The Second Winner of the Glenn Irvine Prize 2023 – Dr Kevin Peikert

The Glenn Irvine Prize is an award of GBP 5,000 which pays tribute to Glenn Irvine's service to Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) patients and further the aspiration to find a cure. The funds are meant to support and encourage researchers as early as possible in their careers to pursue research with the ultimate aim of curing the NA syndrome that causes the diseases chorea-acanthocytosis (VPS13 disease) and McLeod syndrome (XK disease).

This year the Board of Fellows unanimously decided to award the Glenn Irvine Prize to Dr. Kevin Peikert in recognition of his outstanding work and commitment to research into finding a cure for chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc). Dr Peikert is currently a clinician scientist at the Department of Neurology and the Section for Translational Neurodegeneration Albrecht Kossel at the University Medicine in Rostock, Germany.

Dr. Peikert will be formally presented with the award at the upcoming 11^th International Symposium on NA Syndromes in September in Homburg, Germany.

Dr. Peikert started his career in Dresden, Germany where he also helped to organise and manage the Ninth International Symposium on NA Syndromes in March 2018. The meeting brought together patients, their families and caregivers along with scientists who presented their latest findings and prospects in research.

The next symposium which was held virtually in 2021 from Barcelona, Spain (due to pandemic restrictions at the time) inspired the community to facilitate continued conversation and the virtual VPS13 Forum was initiated and has been running since May 2021. Dr. Peikert coordinates and co-hosts these successful forums held every two months. The live sessions are open to all those interested.