LESLIE CHAMBERS, PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE AMERICAN PARKINSON DISEASE ASSOCIATION TO BE HONORED BY UMASS AMHERST SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Ms. Chambers to give keynote address at UMass Dean’s Symposium on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases
New York, NY, October 12, 2016 – Each year, the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences (UMass SPHHS) honors the accomplishments of its alumni by giving the distinguished Award for Significant Contributions to the fields of public health and health sciences to one deserving alumnus/na. This year, the SPHHS will honor alumna Leslie A. Chambers, BS ’79 (Nutrition), MS ’85 (Community Health Education), the President & CEO of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA.)
“We are honored to have Leslie Chambers, a leader in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, as an alumna of the School of Public Health and Health Sciences,” stated C. Marjorie Aelion, Dean, School of Public Health and Health Sciences. “We are thrilled she will provide the keynote at the symposium and share her experience with faculty and students at the award celebration.”The award presentation is part of the SPHHS 7th Annual Fall Celebration Weekend, where SPHHS will also host its first-ever Dean’s Symposium on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases featuring a keynote address by Ms. Chambers at UMass Amherst.
This inaugural Dean’s Symposium was envisioned as the precursor to future symposia offered in collaboration with the larger UMass Amherst and UMass Medical School communities on neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from my alma mater, UMass Amherst, and thrilled to be invited to participate in Dean Aelion’s Symposium on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases,” said Ms. Chambers. “APDA has been a proud supporter of Parkinson’s disease (PD) scientists and researchers at UMass and has had a wonderful collaborative relationship with the faculty and students from the SPHHS through the Communications Disorders Department. We are so appreciative, in particular, for the work that Assistant Professor Lisa Sommers, her colleagues and students have accomplished in collaboration with our Massachusetts APDA Chapter within local Parkinson’s Disease communities throughout the state, as well as with our organization nationally. I look forward to our continued partnership with UMass and am forever grateful for the tremendous experiences I had as a UMass student which thoroughly prepared me for a lifetime career in public health and currently in my role with APDA today.”
Ms. Chambers will be joined by SPHHS faculty members and other cross-disciplinary researchers in presenting the latest research breakthroughs and potential pathways for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. A panel discussion will follow the presentations hosted by Peter Reinhart, director of the UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Scientific Advisory Board member for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Chambers was appointed President & CEO of APDA, a national 501(c)(3) charity, in August of 2012 and brings to the role a rich background in successful management and leadership experience from the non-profit voluntary health sector. She has held top positions with several major non-profit health organizations and brings a dynamic history of executive management and the achievement of strategic organizational goals in the areas of leadership development, fundraising, business planning, program development and advocacy. Ms. Chambers earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the UMass SPHHS in the fields of nutrition and community health education, and is a graduate from the Management Institute for Non-Profit Managers at Springfield College in Springfield, MA.
Schedule of Events
Friday, October 14
SPHHS Dean’s Symposium on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, Life Sciences Laboratories (LSL) Room S330, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA 01003
Saturday, October 15
SPHHS 7th Annual Fall Celebration, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Fine Arts Center, 151 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA 01003
The Fall Celebration brings alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends from all departments together to celebrate the SPHHS community. The program provides ample opportunity for alumni and friends to reconnect, to visit with current faculty, staff, and students, and to learn more about all the major happenings within the SPHHS and its departments. It also features a series of talks from special student speakers. All who wish to attend the Fall Celebration are encouraged to REGISTER TODAY!
About the American Parkinson Disease Association:
APDA is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s and supporting every person and every family impacted by Parkinson’s across the country. We offer services, provide education, and fund the most promising research that brings us closer to discovering the cause and finding the cure for Parkinson’s disease.
About UMass SPHHS:
The School of Public Health and Health Sciences is a national leader in finding ways to maximize public health and quality of life. The School’s award-winning faculty focus on many pressing public health problems as well as cross-cutting issues such as obesity and diabetes prevention, women’s health, global health, and aging and healthy living, in an effort to promote health and the quality of life in diverse populations.
Contact: Stephanie Paul| 800-223-2723 | SPaul@apdaparkinson.org | www.apdaparkinson.org