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Down Syndrome NSW
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Monday 10 August 2009

Christian Pueschel Memorial Awards

Christian Pueschel was the much loved son of a well known family in the Down syndrome community. Two awards in his memory have recently been bestowed for 2009, in the USA, at the 37th Annual national Down Syndrome Congress Convention in Sacramento, California.

Christian Pueschel Memorial Research Award
On August 1, 2009, The Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF) was awarded the prestigious 2009 Christian Pueschel Memorial Research Award from the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC). The award was presented to DSRTF’s CEO, Dr. Michael Harpold, by Dr. Sigfried Pueschel at an awards banquet during the NDSC Convention in Sacramento.

We are honoring DSRTF for supporting research which contributes to a greater knowledge and understanding of Down syndrome,” said Brooks Robinson, national president of NDSC. “We salute them for their focus on funding essential research that will improve cognition and their commitment to seeing the results of this research translated into effective treatments.”

DSRTF is deeply honored and grateful to have been selected and recognized by NDSC to receive this prestigious award,” said Dr. Harpold. “It is especially meaningful for DSRTF, as a national organization only recently founded in 2004 with an exclusive mission and focus on Down syndrome biomedical research, to receive this significant recognition from our friends at NDSC. NDSC is one of the longest standing nonprofit organizations serving the Down syndrome community with a complementary focus on establishing a world with equal rights and opportunities for people with Down syndrome. Historically, Down syndrome biomedical research and the development of effective new therapeutics, particularly related to cognition, has remained a disproportionately under-addressed and severely under-funded key approach in creating meaningful new opportunities for children and adults with Down syndrome. We are extremely proud that this year’s Christian Pueschel Memorial Research Award recognizes the rapid and unprecedented progress that has been, and continues to be, accomplished through DSRTF-supported research and the unique and essential role DSRTF is serving in creating new opportunities for all people with Down syndrome.”

The Christian Pueschel Memorial Research Award is given in honor of the late Christian Pueschel, son of Sig Pueschel, M.D., Ph.D., J.D. Dr. Pueschel, who lives in Rhode Island, has devoted his career to improving the lives of people with Down syndrome. This award recognizes that the value of people with Down syndrome is intrinsically rooted in their humanity and uniqueness as human beings.

Two DSRTF-supported researchers have previously received NDSC research awards. Dr. William Mobley, currently Chair and Professor, Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, received the Christian Pueschel Memorial Research Award in 2007, and Dr. Roger Reeves, Professor, Department of Physiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, received the Theodore D. Tjossem Memorial Research Award in 2008.
Dr. Harpold additionally provided a comprehensive update to the NDSC Convention attendees concerning DSRTF and the DSRTF-supported research advances in a presentation entitled, “Down Syndrome Cognition Research: ‘Unprecedented’ Progress and promising New Therapeutic Strategies and Opportunities”. Also, during this year’s convention, Dr. Mobley further detailed the results of the DSRTF-supported research in his laboratory in a presentation entitled, “Exploring the Neurobiology of Down Syndrome: From Science to Medicine”.

The Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation was founded in 2004 as a national organization and is dedicated to its mission: To stimulate biomedical research that will accelerate development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, for children and adults with Down syndrome. The goal is to create new opportunities for all individuals with Down syndrome to:Participate more successfully in school;Lead more active and independent lives; and Prevent early cognitive decline with aging."

Source: Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation

Christian Pueschel Memorial Citizen Award
Katy Wilson, a Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) athlete, board member and spokeswoman, received the 2009 Christian Pueschel Memorial Citizen Award from the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) at its annual convention in Sacramento, Ca.

The award recognizes an individual with Down Syndrome whose achievements, service, and contributions have enhanced the value and dignity of people with Down Syndrome and their families.

"Katy Wilson's work on behalf of her peers has been exceptional. She has made an impact, whether as a Special Olympics Global Messenger, a valued employee at Ryan's, as a regular speaker to aspiring teachers at Agnes Scott College, or in countless other ways," said National Down Syndrome Congress President F. Brooks Robinson.

Wilson, of Gainesville, Ga., is a Special Olympics gold medalist in gymnastics. In addition to being a mentor, Wilson is also the athlete representative on SOGA's board of directors where she is a policy maker and gives feedback to the board on decisions that affect the 22,769 children and adult athletes in Georgia. She also reviews the organization's quarterly budgets.

As a SOGA spokeswoman, Wilson is a poised individual who serves as a role model, said SOGA CEO Georgia Milton-Sheats. "As a successful and positive person, she is articulate in telling her story, and she has touched many lives," said Milton-Sheats.

Wilson recently helped train five athletes - including two with Down Syndrome - in public speaking, so they can also travel with other SOGA representatives to recruit volunteers and donations around the state. Last March, she traveled to Washington, D.C. with SOGA staff for Capitol Hill Day for Special Olympics Inc., where she talked with elected officials about how Special Olympics improves the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

Wilson was nominated by her sister, Melinda Wilson Klinect, a teacher at Brookwood High School in Snellville. "My sister Katy is a well-rounded young person who is busy and happy and loving her life. Katy believes that anything is possible," she said.

SOURCE Special Olympics Georgia

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