Released to Media: June 15, 2005

Harbor-UCLA Joint Venture Reception to Feature the Latest

in Brain Injury Diagnostics and Research

Torrance, California   The Harbor-UCLA Faculty Practice Plan has entered into a joint venture with Brain Matters, Inc., a Denver, Colorado based brain imaging company, to operate a state-of-the- art brain function imaging facility at the Harbor-UCLA Professional Building in Torrance, California. 

The Harbor-UCLA Faculty Practice Plan is the private practice arm of the full-time teaching physicians at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  The Faculty Practice Plan is dedicated to making the expertise of these board-certified, world renowned medical specialists available to private practice patients seeking expert second medical opinions and other highly skilled diagnostic and treatment services.

The June 30^th kick-off reception will feature keynote speaker, Ismael Mena, MD, Professor Emeritus of the UCLA School of Medicine and former Chief of Nuclear Medicine at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.   Dr Mena has retained closes ties with staff at that program from his current base of operations in Chile.  His talk at the June 30^th kick-off reception will highlight leading edge applications of brain imaging technology in the fields of Neurology, Psychiatry and other areas of medicine – emphasizing practical applications for community physicians. The program will unveil the joint-venture plans that will provide the communities of Los Angeles and the nation the clinical benefits of high resolution brain SPECT functional imaging.  The clinic anticipates opening its doors to new patients in July 2005. For more information please visit www.spectscan.com

This facility will utilize Brain SPECT Imaging to evaluate patients for neurologic issues such as Traumatic Brain Injury, Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia, Stroke and Seizures as well as complex neurobehavioral concerns including ADHD, Autism, Depression, Bipolar and Anxiety Disorders. High resolution SPECT brain scans assist physicians & clinicians in properly evaluating, diagnosing, and treating patients struggling with neurological disorders and neurobehavioral issues – enabling physicians to formulate effective treatment responses to many clinically challenging cases.  The new Brain Imaging program to be launched in Torrance employs high resolution brain imaging software that has been successfully implemented by Brain Matters at their Denver, Colorado facility, together with the high resolution Brain SPECT camera currently based at the Harbor-UCLA Professional Building. 

More than four hundred physicians and other professionals from the Los Angeles area are expected to attend this reception event.  Any community members connected with brain health issues are welcome by R.S.V.P. and it is anticipated that many professionals from other parts of the United States will also be in attendance.

Event Date:  Thursday, June 30, 2005       Time:  5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m.  Cocktail and Food Reception   

7:00 p.m.   Introductions, by S. Gregory Hipskind, MD, PhD and Theodore A. Henderson, MD, PhD