Prof Anders Björklund receives a plaque celebrating his lecture.Use of stem cells for dopamine cell replacement in Parkinson's disease.
Anders gave an inspiring lecture plotting the history of cell transplantation studies. He took us from the very beginnings of the field in the seventies and eighties describing his early studies in animal models, through the first clinical trials in Parkinson's disease and more recent data on the use of stem cell and strategies for the conversion of stem cell into dopamine neurons. We all look forward to the culmination of this work when trials of stem cell-derived dopamine neurons can be used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
The Lecture each year celebrates the vision of the previous Chair of Pharmacology and founding Director of the Unit, Prof. A. David Smith, currently Honorary Associate Director and Emeritus Professor, and the successful conclusion of the last quinquennial scientific review of the Unit.
To commemorate the lecture Prof. Björklund received a laser-engraved cherry-wood plaque, designed by Unit Artist, Ben Micklem, illustrating aspects of Anatomical Neuropharmacology at Oxford from molecules to the brain.
