending and your transportation situation (Do you need or can you provide a ride to and from the meeting?) by submitting an e-mail to ataxiaresearch@jhu.edu with 'Meeting attendance' in the subject line.