ALS Learning Series

ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are increasingly understood to share underlying biological connections, and some people living with ALS may also experience changes in thinking, behavior, or personality.  Join Dr. David Irwin from Penn Medicine, as he explores the relationship between ALS and ALS-FTD, explaining what current research tells us about how these conditions overlap.  This session will help you understand what cognitive and behavioral changes to watch for, how they may show up over the course of the disease, and what this means for care and support planning.

About the Speaker: David Irwin, MD

David Irwin, MD: Dr. David Irwin is the clinical director of the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and PI of the Penn Digital Neuropathology Lab at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of medicine. He has dual training in cognitive neurology and neuropathology and his lab focuses on integrating human brain histopathology and molecular techniques with antemortem clinical data, with the overall goal of identifying therapeutic targets and markers of disease progression that can serve as endpoints in treatment trials for FTD, ALS, LBD, AD and related neurodegenerative disorders. 

• Learn more about the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD)
• Learn more about Penn FTD Center and its research work.
• International Society for Frontotemporal Dementias (ISFTD) is working with the University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (Penn FTD Center) to host the Caregivers Day on Oct. 9, a one-day conference for family members and professional caregivers with presentations from leading experts to learn more about advances in research and approaches to care. Learn more and register here: https://isftd2026.org/caregivers-day/

Helpful Resources for Genetic Counseling and Testing:

• ALS Guide: ALS & Genetic Counseling and Testing for Family Members
• My ALS Decision Tool: Genetic counseling and testing for family members