January 2020 Foundation eNews

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We did it! Thanks to the generosity of individual donors just like you, we raised OVER $50,000 to officially meet our end of year match challenge.

Thank you to all who donated to support our Les Turner ALS family, especially the three anonymous match donors who made it all possible. We can’t think of a better way to kick off a brand new year. We’re so grateful to have you by our side.

 


Our 42nd Year of Funding ALS Research

2020 marks the 42nd consecutive year we have funded ALS research.

Last year, our Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine began funding three-year pilot grants for ALS research as well as annual research grants. We are pleased to report all five novel research endeavors from some of the lead researchers at our Les Turner ALS Center met their milestones for year-two funding and one clinical research grant, the TRIALS program, was approved.

“From a scientific perspective, a three-year pilot grant provides a researcher the resources to take a premise from its conceptual stage, through testing, to ideally generate sufficient data to apply for large, governmental grants,” states Les Turner Professor of Neurology and Director of the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine, Robert G. Kalb, MD. “We’ve seen this pipeline play out many times over and it has greatly advanced the ALS research field.”

Our 2020 gifts to the Center affirm our commitment to provide the best care to people living with ALS and ensure the brightest minds are working to find a cure. Read up on the work being conducted at our Les Turner ALS Center and view our 2020 grants>>

 


30th International Symposium on ALS/MND

Last month, our global ALS community came together for the 30th International Symposium on ALS/MND, the largest medical and scientific conference specific to ALS/MND.

As a founding member of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, members of our Les Turner ALS family attend this annual research event every year and collaborate with our fellow ALS/MND advocates, researchers and clinicians around the world.

And this year, our CEO, Andrea Pauls Backman, joined the Board of Directors of the Alliance. Andrea’s position on the Alliance’s Board continues our long-held legacy of participation and collaboration with the Alliance. Learn more about the International Alliance of ALS/MND>>

The 2019 meeting was held in Perth, Australia shortly before the widespread outbreak of the vicious wildfires the country now battles. Our deepest condolences go out to those affected by these fires. We are with you, Australia.