ALS Nexus: The Changing Landscape and the Future of ALS

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We made a promise to the ALS community—we will make ALS livable for everyone, everywhere, until a cure is found. But it will take all of us—working together—to accomplish that goal. With the development and approval of new treatments along with rapid technological changes in the practice of medicine, ALS care is changing at a pace never seen before.

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John Novak

At ALS Nexus, Calaneet Balas, ALS Association President & CEO, and Dr. John Novak, Neurologist and ALS Clinic Medical Director at OhioHealth, will co-host an insightful conversation examining the remarkable progress, challenges, and paradigm shifts that are shaping the way we approach and manage ALS today, while spotlighting the importance of increasing awareness, expanding access, and building capacity for tomorrow.

Joining Calaneet and Dr. Novak will be three leading experts in the ALS space: Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, Chair of Neurology at Massachusetts General Brigham, Dr. Stanley Appel, Director of the Ann Kimball & John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist Center, and Dr. Don Cleveland, Distinguished Professor and Chair at the University of California at San Diego. 

Calaneet Balas
At the heart of our mission lies the unwavering commitment to people living with ALS and their caregivers. This conversation would not be complete without their perspectives.
Calaneet Balas
ALS Association President & CEO

This frank and open discussion with some of the leading minds in the field will provide an unprecedented look into the past, present, and future of our collective effort to make ALS livable, and to cure it. No topic will be off-limits. “That’s why this conference is so unique,” says Calaneet.

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Merit Cudkowicz

Dr. Merit Cudkowicz is the Director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS and Chief of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and is part of a global team of researchers, clinicians, and families determined to better understand ALS and, by understanding it, find effective treatments.

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Stanley Appel, MD

Dr. Stanley Appel is co-director of Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, chair of the Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology and the Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Chair in ALS at Houston Methodist Hospital, and professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Appel is an internationally renowned researcher and neurologist and is one of the country’s foremost experts on ALS.

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Don Cleveland

Dr. Don Cleveland, professor at the University of California, San Diego’s Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, is a long-time ALS researcher. A true pioneer in the field, he has been working with the ALS Association since 2004 to develop DNA-based designer drugs to silence ALS genes, called antisense gene silencing or antisense technology.

 

We are bringing together researchers, health care providers, advocates, people living with ALS and their caregivers all in one place to listen, learn, and spark new ideas. This is how we make ALS a livable disease. This is how we change the future of ALS.”

“I am excited to participate in the ALS Nexus conference to learn about new discoveries in ALS science and therapies in development, and to network with colleagues and people living with ALS,” said Dr. Cudkowicz. In a recent clinician spotlight interview with Neurologylive, she shared her excitement for the upcoming conference and the chance to discuss ALS during this unique session, including the state of the field, new directions, and anything else that people might be interested in.

Join us in a collective exploration of possibilities, as we lay the foundation for a more compassionate, sustainable, and inclusive approach to caring for people living with ALS. "By bringing together the leading experts in clinical care, we have the opportunity to redefine the standard of care and envision a future where compassion and progress can improve the lives of all affected by this relentless disease,” said Calaneet.

Join us at ALS Nexus.

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