Perspective on Japan: Forming a Network By Kate Bednarz, Dietitian My experience in Japan was incredible in many ways but, I’m most grateful for the opportunity to meet other dietitians that work with motor neuron patients from all over the world. At the Allied Professionals’ Forum, which took place the day before the actual conference began, I listened to Amy Ellis, a dietitian from The Carolinas Medical Center, speak about Alternative Medicine in ALS. She provided website links to help us access useful information about the safety of nutritional supplements often used by our patients. Two days later, at the poster session, where researchers present brief summaries of their work, I spoke at length about the risks and benefits of PEG placement with a dietitian from Australia, Vanessa Brenninger. She explained that she follows the same practice of tube feed placement that we use at Columbia. We exchanged business cards so that we could bounce ideas back and forth, and confer in difficult nutritional situations caused by Motor Neuron Disease. When I returned hone, I emailed Vanessa and Amy, and we started an email list called "Dietitians in ALS." I added a few email contacts, other nuritionists that I have been in touch with during the years I’ve worked at Columbia. Amy returned my email with additional email addresses from ALS centers such as San Antonio, Wake Forest, Cleveland Clinic, Duke, Emory, and Forbes Norris Clinic. So now we have a list serve of twelve nutritionists working with ALS, the first of its kind!