Johns Hopkins Hospital

Please join us for this year’s Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, Distinguished Lectureship in Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This year’s esteemed lecturer is Valina L. Dawson, Ph.D.  

Valina Dawson is a distinguished neuroscientist and Professor at Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Neurology, Neuroscience, Physiology, and Cellular & Molecular Medicine. She directs the Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs at the Institute for Cell Engineering. Dawson’s research primarily revolves around understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, particularly in Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and related disorders. Her lab notably identified a regulated cell death program, Parthanatos, significant in ischemic, excitotoxic injury, and Parkinson’s disease. 

Alongside her academic achievements, she co-founded Valted Seq, a biopharmaceutical company leveraging big data for developing therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases, and has significantly contributed to Neuraly, a subsidiary of D&D Pharmatech. Neuraly, under Dawson’s research influence, focuses on innovative drug development for neurodegenerative diseases, with a pipeline drug, NLY01, recently showing promising results in a Phase 2 trial for Parkinson’s disease. Dawson’s work has earned her numerous accolades in neuroscience.  

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 | 4:00-5:00PM  
Strauch Auditorium
The Johns Hopkins Hospital: Armstrong Medical Education Building
1600 McElderry Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
Reception with light refreshments to follow