Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation

15/10/2026

🌿 2026 BEBRF Symposium | Meet Our Memphis Community Partners

With 96 acres of gardens and natural beauty in the heart of Memphis, Memphis Botanic Garden offers visitors a chance to explore, unwind, and discover one of the city's most beautiful destinations.

We're proud to recognize Memphis Botanic Garden as a Memphis Community Partner for our 2026 Annual Symposium!

Thank you for your generosity and for helping us welcome the BEBRF community to Memphis! 💚

13/10/2026

🎤 SYMPOSIUM 2026 – MEMPHIS – INTRODUCING THE FACULTY

Charles N.S. Soparkar, PhD, MD, FACS, is a Houston-based ophthalmic and oculoplastic surgeon with decades of experience in clinical practice, research, and teaching.

Dr. Soparkar earned both his PhD in Molecular Biochemistry and his medical degree from the University Of Massachusetts and completed his ophthalmology residency at Baylor College of Medicine. His career has also included leadership and academic appointments at Boston University Medical Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Tufts University, along with extensive international teaching and research.

And he's certainly no stranger to BEBRF! Dr. Soparkar has served on our Board of Directors and participated in our educational programs over the years.

🎤 His presentation: “Management of Blepharospasm”

We're pleased to welcome him back to share his experience with our community in Memphis!

📍 Hilton Memphis | Memphis, Tennessee
📅 Saturday, November 14, 2026

FREE and open to the public! Registration is required, and breakfast and lunch will be provided.

👇 Register using the link in the comments.

08/10/2026

🎶 INTRODUCING OUR MEMPHIS COMMUNITY PARTNERS!

Memphis wouldn't be Memphis without its music, and few places tell that story quite like the Stax Museum of American Soul Music!

Located on the original site of Stax Records, the museum celebrates the legendary label and its incredible musical legacy, from Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes to Sam & Dave, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and the Staple Singers.

We're excited to have the Stax Museum as a Community Partner for the 2026 BEBRF Symposium, and we thank them for their generous contribution to our event! 💙🎶

📍 2026 BEBRF Symposium | November 13–14 | Hilton Memphis

07/10/2026

🏨 DEADLINE: OCTOBER 23

Hilton Memphis will be home base for this year’s BEBRF Symposium, including Friday night’s Meet & Greet and the full Symposium program on Saturday.

BEBRF has arranged a special group rate for Symposium attendees, but there’s one date you need to remember:

HOTEL RESERVATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 23

After October 23, the BEBRF group rate is no longer guaranteed, so if you’re planning to stay with us, now is the time to make your reservation.

📍 Hilton Memphis
939 Ridge Lake Boulevard
Memphis, Tennessee 38120

🔑 BEBRF Group Code: 93V

📞 Toll-Free Reservations: 877-328-2326
📞 Hilton Memphis: 901-684-6664

💻 Reserve your room online:
https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=MEMPHHF&arrivalDate=2026-11-13&departureDate=2026-11-15&groupCode=93V&room1NumAdults=1&cid=OM%2CWW%2CHILTONLINK%2CEN%2CDirectLink

We’ll see you in Memphis November 13–14! 💙

07/10/2026

BLEPHAROSPASM IS A JOURNEY NO ONE TAKES ALONE. 💙

And this time, we want to hear from the people who are taking that journey alongside someone they care about.

If you’re a spouse, family member, friend, caregiver or advocate for someone living with blepharospasm, this survey is for you.

Take a few minutes to share your experience in BEBRF’s Caregiver & Advocate Survey. We want to know what you’ve experienced, what you’ve learned, what challenges you’ve faced, and what would help you better support the person in your life.

💙 Your side of the story matters, too.

👇 Take the survey here:
https://app.polling.com/forms/5937a9e7-5165-46e9-9722-37519b5c8d53/share

06/10/2026

***SYMPOSIUM 2026 – MEMPHIS – INTRODUCING THE FACULTY***

Rohit Dhall, MD, MS, is Professor and Vice Chair of Neurology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where he also directs the Neurodegenerative Disorders Division.

His clinical practice and research focus on Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, Huntington disease, tremor, and other neurodegenerative disorders. He also serves as Director of the Parkinson's Foundation Comprehensive Care Center and the CurePSP Center of Care at UAMS, providing leadership for outreach, education, and support programs for people living with Parkinsonism.

Dr. Dhall earned his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS), followed by a Master of Science in Epidemiology from The University of Texas at Houston School of Public Health. He completed his neurology residency at The The University of Alabama at Birmingham and a two-year fellowship in clinical movement disorders and deep brain stimulation.

His career includes leadership in movement disorders care, neuromodulation, and clinical research, with extensive experience in clinical trials and research in neurological disorders.

Dr. Dhall will present “Diagnosis and Clinical Features of Blepharospasm” at the 2026 BEBRF Symposium in Memphis.

👇 Register for the Symposium and reserve your hotel room in the comments.

05/10/2026

That’s a wrap on a busy week for BEBRF in Anaheim!

Executive Director Angel Roberts represented BEBRF at the American Academy of Optometry, alongside Western District Director Cynthia Clark, connecting with optometrists from across the country and helping put blepharospasm in front of the professionals who may one day be the first to recognize it in a patient.

The week continued at the Dry Eye Foundation Patient Symposium, where Angel was joined by former BEBRF Board Member, Dr. Jane Boyd. Along the way came conversations with patients, providers, potential new partners and even optometrists visiting from Australia who wanted to learn more about BEBRF and the support we provide.

Those conversations are exactly why we show up.

Anaheim is in the books. Next stop: New Orleans! We’ll keep spreading blepharospasm awareness, education and support, one conversation at a time. 💙

29/09/2026

After a full week at AAOPT Academy, we’re sticking around Anaheim for one more stop. 👀

Come see us Saturday with our friends at the Dry Eye Foundation at the DEF Anaheim Patient Symposium.

We’re easy to spot. We’re the folks talking about blepharospasm. 😎

We're looking forward to our Anaheim Patient Symposium this Saturday from 9-1:30. Space is limited. Learn more and sign up at dryeyefoundation.org/anaheim