$174,000 awarded to Dr. Matti Allen at Montréal Neurological Institute.
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) acts as the connection point between motor neurons and muscle fibers, allowing signals from the brain to reach our muscles. In ALS, many researchers believe that the early disconnection of motor neurons from muscles at the NMJ is a crucial event that contributes to disease progression. Joining renowned experts in Canada who are working towards unravelling the role of the NMJ in ALS, Dr. Matti Allen is pursuing a career as a physician-scientist specializing in neuromuscular medicine. Under the supervision of Dr. Angela Genge and Dr. Richard Robitaille, Dr. Allen will gain valuable experience in ALS clinical trials, clinical research techniques, and NMJ expertise.
Dr. Allen has two main goals: first, to conduct tests on NMJ function using various techniques to determine which ones may be valuable as a measure of disease progression; and second, to examine NMJ structural and molecular changes in tissues from people living with ALS across disease progression. By combining these findings, he hopes to uncover new insights into how the NMJ is affected in ALS and pave the way for new treatments and diagnostic tools, including NMJ-related biomarkers. With the support of this fellowship, Dr. Allen has been offered a position at the Ottawa ALS Clinic beginning in 2026, with the goal of becoming a clinical scientist who will play a large role in future ALS clinical trials in Canada.
OUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT
The ALS Canada Research Grant Program has proudly supported novel work in the neuromuscular field since 2002. Dr. Robitaille, a well respected leader in the field, has been supported multiple times, starting in 2013. Our awards provided seed funding to what would culminate in an exciting novel clinical trial starting in 2024. Dr. Robitaille discussed the neuromuscular junction and the trial, which will investigate the effect of a compound called darifenacin in an episode of our ALS Clinical Trial Unboxed series.
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