Category: Tim E. Noël

Over the past two decades, the best way to study the molecular aspects of ALS has been through discovery of genetic causes of the familial/hereditary disease (which only accounts for 5-10% of cases) that can then be used in the laboratory to make cell and animal models that mimic the motor neuron degeneration and abnormal biology of the human disease. In the past five to ten years, there has been an explosion in the number of genetic causes discovered, each representing a new tool to utilize in understanding the disease and identifying new targets for treatment. However, some genetic causes still remain to be identified and they may be key pieces to a puzzle by linking to the others that are now known and becoming understood.

ALS Canada is pleased to announce that Canadian scientist Dr. Sali Farhan is the recipient of the 2016 Tim E. Noël Postdoctoral Fellowship to work on furthering our genetic understanding of ALS under the supervision of world class geneticists Dr. Benjamin Neale and Dr. Mark Daly at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. During her work, Dr. Farhan will analyze one of the largest databases of familial ALS genetic sequences to potentially discover new genetic mutations that cause the disease, but also to confirm those that have been identified in other studies. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art techniques for these analyses will provide Dr. Farhan with valuable expertise that will be applicable in future endeavours that aim to understand the genetic underpinnings of sporadic ALS through whole genome sequencing. Through this study and those of the future, the training from this fellowship will poise Dr. Farhan to make significant advances to our understanding of ALS and stimulate new directions for identification of therapeutics.