Allan MCRAE

Group Leader, University of Queensland

Australia

McRae’s research program integrates combinations of genomic data (including genotype, gene-expression, DNA methylation, metabolite, and protein) to understand variation between people, including in disease risk and severity. This research has contributed to the understanding of the genetic and environmental control of the genome, the transmission of DNA methylation across generations, the sex-specific regulation of the genome and the dynamics of the epigenome with ageing. His recent research has extended these principles to the study of neurodegenerative disease, and in particular ALS, identifying both genetic and epigenetic associations with disease risk and progression, and shared influences across neurodegenerative disease.

Ammar AL-CHALABI

Professor Of Neurology And Complex Disease Genetics

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Ammar Al-Chalabi is Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics at King’s College London where he is Director of the King’s Motor Neuron Disease Care and Research Centre. His research focuses on causes, modifiers and potential treatments for ALS. He is co-Director of the UK MND Research Institute, Programme Chair of the International Symposium on ALS/MND, and is a National Institute for Health Research Senior Investigator. His work has been recognized by multiple honours, including the Forbes Norris Award from the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, the Healey Center International Prize for Innovation in ALS, the Sheila Essey Award from the American Academy of Neurology, a Gold National Clinical Excellence Award and Fellowship of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, and Lisa S Krivickas Visiting Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Angela GENGE

Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University

Canada

Dr. Angela Genge is the Director of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinic at The Neuro, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, and the Executive Director of the ALS Center of Excellence. She earned her MD at Memorial University of Newfoundland, completed her residencies at McGill University, and completed a Fellowship in Neuromuscular Diseases at The Neuro. She obtained both Canadian and American certifications in internal medicine and neurology. During her tenure as Executive Director of the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) at The Neuro from 2004 to 2023, she established it as one of the largest neurological clinical research centers in Canada, home to a first-of-its-kind Phase 1 Unit dedicated to neurological diseases. Recognized as an international leader in clinical research and an expert in rare neurological conditions, Dr. Genge has led trials in ALS, dementias, myopathies, neuropathies, myasthenia gravis, and pain. Dr. Genge has extensive experience in trial design and drug development, from early-phase studies to real-world evidence programs, as well as regulatory and medical affairs. She has served as a consultant for biotech companies specializing in rare diseases and has been a member of numerous advisory boards, and data and safety monitoring boards. Her work and dedication have been acknowledged with multiple awards, including the 2023 Wings Over Wall Street Award, the 2018 Forbes Norris Award from the International Alliance for ALS/MND Associations, and the Governor General’s Diamond Jubilee Award. Dr. Genge currently leads ACCESS ALS and serves on the executive committees for CAPTURE ALS, TRICALS, Precision ALS, the ALS Network, and the WFN MND Study Group.

Arada ROJANA-UDOMSART

Consultant Neurologist and Deputy Director, Neurological Institute of Thailand

Thailand

Arada Rojana-udomsart, MD., Ph.D., graduated from Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. She did her neurology training at the same center and pursued her Ph.D. study at Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Australia. Dr Arada has special interest in inflammatory myopathy, dementia and ALS. She has been a consultant neurologist and deputy director at Neurological Institute of Thailand. She has also been the scientific chairman of Thai Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine Society (ThaiNEMs) and the executive committee of The Neurological Society of Thailand.

Atchayaram NALINI

Professor of Neurology, National Institute Of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)

India

Dr Nalini A, completed her MD in Neurology in 1994, at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences. From 1999 she is faculty at this premier Institute and pursues her clinical and research work on Neuromuscular disorders for last 3 decades. She is actively involved in the clinical services of evaluating and managing hundreds of ALS patients every year and has maintained the hospital based registry of more than 6000 cases. She leads the multisiciplinary NMD clinic at her Institute with more than 20,000 cases registered since 1991. She has studied on the genetics of 1000 ALS patients and has a large cohort of genetically confirmed cases and collaborates on ALS biomarkers and proteomics. She leads the Neuropalliative care services for ALS. She also does extensive research on the clinical phenotype and genetics of primary muscle disease.

Calaneet BALAS

President & CEO, ALS Association

United States of America

Calaneet Balas became CEO and President of The ALS Association in December 2017. She joined the organization in June 2016 as Chief of Strategy, leading all three mission areas including global research, public policy and care services, which work in an integrated fashion to find a cure, advance treatments and enhance the quality of life for people living with ALS. Prior to joining the fight against ALS, Calaneet served as Chief Executive Officer of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA). In this leadership role she had numerous accomplishments, leading advocacy and awareness efforts while advancing research initiatives including collaborating with a partner organization to create the largest global organization dedicated to ovarian cancer research, advocacy and patients, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, which merged in January of 2016. Ms. Balas also worked at the Arthritis Foundation, where she was part of an executive team that integrated and restructured four separately incorporated chapters into one region representing the Arthritis Foundation. She served as Chief Strategy Officer of the newly created Mid-Atlantic Region of the Arthritis Foundation from 2010 until September 2012. Previously, she led as President and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation’s Metro DC Chapter from 2005-2009, bringing financial stability to the chapter and increasing its fundraising efforts. Calaneet joined the Board of Directors of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations in December 2017 and was elected Chairwoman in December 2018. She also sits on the board of the Truman State University Foundation. Ms. Balas holds a Master of Business Administration from Herriot-Watt University, a Master of Science in Human Movement Science Education from the University of Memphis, and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Truman State University.

Dongsheng FAN

China

Elizabeth KAPUR

Senior Dietitian

Australia

Liz Kapur is a dietitian at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, South Australia, where she works as part of the state-wide multi-disciplinary team. Her clinical interests include providing strategies to minimise weight and muscle loss as well as supporting patients and their families through the decision-making process surrounding gastrostomy tube feeding. Working in close collaboration with clients and their families, she has been involved in the development of a patient- centred web-based App (PEG Ed) to help improve the quality of life for MND patients living with a PEG. This is currently being evaluated as part of Flinders Foundation research grant.

