The Foundation is organising a course to raise awareness of a rare disease, Huntington’s chorea.

It is a condition that causes sudden, uncontrollable movements which make patients’ lives very difficult, and as it is largely unknown, they often lack the necessary social support.

Although it is a genetic condition, like all neurodegenerative diseases, it worsens with age and leads to the premature death of the patient.

The course featured Dr Minichiello, an Italian neuroscientist from the University of Oxford, who has over 30 years’ experience in research in this field and, for the last 15 years, has been working to explain the biochemical mechanisms that cause the death of a specific group of neurons responsible for coordinating our movements.

Another of the speakers was Dr Garcia de Yébenes, winner of the Rei Jaume I Prize for Clinical Medicine in 2000 and one of Spain’s most prestigious neurologists, as well as being a specialist in Huntington’s disease, who explained the chemistry involved and some treatments aimed at improving the quality of life for these patients, as there is currently no way to prevent or cure this disease.

In the words of the course coordinator, Dr López Ruiz from Cardenal Herrera University, “the aim of this conference is twofold. Firstly, we want to raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals and society in general of the need to learn more about this rare disease.” López thanked the president of the Fundación Premios Rei Jaume I, Javier Quesada, for his constant support for the medical conferences “despite not being an expert in this field”.

And Dr Bataller, coordinator at the University of Valencia (UV), expressed his satisfaction at being able to teach students “the importance of Basic Research in developing better treatments to prevent and combat these diseases”.

If you would like to watch the recording of the conference: