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From StamfordPlus.com Health
Urbach’s musical talents have allowed him to perform as soloist and headliner at hallowed venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. He was also featured on Steve Martin’s 2009 Grammy Award-winning bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo. Television shows including The Today Show and Good Morning America have profiled Urbach, as have publications like the New York Times and People Magazine. “My cousin, Margie, was diagnosed with rapidly progressive MS in 2003,” said Urbach, currently a freshman at Yale University. “Compelled by the devastating effects of the disease, I wanted to be part of the cure.” Urbach has worked closely with the National MS Society to raise awareness about the disease. In 2009, Urbach was the keynote speaker and performer at the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. “I have been working to eradicate MS since the first benefit concert I performed at Carnegie Hall in 2005 raising $165,000 for the Long Island Chapter,” he said. “Perhaps with enough hours, enough creativity and enough heart, I will be able to tell Margie, ‘We found the cure. There will never be another generation that will go through what you have.’ I am betting my future on it.” At 18 years old, Urbach has received worldwide acclaim for not only his violin skill but his contributions to MS-focused neuroscience research. He is the founder and director of Children Helping Children, a musical charity organization that raises funds for neurological research through charity concerts. To date, Urbach has raised more than $4.6 million to fight neurological disease. He has delivered keynote addresses at universities and medical conferences across the country. Urbach has conducted MS research since 2005 at Stony Brook Medical Center in New York, during summers at Harvard University Medical School’s MS-focused immuno-genetics lab under the direction of David Hafler, M.D., and currently at Yale University Medical School’s MS-focused laboratory in the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration under the direction of Stephen Waxman, M.D., Ph.D. “I plan to follow an M.D. and Ph.D. route that will enable me to pursue my passions for both clinical neurology and research neuroscience,” said Urbach. His MS research has been honored with two Grand Awards at the International Science and Engineering Fair in 2008 and 2009, the American Academy of Neurology's Neuroscience Research Prize and a research grant from TEVA Pharmaceuticals. The concert is presented by the International Coalition of College Philanthropists (ICCP), an international charitable and social action organization launched in November with Urbach as its executive director. The ICCP’s goal is to become a major grant-giving organization, raising money for its medical and social causes through innovative projects nationwide. The ICCP is the first international, philanthropic honor society connecting college campuses around the world in which non-profit fundraising is encouraged and will be facilitated by chapters at every major university. Joining Urbach at the Music For Life benefit concert will be SIC InC, a contempo-classical music ensemble of Yale undergraduates that matches rock concert lighting and video projections with chamber music. The concert also features two renowned Yale a cappella groups – The Duke’s Men and The Baker’s Dozen. Tickets for the concert are $10 for all students and $18 for adults. They are available at the Shubert Box Office at 247 College St. in New Haven, online at www.shubert.com or by calling the ticket office at 203-562-5666. The show is sponsored by The Frank and Helen Herman Foundation. To learn more about multiple sclerosis, its effects and the many ways to help make a difference, please visit the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter’s Web site at www.ctfightsMS.org or call 860-913-2550. © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. |
