National Ataxia Foundation Group Return

TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TREATMENTS AND A CURE WHILE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE LIVING WITH ATAXIA.

THE NATIONAL ATAXIA FOUNDATION ENCOURAGES AND PROMOTES RESEARCH ON HEREDITARY AND SPORADIC ATAXIAS THROUGH THREE RESEARCH FUNDING PROGRAMS: (1) ATAXIA "SEED MONEY" FOR RESEARCH GRANTS; (2) ATAXIA FELLOWSHIP AWARDS;, AND (3) ATAXIA YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARDS. IN ADDITION, DUE TO AN ANONYMOUS DONOR, THE FOUNDATION WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH TWO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN 2011, THE PIONEER SCA TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AWARD: ONE YEAR $100,000 GRANTS FOCUSING ON RESEARCH INVESTIGATIONS THAT WILL FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TREATMENTS FOR THE SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIAS (SCAS) AND THE YOUNG INVESTIGATOR (YI-SCA) AWARD FOR SCA RESEARCH: ONE YEAR GRANTS OF $50,000 AWARDED TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG INVESTIGATORS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIA (SCA) RESEARCH.THE FOUNDATION GRANTS FUNDS FOR NEW AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND INTO MAJOR, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE AGENCIES. IN ADDITION, THE FOUNDATION HELPS TO COORDINATE RESEARCH EFFORTS INTO THE CAUSES AND EARLY DETECTION OF ATAXIA THROUGH EXISTING RESEARCH CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND SUPPORTS SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES ON THE ATAXIAS.

INCREASED AWARENESS ABOUT HEREDITARY AND SPORADIC ATAXIA DISORDERS IS PROMOTED THROUGH A VARIETY OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS FOR ATAXIA FAMILIES, RESEARCHERS, PHYSICIANS, ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHES 'GENERATIONS', A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER DEVOTED TO ATAXIA RELATED ARTICLES, INCLUDING THE LATEST RESEARCH AND OTHER INFORMATION BENEFICIAL TO INDIVIDUALS WITH ATAXIA. OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, SUCH AS BOOKS, VIDEOS AND FACT SHEETS ARE PROVIDED TO PERSONS WITH ATAXIA, FAMILY MEMBERS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS ON A "DIRECT REQUEST" BASIS THROUGH THE NAF OFFICE. THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING, AND SPONSORSHIP AN/OR/PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS, SYMPOSIUMS AND SEMINARS ALSO SERVE TO INCREASE ATAXIA AWARENESS.THE NATIONAL ATAXIA FOUNDATION ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WITH HEREDITARY AND SPORADIC ATAXIA IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ATAXIA. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY PROVIDING UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT ATAXIA TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BY MAINTAINING A WEBSITE, CREATING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PUBLISHING 'GENERATIONS'. THE FOUNDATION ASSISTS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BY IDENTIFYING CLINICAL RESOURCES AND MAKING APPROPRIATE REFERRALS FOR NEUROLOGICAL CARE, GENETIC COUNSELING AND GENE TESTING. THE FOUNDATION ALSO ASSISTS PEOPLE WITH LOCATING RESOURCES WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING SUPPORT GROUPS.

THE NATIONAL ATAXIA FOUNDATION ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE PEOPLE WITH ATAXIA AND THEIR FAMILIES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION AND SERVICES. OFFERS EACH YEAR A 3 DAY MEMBERSHIP MEETING WHICH PROVIDES ATAXIA FAMILIES WITH INFORMATION ON CUTTING-EDGE ATAXIA RESEARCH EFFORTS, INFORMATION RELATING TO SPECIFIC TYPES OF ATAXIA, AND A VARIETY OF TOPICS OF CONCERN WITHIN THE ATAXIA COMMUNITY. DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL ATAXIA SUPPORT GROUPS TO PROVIDE LOCAL ATAXIA FAMILIES WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION ON ATAXIA, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A SETTING FOR FAMILIES TO LEARN, SHARE AND NETWORK.

