CAPTURE (Comprehensive Analysis Platform To Understand, Remedy, and Eliminate) ALS is a research initiative currently in development by ALS Canada that would allow ALS researchers to understand the causes of ALS in order to develop personalized medicine and treatments. It will capture the unique biological information of individual people with ALS before the disease takes their life. By analyzing whole genome sequences, proteins, gene expression, epigenetics and biochemical metabolites, researchers will be able to obtain a biological fingerprint for each person living with ALS, and massively accelerate the development of effective treatments for the disease.
CAPTURE ALS represents an incredible investment in ALS research. It is a national and international collaborative project on the cutting-edge of medical science, and will provide a path to future treatments of ALS. It will help us understand the nature of the disease, providing a clearer path to unique treatments for each person living with ALS, and make personalized treatments and medicines possible. It puts Canadians on the front line of medical research and first in line for treatments.
ALS Canada-Brain Canada Arthur J. Hudson Translational Team Grant
Named after Dr. Arthur J. Hudson, the co-founder of ALS Canada, this grant program brings together researchers from across the country to accelerate therapeutic development by: 1) identifying and testing a relevant therapeutic target or candidate therapy and/or 2) addressing critical needs for early diagnosis and biomonitoring of clinical progression applied to clinical research. Research in all stages of development is welcomed, from basic/preclinical to Phase I, II and III clinical trials. ALS Canada partners with Brain Canada (with the financial support of Health Canada) on this program in order to leverage contributions made through the Ice Bucket Challenge.
Dr. Peter St George-Hyslop, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Dr. Christine Vande Velde, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
Project Grants
Project Grants provide funding for three different types of ALS research: 1) outside-the-box research that would not easily be successful in receiving funding from other agencies due to the high risk/high reward nature of the work (previously called Discovery Grants); 2) Research already underway that has demonstrated promise and would benefit from continued funding in order to maintain momentum (previously called Bridge Grants, with the requirement of having applied to CIHR for funding); and 3) research focused on avenues to maximize function, minimize disability and optimize quality of life through symptom management and support to people living with ALS (previously called Clinical Management Grants). The Project Grant category represents a combination of three different grant programs prior to 2017.
2019
Dr. Mohan Babu, University of Regina, SK
Dr. Patrick Dion, Montréal Neurological Institute at McGill University, QC
Dr. Matthew Miller, McMaster University, ON
Dr. Minh Dang Nguyen, University of Calgary, AB
Dr. Jeehye Park, Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, ON
Dr. Richard Robitaille, Université de Montréal, QC
Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop, University of Toronto, ON
Dr. Stefano Stifani, Montréal Neurological Institute at McGill University, QC
Dr. Jocelyn Zwicker and Dr. Christine Watt, Ottawa Hospital, ON
Dr. Yana Yunusova, Sunnybrook Research Institute, ON
By providing salary support to PhD students, trainees with a postdoctoral position, or clinical fellows or recently-hired junior faculty members, these grants attract the brightest young minds to ALS research, bringing new ideas to the field and maintaining Canadian ALS research excellence into the future. The Trainee Grant category represents a combination of different grant programs prior to 2017.
2023
Dr. Isabelle Lajoie, postdoctoral fellow, McGill University, QC
Liane Phung, PhD student, Sunnybrook Research Institute, ON
Art Marzok, PhD student, McMaster University, ON
Amrita, PhD student, University of British Columbia, BC
Anna Huynh, PhD student, Sunnybrook Research Institute, ON
The discovery grant program encourages new basic research focused on identifying causes of or treatments for ALS. The goal of this program is to build a foundation of data for novel, out-of-the-box ideas in ALS research or to attract investigators from related fields who bring new expertise to ALS research. ALS Canada partners with Brain Canada (with the financial support of Health Canada) on this program in order to leverage contributions made through the Ice Bucket Challenge.
