2002 Post Polio Symposium 
Opening Remarks

Welcome everybody. I am Steve Schlesinger.

In February of last year my wife, Mary Clare Schlesinger had a near fatal illness.  When she regained consciousness in the ICU, she resolved to organize a Symposium on Post Polio Syndrome.  (She would like to express her appreciation to Dr. Robert Sarnoff.  We probably would not be here today if it were not for his timely intervention).  Her goal was and is to educate the public and medical community about PPS.  She contacted todays speakers and enlisted the help of several friends to make today possible.

Estimates of the number of polio survivors in the US range from ½ million to 1 ½ million.  This means, in San Diego county, there are from 5000 to 15000 polio survivors.  Studies show at least ½ of polio survivors will or do experience PPS.  PPS support groups in San Diego have contacted about 300 people.  Even with today’s audience, 90% or more of the polio survivors in San Diego may have PPS and not know it.  And their doctors usually do not know either.  They are not receiving medical care that can improve the quality of their lives. This brings us the purpose of today’s Symposium: to educate the public and medical community about PPS.

Today we will hear about Polio: Past, Present and Future.  Dr. Lindsay Whitton of the Scripps Research Institute will discuss how the polio virus caused infection and how viruses can remain in their hosts long after the infection is gone.  Dr. Susan Perlman, Director of the Post-Polio Clinic at the UCLA and Dr. Anne Gawne, Director of the Post Polio Clinic at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, Warm Springs Georgia will discuss recent trends in treating PPS. Dr. Sam Pfaff, of the Salk Institute will discuss how stem cells can be used to treat disease. 

This Symposium is being offered by independent medical practitioners and the views, medical opinions, and information presented is neither sponsored by nor provided at the request of Scripps, its management, or any of its affiliated entities, medical staff members or committees.

Dr. Lindsay Whitton M.D., received a Ph.D and MD from University of Glasgow Scotland. He is Professor of Neuropharmacology and Immunology at the Scripps Research Institute.  As one of his professors once said to him, “Viruses made your life hard, now you are making life hard for them.”

Dr. Sam Pfaff is Assistant Professor of Developmental Neurobiology in the Gene Expression Lab at Salk Institute.  He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and conducted his postdoctoral study at Vanderbilt University and Columbia University. He has received a March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Scholar Award.  Dr. Pfaff uses the same lab at the Salk once used by Dr. Jonas Salk.

Dr. Susan Perlman is Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology and Director of the Post-Polio Clinic at UCLA.  She did undergraduate work at Cornell University, attended Medical school at State University of NY and Post Graduate work in Neurology at UCLA.  Coincidentally, Dr. Perlman (Dr. Sarnoff) and myself were at Cornell at the same time.

We'd like to express our thanks and appreciation to the speakers, to the Symposium Committee, to the March of Dimes for providing copying services for the mailings and handouts.  Also thanks to Mike Krucke and Steve Vinal, administrators of the Schaetzel Center. And thanks to Infectious Awareables, an apparel company that donates a portion of their proceeds to medical activities for donating gifts for the speakers.