NEALS Meeting 2023
/The 2023 Annual Northeast Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Consortium® (NEALS) Meeting was held in Clearwater, FLA this October. We had a wonderful time where we heard about some of the exciting work going on in ALS and met up with colleagues from across the United States all of whom are focused on making progress in understanding and treating ALS. It was great to bring the team along including our student researcher Zach Farber and our neurology resident researcher Hannah Henderson.
Before the official start to the meeting, there are educational events that that take place, including the Clinical Learning Research Institute (CRLI). Dr. Heiman-Patterson is a member of the CRLI faculty and plans to hold a regional CRLI in the Philadelphia area this Spring.
The Outcome Training for clinical trials, including refresher sessions on the Healey Platform Trial, was also part of the pre-conference education and Kathleen Hatala, Sara Feldman and John Furey attended these sessions.
The topics throughout the meeting included General Sessions, Updates, Science Symposium: Gene Therapies of the Future and the Hot Topic: Advancements of Neurofilament as a Biomarker. A lot of great discussions!
There was a fantastic session from the Global Research Ambassadors, "Real People, Real Impact," which was presented by people with ALS, pre-symptomatic carriers, and surviving caregivers. It was truly impactful!
Jean Swidler, End the Legacy, highlighted Dr. Heiman-Patterson as a difference-maker in her advocacy.
We were privileged to present some of the work from the ALS Center of Hope highlighted in the posters below.
One thing is certain we always come back with new ideas and renewed enthusiasm.