2022
Dr. Carlos Rodrigo Camara-Lemarroy, University of Calgary, in collaboration with Dr. Minh Dang Nguyen, University of Calgary, and Dr. Deepak Kaushik, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Renée Douville, University of Winnipeg, in collaboration with Dr. Jody Haigh, University of Manitoba, and Dr. Domenico Di Curzio, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre
Dr. Thomas M. Durcan, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), McGill University, in collaboration with Dr. Yasser Iturria-Medina, McGill University
Dr. Alex Parker, Centre de recherche du CHUM at Université de Montreal, in collaboration with Dr. Gary Armstrong, McGill University
Dr. Richard Robitaille, Université de Montréal, in collaboration with Dr. Danielle Arbour, Dr. Roberta Piovesana, Université de Montréal, and Dr. Robert Bowser, Barrow Neurological Institute
Dr. Gary S. Shaw, Western University, in collaboration with Dr. Martin Duennwald, Western University, and Dr. Elizabeth Meiering, University of Waterloo
Dr. Maria Stepanova, in collaboration with Dr. Holger Wille, University of Alberta
Dr. Christine Vande Velde, Centre de recherche du CHUM at Université de Montreal, in collaboration with Dr. Marlene Oeffinger, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)
Dr. Maria Vera Ugalde, in collaboration with Dr. Heather D. Durham, McGill University
Dr. Agessandro Abrahao, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, in collaboration with Drs. Lorne Zinman, Isabelle Aubert and Sonam Dubey, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Nir Lipsman, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Drs. Kullervo Hynynen, Simon Graham, and Jamie Near, Sunnybrook Research Institute; Drs. Sanjay Kalra and Kelvin Jones, University of Alberta.
Dr. Freimut Juengling, in collaboration with Dr. Sanjay Kalra and Dr. Ralf Schirrmacher, University of Alberta
Dr. Gerhard Multhaup, McGill University, in collaboration with Dr. Angela Genge, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute – Hospital) at McGill University
Dr. Jeehye Park, in collaboration with Dr. Hoon-Ki Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Janice Robertson, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, in collaboration with Dr. Liang Zhang, University Health Network
Dr. Maxime Rousseaux, University of Ottawa, in collaboration with Dr. Martin Duennwald, Western University
Dr. Christine Vande Velde, Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), in collaboration with Dr. Marlene Oeffinger, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)
Dr. Ji-Young Youn, The Hospital for Sick Children, in collaboration with Dr. Hyun Kate Lee, University of Toronto
Dr. Yeni Yucel, in collaboration with Dr. Neeru Gupta, Unity Health Toronto
Dr. Gary Armstrong, in collaboration with Dr. Eric Shoubridge, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at McGill University.
Dr. Martin Duennwald, Western University in collaboration with Dr. Sali Farhan, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at McGill University.
Dr. Angela Genge, Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University, in collaboration with Dr. Eran Hornstein, Weizmann Institute of Science.
Dr. Angela Genge, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at McGill University, in collaboration with Dr. Francesco Pagnini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and, Lana Kim McGeary, Antonietta Vitale, Nathalie Magnan, Kendra Berry, Maura Fisher, Kalyna Franko, Dr. Rami Massie, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at McGill University.
Dr. Jasna Kriz, CERVO Brain Research Centre at Université Laval, in collaboration with Dr. Nicolas Dupré, CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Dr. Angela Genge, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at McGill University.
Dr. Honglin Luo in collaboration with Dr. Neil Cashman, University of British Columbia.
Dr. Alex Parker, CRCHUM, Université de Montreal, in collaboration with Dr. Matthieu Ruiz, Université de Montreal.
Dr. Christopher Pearson, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), in collaboration with Dr. Ekaterina Rogaeva, University of Toronto.
Ensuring that Canada continues to have a strong community of talented ALS researchers is the goal of this research funding, which supports senior postdoctoral trainees as well as recently hired junior faculty members to secure or maintain a faculty job in Canada. Recipients of this funding are all pursuing forward thinking, high-impact ALS research aimed squarely at helping to make the disease treatable, not terminal. Furthermore, this research will have a broader impact on our understanding of other neurodegenerative diseases.
