Free to access and open to all, our webinars will help you learn about the latest advancements in ALS research, how donor dollars are supporting one of the best ALS research programs in the world and how to get involved in clinical trials to help make ALS a treatable, not terminal, disease. Some webinars feature guest speakers from the Canadian ALS research community who share details about their work and address key topics in the field.
Virtual Research Forum
2017 ALS Canada Virtual Research Forum: a free, two-day, webinar featuring world-class researchers in the field of ALS
Wednesday, August 9 and Thursday, August 10, 2017
11:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern time
Hosted by: Dr. David Taylor
VP Research, ALS Canada
For a disease like ALS that has no cure and few effective treatments, research is a tremendous source of hope. For the second year running, the ALS Canada Research Program is presenting a free Virtual Research Forum open to anyone interested in learning more about some of the ALS research currently underway and therapies in development. Hosted by Dr. David Taylor, VP Research at ALS Canada, the Virtual Research Forum will feature more than twenty speakers and panelists and will take place over two days.
How to attend: All you need to participate is a computer with internet connection and audio capabilities via a telephone or computer. Advance registration is recommended because spots are limited. Please note that you must register separately for each day. You can attend as many or as few sessions as you like, and you can sign on and off as suits your schedule.
The Virtual Research Forum will be conducted in English, with two speakers – Bastien Paré from Laval University and Elsa Tremblay from l’Université de Montréal – who are able to take questions in French. We will be identifying future opportunities to offer research updates in both official languages. See below for an agenda to help you plan your attendance. As the agenda is finalized we will post updates on Facebook and Twitter to keep you up to date.
11:00 – 11:05 a.m.
Introduction by Dr. David Taylor: Welcoming Remarks 11:05 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
*Dr. Michael Strong, Western University: ALS/FTD Overview 12:00 – 12:20 p.m.
*Dr. Lawrence Korngut, University of Calgary: Pimozide for the treatment of ALS 12:20 – 12:40 p.m.
* Dr. Mark Ware, McGill University: Cannabis study 12:40 – 1:00 p.m.
* Dr. Christen Shoesmith, London Health Sciences Centre: Canadian ALS Best Practice Recommendations 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
AB Science, Pharmaceutical Company: Masitinib for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – Preclinical overview of clinical development 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Clinical Roundtable: Dr. Wendy Johnston (University of Alberta), Dr. Colleen O’Connell (Dalhousie University), Dr. Angela Genge (Montreal Neurological Institute), Dr. Christen Shoesmith (London Health Sciences Centre), etc. 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
BrainStorm: NurOwn trials 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Cytokinetics, Biotechnology Company: Tirasemtiv trials 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Dr. Richard Bedlack, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences: Lazarus by Lunasin? Untangling an ALS X-file
Research projects marked with an asterisk (*) have been funded by the ALS Canada Research Program thanks to the generosity of donors and partnerships with ALS Societies across Canada.
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Introduction by Dr. David Taylor: Ice Bucketiology 11:30 – 11:50 a.m.
*Bastien Paré, Université Laval: Development and characterization of a new tissue-engineered skin model for the study of ALS 11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
*Dr. Martin Duennwald, Western University: ALS yeast 12:10 – 12:30 p.m.
*Dr. Carl Laflamme, McGill University: Toward enhanced understanding of the function C9ORF72/SMCR8 in autophagy 12:30 – 12:50 p.m.
Dr. Philip McGoldrick, University of Toronto: C9orf72 proteins and nucleocytoplasmic transport 12:50 – 2:20 p.m.
Preclinical Roundtable: Dr. Ian Mackenzie (University of British Columbia), Dr. Christine Vande Velde (Université de Montréal), Patrick Dion (Montreal Neurological Institute) etc. 2:20 – 2:40 p.m.
Dr. Neil Cashman, University of British Columbia: Protein misfolding in ALS 2:40 – 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Matthew Miller, McMaster University: Viruses as environmental risk factors for ALS: A new perspective 3:00 – 3:20 p.m.
*Elsa Tremblay, Université de Montréal: Neuromuscular junction 3:20 – 3:40 p.m.
*Dr. Kelvin Jones, University of Alberta: Exercise study ALS 3:40 – 4:50 p.m.
Lindsay Becker, Stanford University: Reduction of ataxin-2 extends lifespan and rescues ALS-associated pathology in TDP-43 mice 4:50 – 5:00 p.m.
Dr. David Taylor: Wrap-Up
Research projects marked with an asterisk (*) have been funded by the ALS Canada Research Program thanks to the generosity of donors and partnerships with ALS Societies across Canada.
Upcoming Webinars
ALS Canada Webinar Series: Canadian ALS Research
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
12:00 pm Eastern time – 45 minutes + questions
Hosted by: Dr. David Taylor
VP Research at ALS Canada
In Canada, we are privileged to have an exceptional ALS research community that is actively contributing to advancing the global field of ALS research. This webinar will provide an overview of the Canadian ALS research community and highlight examples of ALS researchers and projects that contribute to the high-quality research being done in Canada. Much of this important Canadian ALS research would not be possible without the generous support of donors.
ALS Canada Webinar Series: ALS Canada Research Program
Thursday, July 20, 2017
12:00 pm Eastern time – 45 minutes + questions
Hosted by: Dr. David Taylor
VP Research at ALS Canada
ALS Canada has been funding important ALS research for over thirty years. This webinar will discuss the history of ALS Canada’s research funding through to our current program, which has grown substantially in recent years. There is currently more research to be done than funding available, so the webinar will also explain ALS Canada’s approach to research funding, which is focused on maximizing the impact of donor dollars by awarding grants to projects believed to offer the most promise to advance the field of ALS research.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
12:00 pm Eastern time – 45 minutes + questions
Hosted by: Dr. David Taylor
VP Research at ALS Canada
Clinical trials are research studies that use human volunteers to test new drug therapies. In this webinar, Dr. David Taylor will explain how clinical trials are run and why they are so important to finding effective treatments for diseases such as ALS. For people living with ALS who would like to participate in a clinical trial, Dr. Taylor will explain what resources are available that can help you find a valid clinical trial that is recruiting subjects, and which experimental treatments are currently being tested by the clinical trial process.
ALS Canada Webinar Series: Research Update
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
12:00 pm Eastern time – 45 minutes + questions
Hosted by: Dr. David Taylor
VP Research at ALS Canada
In this webinar, ALS Canada VP Research David Taylor will provide an overview of the recent progress that has been made in the field of ALS research. He will speak about recent advancements toward making ALS a treatable, not terminal disease. In addition, he will cover the laboratory discoveries that are showing such promise, the experimental therapeutics that are currently in clinical trial, and how technology is just as important as scientific discovery.
The Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC)
Monday, April 24, 2017
12:00 pm Eastern time – 30 minutes + questions
Hosted by: Dr. Sanjay Kalra
Co-Director Edmonton ALS Clinic at University of Alberta
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Principal Investigator, Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computing Science
Adjunct Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
During this webinar you can expect to learn how Dr. Kalra has built a team of researchers across Canada to develop the ability to perform high powered brain imaging techniques for people living with ALS. This team (called CALSNIC) are currently using this technology to look for biomarkers, which are specific aspects of the brain’s structure that might allow for earlier diagnosis. Identifying biomarkers could help screen people for entry into clinical trials of experimental therapies that are likely to be effective for them, and allow researchers to determine the effectiveness of experimental treatments. An opportunity to ask Dr. Kalra questions will be available after the webinar.
