Abstract:

The Bitan Lab focuses on structure-based design of new therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. The laboratory synthesizes novel molecules and explores their potential for diagnostic and therapeutic uses. These synthetic efforts are guided by structural knowledge that is obtained though multifaceted experimental and theoretical studies involving several laboratories in both Massachusetts and California.

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Gal Bitan completed his graduate studies in organic chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ISRAEL. Dr. Bitan's graduate work on unnatural amino acids and non-conventional peptide cyclization methodologies led him to postdoctoral studies on the structural biology of bone-related ligand-receptor systems including Integrins and G protein-coupled receptors at Clark University in Worcester, MA and Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Dr. Bitan then moved on to tackle the problem of protein misfolding and aggregation, which is involved in over 30 amyloid-related diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Prion Diseases (e.g., Mad Cow Disease), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gherig's Disease), and Type-II Diabetes. Working at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, Dr. Bitan has made fundamental contributions to the study of early events in the pathologic cascades that cause Alzheimer's Disease. In Alzheimer's Disease, the amyloid á-protein (Aá) self-associates to form a variety of oligomeric and polymeric structures with potent neurotoxic activities. In particular, Aá oligomers have been implicated as the probable cause of Alzheimer's Disease. For example, Aá oligomers have been found in brains of Alzheimer's Disease patients but not in those of age-matched healthy individuals. Dr. Bitan introduced the use of novel photochemical protein cross-linking techniques for investigation of Aá assembly and discovered one of the earliest oligomers in the assembly cascade, the Paranucleus. In 2003, Dr. Bitan was appointed as an Instructor in Neurology in the Center for Neurologic Disease at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In 2004, Dr. Bitan joined UCLA where he is currently an Associate Professor of Neurology in the David Geffen School of Medicine. In recognition of his achievements, in 2005, Dr. Bitan received the Turken Research Award for the study of Alzheimer's Disease.

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Times:

• 7:00 - 8:00 PM Dinner Hour (fruit and nuts; coffee)

• 8:00 - 9:30 PM Guest Lecture

• 9:30 - 11:30 PM Review of the latest developments in Gerontology over the last four weeks and a review of the AMMG Conference in Hollywood, FL.

Place: Conference Room 159; Boyer Hall at UCLA

Directions: Take the 405 (San Diego Freeway) to Wilshire Blvd. Turn toward Westwood. Turn Left on Westwood Blvd. and then enter into the main campus of UCLA. Drive to the Parking Kiosk in the center median and request parking for Lot No. 9. Turn right and right and enter the gate. Go to the very top at roof-top level and park in the diagonally opposite corner of the structure. Go up the ramp and to the end. Turn right and left and left around the construction barriers. The first building on the left is Boyer Hall. Check the sign on the glass of the front door. Once in the building, take a quick right to Conference Room 159.
Click for an interactive map of the campus.

Other Telephone Numbers: Voice: 310-209-0853; Cell: 310-892-9120

Click here for a more detailed list of the topics we normally cover after the main lecture.

Once again, our government has demonstrated a deliberate status-quo strategy in defending its chronologically- challenged constituents. Contrary to the hopes of those who worked so hard to lobby for funding from the Congress to create this agency as a separate division of NIH, naively expecting that it would reveal a true path to the "cutting-edge therapies to come," this agency has become an instrument of oppressive zero-risk conservative geriatric internal medicine. Come and give us your opinion.

Cell Phone: 818-512-8540

Please RSVP:

Voice: 661-702-6700 (Ask for Carrie Hall [E-mail: carrie.hall@aemf.org] or leave voice mail);
FAX: 661-775-9775
Work E-mail: joes@aemf.org
Home E-mail: joe@schulman.org
URL: aemf.org

or, if you prefer, by "snail" mail to

Dr. Joseph H. Schulman, Chief Scientist
Alfred E. Mann Foundation
P. O. Box 905
Santa Clarita, CA 91380-9005

Actually located at
25134 Rye Canyon Loop, Suite 200
Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Home: 16050 Comet Way
Santa Clarita, CA 91351
Home Voice: 661-251-2875
Home FAX: 661-251-3099
Cell: 805-338-4994