Speaker Profile

Executive Summary：
Dr. Ming-Che Kuo is a distinguished neurologist and clinical scientist at the National Taiwan University Cancer Center. An expert in movement disorders, Dr. Kuo specializes in Parkinson’s disease (PD), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), and Cerebellar Ataxia.

Dr. Kuo’s work is at the forefront of translational neurology, integrating neuroimaging, genomics, and multi-omic biomarkers to refine diagnostic accuracy and identify novel therapeutic targets. A prolific researcher, he has authored numerous high-impact publications in prestigious journals, including NPJ Digital Medicine and the Journal of Biomedical Science.

His pioneering contributions have earned multiple honors, including several National Innovation Awards and FutureTech Breakthrough Awards. Notably, his development of novel treatments for MSA provided the foundation for a biotechnology start-up currently conducting Phase II clinical trials worldwide. Beyond MSA, Dr. Kuo facilitates several landmark clinical trials for other rare diseases, including Spinocerebellar Ataxias (SCAs) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

His leadership extends across prominent medical organizations; he currently serves as the Director of the Society for Neurological Rare Diseases, Taiwan, and is the Secretary General of the Taiwan Brain Care Association.

Lecture Abstract：
Abstract:

The clinical landscape of atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS) is undergoing a paradigm shift, moving from symptom-based clusters toward a biological framework defined by proteinopathy and multimodal biomarkers. This session explores the evolving diagnostic and therapeutic frontiers of alpha-synucleinopathies (Multiple System Atrophy and Dementia with Lewy Bodies), tauopathies (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration), and the Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) spectrum.

We will examine how the integration of genomics and epigenomics (such as DNA methylation and non-coding RNA signatures) is unraveling the precise molecular drivers of phenotypic heterogeneity. The discussion will highlight the transformative role of Seed Amplification Assays (SAA) and skin biopsies in providing "liquid biopsy" evidence of protein misfolding, alongside the increasing sensitivity of alpha-synuclein and tau PET imaging.

Furthermore, we will address the synergy of connectomics and advanced neuroimaging in mapping network-level degeneration, complemented by functional tools like EEG and fNIRS for real-time cortical assessment. By bridging these innovative techniques with AI-driven digital phenotyping, we move closer to a precision medicine model. The goal is to facilitate earlier diagnosis, more accurate differential screening, and the identification of druggable targets for the next generation of disease-modifying clinical trials.