Hastings College will host an ALS Symposium to discuss the history, causes and treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) from 1-5 p.m., Tuesday, March 23 in Hazelrigg Student Union Room C.
ALS expert Dr. Gregory Cox will present the keynote address “Genes, Modifiers and Mutations in Neuromuscular Disease” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 23 in French Memorial Chapel.
The symposium and lecture are free and open to the public.
Symposium facilitator is Hastings neurologist Dr. Lorraine Edwards of Central Nebraska Neurology, P.C. The symposium is sponsored by Hastings College, Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital and The Keith Worthington Chapter of the ALS Association. Symposium topics will include the following and more:
• Describe the uses of genetic analyses to map and clone neuromuscular disease genes
• Explain the importance of respiratory muscle dysfunction in neuromuscular disease
• Define the mission and services provided by The ALS Association
• Discuss resources available to people living with ALS in Nebraska
• Describe nutritional challenges in ALS
• Describe the optimal diet for ALS patients
• Define the role of the speech therapist in ALS
• Explain how to incorporate appropriate exercise in the early stages of ALS

Gregory A. Cox, Ph.D. is an associate professor at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. The Jackson Laboratory is a national genetics research laboratory for the advancement of human health and the prevention, treatment and curing of human diseases. Cox’s current research focuses on the role genes play in the onset and severity of ALS and other muscular dystrophies and motor neuron diseases with the goal of better understanding these diseases and shedding light on possibilities for treatment and prevention.
Cox received his Bachelor of Science in biology in 1989 from Humboldt State University in California and his Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Michigan in 1994. He began his postdoctoral training at The Jackson Laboratory in 1994 and became an associate staff scientist there in 1999. He is currently an associate professor at The Jackson Laboratory.
Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.