The ALS Canada Research Program awards $650K for three innovative new research initiatives, with an additional $1 million to be announced in 2021 TORONTO – The ALS Society of Canada today announced that as part of its 2020 research commitment, the ALS Canada Research Program is investing $650,000 in three new initiatives that will contribute […]
Thanks to our ALS Canada Research Forum sponsors for standing with us
You don’t need us to tell you that 2020 has thrown everyone and everything for a loop. A few months into the year, we all found ourselves having to adapt very quickly to mitigate the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. For ALS Canada, that meant cancelling the 2020 edition of our annual ALS Canada Research […]
ALS Research Update, August 2020
The ALS Canada Research Program is encouraged by the continued momentum seen in ALS research at a time when support for it is more important than ever before. Read about the progress researchers have made in advancing new treatment strategies, understanding the effectiveness of riluzole in the real world; and learning how ALS develops and […]
Can an animal model provide new insights into the formation of stress granules?
Alicia Dubinski may have inherited both her love for science and studying a neurodegenerative disease from her mother, a neuroscientist at the University of Toronto. When Dubinski was still a graduate student at the University of Waterloo, she met Dr. Christine Vande Velde at l’Université de Montréal in the Spring of 2019. She knew right […]
Can new understandings about nuclear speckles lead to new treatment options for ALS?
In 2018, Dr. Ulises Rodriguez Corona was looking for a new research field where he could apply his knowledge and expertise in the biology of protein production in cells and the genetic instructions that control their behaviour. When he learned of an opportunity to perform high-tech research on protein-protein interactions in RNA metabolism in Dr. […]
ALS Canada Invests Almost $1.4 Million Towards Innovative ALS Research Projects In Pursuit of a Future Without ALS
TORONTO – After a rigorous competition, the ALS Society of Canada today announced the recipients of the 2019 research funding grants. Through the ALS Canada Research Program, the only dedicated source of ALS research funding in Canada, nearly $1.4 million will be invested in leading-edge ALS research that will further the study of the disease. For […]
How you can fundraise for ALS Canada through Facebook
In late 2018, Facebook began offering the option for Canadians to create fundraisers for nonprofit organizations or for personal causes. Since then many of you have reached out to us with questions about how these giving options can be used to support ALS Canada. We know Facebook can be a quick and easy way to […]
Because Of You: ALS Canada’s 2018 Annual Report
Every day, more than 3,000 people and families throughout Ontario and Canada live with the realities of ALS, a devastating disease that takes away dreams, abilities, and lives. But for all ALS takes, it cannot take away our shared desire for a future without this disease. We rely on you – our generous donors – […]
ALS Society of Canada dedicates last of the matched Ice Bucket Challenge research funding to early-career researchers in pursuit of a future without ALS
2018 funding competition with Brain Canada results in $720,000 for six trainee awards – more trainee awards in a single year than ever before TORONTO December 13, 2018 – The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada), together with Brain Canada, today announced $720,000 in funding for six new trainee awards, thus completing the last of the […]
Thanks to donor generosity ALS Canada invests $1 million in innovative Canadian ALS research to provide a greater understanding of ALS
The ALS Canada Research Program awards eight new project grants in the pursuit of new therapy targets. TORONTO, November 15, 2018 – The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) today announced an investment of $1 million in eight new research projects being funded in 2018 through the ALS Canada Research Program, which is the only […]
Can microscopic bubbles in our blood deliver ALS therapies effectively?
One of the hallmark characteristics of ALS is the clumping of proteins in motor neurons that are believed to cause toxicity and eventual death of the motor neurons, resulting in the loss of muscle control and mobility, and eventually, the abilities to eat and breathe. Many scientists are looking for ways to eliminate protein clumping […]
Can a promising drug combination address one of the most defining biological characteristics of ALS?
All cells in our bodies make proteins, but sometimes they make mistakes, resulting in proteins that have the wrong shape. In a healthy body, protective mechanisms within the cells deal with the misshapen proteins so they don’t cause trouble, but when those mechanisms fail, the defective proteins can accumulate in clumps, making it difficult for […]
ALS Canada awards $3 million for 12 new research projects to help make amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a treatable, not terminal disease
TORONTO, November 22, 2017 – Today, the ALS Society of Canada announced 12 exciting new research projects being funded in 2017 through the ALS Canada Research Program, which is supported by ALS Societies across Canada. The research being funded includes a multi-year study of a promising drug combination, three trainee grants that will help to […]
Finding New Ways to Diagnose ALS Faster with Advanced Imaging
ALS is difficult to diagnose because no single test or procedure can firmly identify the disease. Current diagnostic tests for ALS focus on ruling out other diseases that share similar initial symptoms. For example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test typically used to eliminate a diagnosis of cancer, multiple sclerosis or pressure on the […]
Q&A with Dr. David Taylor, VP, Research
This interview was originally posted on the Hitfar website in February 2017. Thank you to Hitfar for giving ALS Canada permission to re-post this content. Could you start by explaining the disease and its effects? ALS is a disease where the living wires, called motor neurons, that connect your brain to your muscles die. This means […]
New Canadian investments in ALS research reflect growing knowledge about the disease and increasing likelihood of effective treatments being developed
The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada), in partnership with Brain Canada, today announced $4.5 million in funding for nine new ALS research projects. This means that since the Ice Bucket Challenge became a social media phenomenon in 2014, nearly $20 million has been invested in Canadian ALS research at a time when it has […]
Canada’s rising stars in ALS research receive more than $1 million from the ALS Canada Research Program and Brain Canada
The generosity of Canadians has helped three early-career researchers to make ALS the focus of their work in the country’s labs and academic institutions. The research funding, which totals more than $1 million, has been awarded through the ALS Canada Research Program and Brain Canada as a result of money raised through the Ice Bucket […]