The great majority of humanity has yet to benefit from revolutionary advances in medical treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. People living in low- and middle-income countries face price barriers to medical technologies as well as a range of health systems problems. Research & development effort in disease areas that predominantly afflict the poor lags far behind R&D for diseases burdening the rich.
This is changing. There are major R&D efforts underway by research labs in many sectors into the few dozen highest-priority “Neglected Diseases.” There is unprecedented funding available. But there is still much to be done, and extreme urgency for new diagnostics, cures, and prevention measures developed for the benefit of the world’s poor.
MeND2010 is a Workshop convened in the twin spirits of optimism and urgency: to showcase the array of resources (funding, organizational, & scientific) available for Neglected Diseases research and to develop resources for the ND research community to ratchet up the pace and scope of discovery. All sectors will participate: academic life scientists; clinicians and other front-line health workers; funders and funding experts; scientists & managers of biopharmaceutical companies, large and small; not-for-profit product development partnerships; students & other trainees who will be the next generation of leading researchers, developers, and advocates.
A primary goal is to engage academic scientists who are established leaders and rising stars in a range of disciplines spanning chemistry and biology. Many in academia have the opportunity to use their research to the benefit of people living in marginalized communities. MeND2010 will showcase a range of opportunities for funding and high-quality scientific collaborations.
The Workshop will focus on defined problems and develop needed resources for the biomedical research community committed to developing health technologies that can help to break the cycle of poverty for the billions living, for now, at the margins of global society.  We hope you will join us.
Download the Program & send questions or comments to: MeND2010@mindthehealthgap.org


MeND2010: 10-11 September, 2010, Boston University
Download the program (PDF) – Download the flyer to share (PDF) – Contact us