UHN congratulates Dr. Richard Weisel for being awarded the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Scientific Achievement Award as an individual who has made extraordinary scientific contributions in the field of thoracic surgery. It is the highest Award the AATS can bestow on a member.

Gaining greater insight into the structure of, or wiring behind, how the brain orchestrates body movements could have important implications for future treatment strategies for patients with Parkinson's disease or other neurological or psychiatric disorders. Findings from TWRI researchers are providing important new information on how the brain controls signals between its two hemispheres and what this could mean for patients.

Over a prolonged period of time, patients undergoing treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) with the drug commonly known as L-DOPA--a chemical related to dopamine used to increase levels of dopamine in the brain--commonly experience motor complications such as dyskinesia, or involuntary or uncontrolled body movements. However, recent findings out of TWRI are helping scientists better understand the mechanics behind dyskinesia and where future treatments could be targeted to prevent it.