Advancing science through education and synergy 

Highlights from the Asian & Oceanian SYNERGIES and Basic & Clinical Science School on Genetics

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This year, the MDS-Asian and Oceanian Section (AOS) organized a series of educational programs to provide updates on basic and translational genetic discoveries with an emphasis on their relevance and impact to current and future clinical care of patients with movement disorders, while promoting research enthusiasm and clinician-scientist collaborations among MDS-AOS members.  

The program series kicked off with the MDS-AOS Virtual SYNERGIES (Symposium for Young Neurologists and Emerging Researchers Gathering for Interaction and Excellence in Science) on June 27-28, 2024. SYNERGIES is a platform for talented early-career clinicians and scientists to showcase their work as an international Junior Faculty, promoting their emergence as experts and leaders in clinical and scientific research aspects of movement disorders. This important initiative was conceptualized by Professor Dr. Carolyn Sue and pioneered at the Asian and Oceanian Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Congress (AOPMC) in Manila, Philippines in 2016. This highly successful and well-received symposium was subsequently in Sydney, Australia, in 2017; Seoul, South Korea in 2018; Bangkok, Thailand in 2019; and virtually in 2021. 

Excitingly, SYNERGIES 2024 featured 22 shortlisted Junior Faculty members from 10 AOS countries, who delivered engaging lectures covering various topics from diagnostic approach to biomarkers and treatment options for patients with parkinsonism and rare movement disorders. This year's senior faculty members included Profs./Drs. Pramod Pal, Shen-Yang Lim, Alastair Noyce, Carolyn Sue, Chin-Hsien Lin, and Eng King Tan, who provided helpful guidance in academic career development, including tips for success in scientific presentations, publications, and grant writing. This highly interactive symposium also attracted nearly 100 AOS members who joined online as listening participants.

Soon thereafter, the MDS-AOS Basic and Clinical Science School on Genetics (July 13-14, 2024) was back-to-back with the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) Regional Investigators Meeting (July 11-12, 2024) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, showcasing a highly fruitful collaboration between the MDS-AOS, GP2, and the Malaysian Movement Disorders Council. The School was attended by 174 delegates from 28 countries, with regional representation from Southeast Asia (91), East Asia (21), South Asia (20), North & Central Asia (9), Australasia (9), and the Middle East (6), along with participants from Africa, Europe, and North America (18).  

With the theme "Genetics in Parkinson's disease: From basic research to the clinic," the School started with a series of plenary lectures by an esteemed panel of experts on understanding the genetic architecture of PD and atypical parkinsonian disorders, as well as current and future applications of genetic-based discoveries in PD. Besides scientific updates, the School also provided opportunities for delegates to learn from the personal journeys of inspiring scientists in the field — Dr. Andrew Singleton and Professor Dario Alessi regarding their remarkable discovery of the LRRK2 gene and its protein function, and Professors Pramod Pal and Carolyn Sue regarding their impactful contributions to neurogenetics research in Asia and Oceania. Another highlight of the School was the excellent talks delivered by the top three voted SYNERGIES Junior Faculty members, Drs. Divyani Garg (India), Joshua Ooi (Malaysia), and Adrian De Leon (the Philippines) on infection-related movement disorders, PRKN-related PD, and X-linked dystonia parkinsonism, respectively. 

The first day concluded with a networking high tea, offering attendees the opportunity to interact with fellow delegates and faculty members while enjoying an array of delectable Malaysian cuisine. It was an evening of joy and celebration, where all SYNERGIES Junior Faculty members were presented with their award certificates, while everyone had fun participating in the lucky draw with many unique local prizes. On Day 2, the hands-on “Genetics 101 for Clinicians and Non-Geneticists" skills workshop provided valuable step-by-step guidance on genetic testing, counselling, and interpretation of genetic results. To enhance the learning experience, each lecture was followed by a breakout session where participants solved clinico-genetic cases under the guidance of dedicated facilitators. The School ended on a high note, with delegates expressing improved confidence in tackling "genetics" in clinical and/or research scenarios. 

We want to express our deepest gratitude to all our dedicated Faculty members who have worked wonderfully together to deliver a high-quality and engaging scientific program: Alastair Noyce (UK), Andrew Singleton (USA), Artur F. Schumacher-Schuh (Brazil), Azlina Ahmad-Annuar (Malaysia), Carolyn Sue (Australia), Chin-Hsien Lin (Taiwan), Christine Klein (Germany), Dario Alessi (UK), Esther Sammler (UK), Ignacio Keller Sarmiento (USA), Ignacio Mata (USA), Katja Lohmann (Germany), Kishore Kumar (India), Lara Mariah Lange (Germany), Pramod Pal (India), and Shen-Yang Lim (Malaysia), as well as to the MDS Staff, particularly Emily Santeler, Annette Schott, and Maddy Kolb, for their invaluable help and support. We sincerely thank all the delegates for joining us in Kuala Lumpur and helping make the MDS-AOS Basic and Clinical Science School a resounding and memorable learning and networking success. We have enjoyed meeting each of you and wish you all the very best in your career and research journey.  

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