THE NATIONAL ATAXIA FOUNDATION ENCOURAGES AND PROMOTES RESEARCH ON HEREDITARY AND SPORADIC ATAXIAS THROUGH THREE RESEARCH FUNDING PROGRAMS: (1) ATAXIA "SEED MONEY" FOR RESEARCH GRANTS; (2) ATAXIA FELLOWSHIP AWARDS;, AND (3) ATAXIA YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARDS. IN ADDITION, DUE TO AN ANONYMOUS DONOR, THE FOUNDATION WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH TWO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN 2011, THE PIONEER SCA TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AWARD: ONE YEAR $100,000 GRANTS FOCUSING ON RESEARCH INVESTIGATIONS THAT WILL FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TREATMENTS FOR THE SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIAS (SCAS) AND THE YOUNG INVESTIGATOR (YI-SCA) AWARD FOR SCA RESEARCH: ONE YEAR GRANTS OF $50,000 AWARDED TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG INVESTIGATORS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIA (SCA) RESEARCH.THE FOUNDATION GRANTS FUNDS FOR NEW AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND INTO MAJOR, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE AGENCIES. IN ADDITION, THE FOUNDATION HELPS TO COORDINATE RESEARCH EFFORTS INTO THE CAUSES AND EARLY DETECTION OF ATAXIA THROUGH EXISTING RESEARCH CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND SUPPORTS SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES ON THE ATAXIAS.

INCREASED AWARENESS ABOUT HEREDITARY AND SPORADIC ATAXIA DISORDERS IS PROMOTED THROUGH A VARIETY OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS FOR ATAXIA FAMILIES, RESEARCHERS, PHYSICIANS, ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHES 'GENERATIONS', A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER DEVOTED TO ATAXIA RELATED ARTICLES, INCLUDING THE LATEST RESEARCH AND OTHER INFORMATION BENEFICIAL TO INDIVIDUALS WITH ATAXIA. OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, SUCH AS BOOKS, VIDEOS AND FACT SHEETS ARE PROVIDED TO PERSONS WITH ATAXIA, FAMILY MEMBERS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS ON A "DIRECT REQUEST" BASIS THROUGH THE NAF OFFICE. THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING, AND SPONSORSHIP AN/OR/PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS, SYMPOSIUMS AND SEMINARS ALSO SERVE TO INCREASE ATAXIA AWARENESS.THE NATIONAL ATAXIA FOUNDATION ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WITH HEREDITARY AND SPORADIC ATAXIA IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ATAXIA. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY PROVIDING UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT ATAXIA TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BY MAINTAINING A WEBSITE, CREATING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PUBLISHING 'GENERATIONS'. THE FOUNDATION ASSISTS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BY IDENTIFYING CLINICAL RESOURCES AND MAKING APPROPRIATE REFERRALS FOR NEUROLOGICAL CARE, GENETIC COUNSELING AND GENE TESTING. THE FOUNDATION ALSO ASSISTS PEOPLE WITH LOCATING RESOURCES WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING SUPPORT GROUPS.

THE NATIONAL ATAXIA FOUNDATION ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE PEOPLE WITH ATAXIA AND THEIR FAMILIES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION AND SERVICES. OFFERS EACH YEAR A 3 DAY MEMBERSHIP MEETING WHICH PROVIDES ATAXIA FAMILIES WITH INFORMATION ON CUTTING-EDGE ATAXIA RESEARCH EFFORTS, INFORMATION RELATING TO SPECIFIC TYPES OF ATAXIA, AND A VARIETY OF TOPICS OF CONCERN WITHIN THE ATAXIA COMMUNITY. DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL ATAXIA SUPPORT GROUPS TO PROVIDE LOCAL ATAXIA FAMILIES WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION ON ATAXIA, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A SETTING FOR FAMILIES TO LEARN, SHARE AND NETWORK.