DbI CHARGE Network invites its members to the following webinar on Friday, 17 April, 2026. We are very excited to present Dr. Kim Blake and Claudia Junghans!
Adult Medical Issues in CHARGE Syndrome
Insights, Stories and Developing a Comprehensive Care Checklist
Claudia Junghans, 1st president of the German CHARGE Group and mother of a 21 year-old son with CHARGE.
Dr. Kim Blake, Professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University, will draw on clinical expertise and personal experience.
As the population of individuals with CHARGE syndrome ages, a distinct set of medical challenges has emerged, necessitating tailored care approaches for adults. This webinar will highlight prevalent health issues in adults with CHARGE syndrome. Cardiovascular issues, including arrhythmias and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), bone health problems, including scoliosis, and bone mineral density. Hormone replacement, exercise, and mental health wellbeing. Other conditions that impact quality of life. Through real-life stories from adults with CHARGE, we aim to underscore the importance of proactive
management and prevention strategies, laying the groundwork for an adult-focused CHARGE medical checklist.
Info about the presenters
Dr. Kim Blake is a professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has been researching in CHARGE syndrome over the last 35 years and has published extensively. She has answered research questions concerning post-operative airway events, sleep apnea, bone health, cranial nerve abnormalities and gastrointestinal issues. In the last 10 years Dr. Blake has partnered with Dr. Jason Berman and they have developed a zebra- fish-model of CHARGE syndrome to answer further research questions.
Claudia Junghans is the 1st president of the German CHARGE group and mother of a 21 year old son with CHARGE. In 2005, she established a foundation of a German CHARGE internet forum and is the founding member of German CHARGE Syndrome e.V. which supports families in Germany and Europe. As head of the Association, Claudia Junghans coordinates annual conferences, special project weekends, regular newsletter and publications. She provides consultation to families and presents on CHARGE syndrome at national and international conferences. In 2021, she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on the Long Ribbon. And in 2023, she completed transition coach training.
In 2024, she established, together with Madelene Rich from the Australian CHARGE group, the international CHARGE Syndrome Awareness Day.
Additional info
It should be noted that everyone is welcome to participate (e.g., individuals with CHARGE syndrome, fathers, mothers, professionals, researchers, others who are interested).
Participants will need to select their preferred language when signing up for the webinar, if your captioning provider offers this option. (The presentation is in English).
After the webinar it is possible to ask the presenter questions.
The webinar will be recorded and shared on the DbI CHARGE Network webpage and DbI YouTube channel.
The time listed is in Central European Summer Time (CET). To support you in working out the time of the webinar that suits your schedule, we advise you to check your local time zone: https://www.worldtimebuddy.com
Friday, 17 April 2026
Central European Time 15.00-16.30h
Presenter: Kim Blake and Claudia Junghans Facilitators: Lourdes Quintana Baez, Heather Colson-Osborne and Vimla Ramrakhiani Register in advance for this webinar.