Behind the Research with Biohaven

When Dr. Timothy Smith started his medical career, there was little knowledge of migraine and few treatments. Over the last several decades, Smith – who is now CEO of StudyMetrix in St. Peters, Missouri -- has seen leaps in understanding about the disorder, and has led clinical trials that have helped bring effective treatments to patients. “In the last five to seven years, we've launched into new areas of research that have looked at new molecular targets. So, we have a whole host of new preventive therapies, acute therapies and even neuromodulation devices and other ways of trying to improve the patients’ lives.” In this episode of Behind the Research with Biohaven, you’ll learn about the latest research, and how sufferers can help themselves and others struggling with this complicated and challenging disorder. Dr. Smith also touches on his own experience with migraine and discusses the costs of it being a widely misunderstood and often overlooked medical condition.

"I came for the science and I stayed for the patients." That's how Dr. Jeremy Schmahmann sums up his passion for caring for people with neurological disorders, including spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). As founding director of the Ataxia Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, he can say with authority that this is an exciting time in cerebellar neurology due to a deeper understanding of the role the cerebellum plays in regulating emotion in addition to movement. But there is still much to learn, and he sees SCA patients including Janetta — a retired school teacher battling SCA 6 — as partners in that quest. In this captivating episode of Behind the Research, Janetta and Dr. Schmahmann discuss the clinical trial in which they are involved that is looking into a drug developed by Biohaven, the challenges of this vexing disease and the bond they've developed over the years as they've worked together to find ways to secure the best quality of life possible for her and other SCA patients. For more information on the trial, which is still accepting patients, visit www.ScaTrial.org