Barry J Byrne, MD, PhD, on MDA Care Centers and the Upcoming Clinical & Scientific Conference

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an organization dedicated to serving the community of patients with neuromuscular disorders, both those with muscular dystrophies and those with other types of neuromuscular disease. A key way that the MDA has pursued this mission is through the establishment of over 150 MDA Care Centers throughout the United States. These centers serve as both centers of primary care for patients with neuromuscular diseases and as a network of research hubs for experts in the field to collaborate. The organization also annually hosts the MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference, an event that brings together both practicing clinicians and medical researchers under one roof to discuss and share ongoing research in the field.

Ahead of the 2024 meeting, which will be held on March 3-6, 2024, in Orlando, Florida, CGTLive™ spoke with Barry J Byrne, MD, PhD, the chief medical advisor of MDA and a physician-scientist at the University of Florida, to learn more about both MDA Care Centers and the upcoming conference. Byrne spoke about the goals of the organization and its activities in general, including the role of the Care Centers, and then spoke about the reasons why doctors and other healthcare professionals with an interest in neuromuscular diseases may want to attend the Clinical & Scientific Conference. He also highlighted what he is most excited about for the 2024 meeting in particular, emphasizing that attendees will be working on establishing a Gene Therapy Readiness Network. Byrne concluded the interview by encouraging early-career trainees in medicine to attend the conference, pointing out that they can benefit greatly from the firsthand chance to learn about the opportunities in neuromuscular disease care.