2022
Dr. Philip McGoldrick, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, ON
Dr. Gary Armstrong, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
Dr. Chantelle Sephton, Université Laval, Laval, QC
Ronald Peter Griggs and Tim E Noël Postdoctoral Fellowships
Fellowships provide salary support for promising young investigators who at this point in their careers are making critical decisions about the areas they will study in the future. Supporting the highest calibre applicants at this stage provides the best possible chance for maintaining Canadian ALS research excellence in the future.
2016
In 2016, we awarded two fellowships at $165,000 over three years:
The third Ronald Peter Griggs Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship, which is through a generous gift from donors Harvey and Sue Griggs in memory of their son, has been awarded to Carl Laflamme, PhD, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC
The Tim E. Noël Postdoctoral Fellowship, an annual opportunity over the past decade, has been awarded to Sali Farhan, PhD, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
The Tim E. Noël Postdoctoral Fellowship, an annual opportunity over the past decade, has been awarded to Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg, University of British Columbia and Harvard University, BC and MA
2014
The Tim E. Noël Postdoctoral Fellowship, an annual opportunity over the past decade, has been awarded to Dr. Claire Leblond, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC
ALS Canada Doctoral Research Awards
These awards provide $25,000 per year over three years for young researchers to pursue a PhD in a Canadian laboratory. This funding also assists the hosting laboratory by offsetting funds that will help them to achieve their goals. As a result, it is a wise investment with the potential to launch the career of a future leader in the field and further secure our ability to achieve the vision of making ALS a treatable, not terminal disease.
Alexandra Lissouba, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
ALS Canada Bridge Grants
This program is designed to maintain momentum of the best ongoing ALS research projects in Canada that applied to federal government grant competitions through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR grant competitions typically have over 2,000 applicants spanning all forms of health research from across the country, and only the top 10-15% receive funding. This can make it very difficult for ALS grants to be supported. The ALS Canada bridge grant program combines CIHR scores and an independent assessment of impact on the field of ALS through peer review, to determine the recipients of $100,000 for use over one year.
2016
Dr. Neil Cashman, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Dr. Honglin Luo, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Christopher Pearson, PhD, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
Dr. Neil Cashman, University of British Columbia, BC
Dr. Avi Chakrabartty, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Dr. Heather Durham, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC
Dr. Jasna Kriz, Université Laval, Laval, QC
Dr. Peter McPherson, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC
Dr. Christopher Pearson, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto,
ON
Dr. Victor Rafuse, Dalhousie University, NS
Dr. Chantelle Sephton, Université Laval, Laval, QC
2014
Dr. Neil Cashman, University of British Columbia, BC
Dr. Jasna Kriz, Université Laval, Laval, QC
Dr. Steven Plotkin, University of British Columbia, BC
Dr. Michael Strong, University of Western Ontario, London, ON
ALS Canada Clinical Management Grant
Many of the choices that clinicians make in treating symptoms, or that families make on seeking care are anecdotal or based on evidence from other diseases. Formal assessment of these avenues in ALS patients could address potential gaps in care. Examples include, but are not limited to, management of secretions and cramps, psychological interventions to address mental health issues, nutritional interventions, respiratory care, engineering applications to reduce physical limitations, and programs to address the needs of caregivers.
This program supports specialized training in clinical care and research skills related to ALS. The program awards a researcher $100,000 per year for two years and is designed to strengthen the Canadian ALS clinical community. Peer review is performed by a panel of not-in-conflict Canadian ALS clinicians.
2023
Dr. Andrea Parks, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, ON
2015 (in partnership with the estate of Bernice Ramsay)
Dr. Raphael Schneider, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
2014 (in partnership with the estate of Bernice Ramsay)
Dr. Marvin Chum, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON
Dr. Amanda Fiander, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
ALS Cycle of Hope Doctoral Research Award
In 2015, the ALS Cycle of Hope sponsored a PhD student to pursue their studies in ALS for three years at $25,000 per year. The student was chosen as the top ranked individual in the 2015 Doctoral Research Award competition.
Maneka Chitiprolu, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON
ALS Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship
In times where extra funding has been available and following the awarding of any named fellowships, additional recipients have been named for ALS Canada.