Emma SCOTTER

Head Of Motor Neuron Disease Research Lab, University Of Auckland

New Zealand

Associate Professor Scotter leads New Zealand’s programme of MND Research. She is head of the Motor Neuron Disease Laboratory at the University of Auckland, which studies MND in human cells and tissues, with particular focuses on genetics, transcriptomics, protein aggregation, and neuropathology. She established the NZ MND Research Network, acts as NZ representative for the Australian MND Preclinical Research Collective driving team, is a research advisor to MND NZ and the NZ MND Patient Registry, and co-leads the NZ MND Genetics Study delivering clinically validated results to patients.

Gen SOBUE

President at Aichi Medical University

Japan

In 1975, graduated from Nagoya University, School of Medicine. From 1981, worked as a lecturer and an associate professor at Aichi Medical University. In the meanwhile, 1982 to 1985, worked as an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. In 1995, appointed as a professor of neurology at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. From 2009 to 2012, served as the dean of Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. From 2015, worked as a director of Brain and Mind Research Center at Nagoya University. From 2019, serve as a president at Aichi Medical University.

Gerald PFEFFER

Associate Professor, University of Calgary in Calgary

Canada

Gerald Pfeffer is an Associate Professor and clinician-researcher in neurogenetics at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Canada. He completed Neurology specialist training at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) and a PhD in Genetics at Newcastle University (Newcastle, UK). His research program focuses on genetic neuromuscular diseases, with a special emphasis on motor neuron diseases including ALS and spinal bulbar muscular atrophy. Current projects study potential biomarkers for ALS using genetic and imaging techniques, with correlation to detailed phenotypic data.

Hideyuki OKANO

Distinguished Professor, Keio University

Japan

Hideyuki Okano received his M.D. (1983) and Ph.D. of Medical Science (1988) from Keio University. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he became a Professor at Tsukuba University (1994), Osaka University (1997), and returned to Keio University in 2001. He served as Dean of Keio University School of Medicine/Graduate School of Medicine (2007-2021) and was appointed Visiting Professor at MIT in 2022. He is currently the Director and Distinguished Professor of Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center. He was awarded numerous honors, including the Medal with Purple Ribbon (2009), the Erwin von Bälz Prize (2014), and the Uehara Prize (2022). Currently, he is the President of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine and the President-Elect of the ISSCR, focusing on stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries and iPSCs-based modeling and drug development of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s disease.

Jeremy SHEFNER

Professor of Neurology

United States of America

Jeremy Shefner, MD, PhD, is Professor of Neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute. He is co-founder and former co-chair of the Northeast ALS (NEALS) Clinical Trials Consortium, the largest ALS-dedicated group of its kind in the world. He continues to direct NEALS outcomes and clinical monitoring cores, currently involved in multiple clinical trials. His main research focus is the development of novel outcome measures for ALS trials. Dr. Shefner has published more than 250 chapters and papers in peer- reviewed journals and has served on multiple grant review panels. In 2014, Dr. Shefner received the Sheila Essey Award for ALS Research, the major award given annually by the ALS Association and the American Academy of Neurology. He was awarded the Sean M. Healey International Innovation Prize for ALS in 2022, and in 2023 received the Forbes Norris Award for ALS given by the International Alliance of ALSMND Associations.

Jeryn CHANG

PhD student, The University of Queensland

Australia

Jeryn Chang is a PhD student at The University of Queensland investigating the central mechanisms underlying appetite loss in motor neuron disease. Her research employs advanced neuroimaging techniques to understand mechanisms in the disease. With six peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals including Brain Communications and Scientific Data, Jeryn has demonstrated academic and research excellence in her early career as a researcher. Her recent investigations examining appetite dysregulation in MND patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging have provided novel insights into associations of the temporal pole and cerebellum with appetite regulation in the disease. Jeryn has experience in Python, R, and MATLAB programming, applying machine learning algorithms and statistical modeling to neuroimaging, transcriptomics, and clinical datasets. Her work spans collaborations within and outside UQ’s Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, working alongside leading neurologists and researchers to advance translational discoveries that may improve patient outcomes and inform therapeutic development strategies.

Jinsy ANDREWS

Director of the ALS Center & Director of Clincal Trials, New York University

United States of America

Dr. Andrews is the Director of the ALS Center, Director of Clincal Trials, and Professor of Neurology at New York University. She is currently the elected co-chair of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) and is appointed Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN) and the American Neurological Association (FANA). More recently, she worked with US government entities including US Congress, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institute of Health to help increase funding for research, set priorities for research, and improve efficiency for drug development in ALS. Recognition for her contributions include the Healey International Prize for Innovation in ALS and the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Diamond Award for ALS research. Dr. Andrews earned her Interdepartmental bachelor’s degree in Music/Biology form Union College, MD from Albany Medical College and MSc in Biostatics from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. She completed Neurology residency at the University of Connecticut and fellowship in ALS/Neuromuscular disease and Clinical Neurophysiology at Columbia University. She is board certified in Neurology, Neuromuscular Disease and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

José Manuel Matamala

Associated Professor, University Of Chile

Chile

Dr. José Manuel Matamala holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the University of Chile, where he specialized in Neurology. He also earned a Master’s degree in Neurological Electrodiagnostics from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and a PhD in Medicine from the University of Chile. He undertook postdoctoral training in Clinical Neurophysiology and Motor Neuron Disease (MND) at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia. Additionally, he received advanced training in Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring in Brazil and the United States. He is currently an Associate Professor of Neurology in the Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Chile. He also serves as director of the Translational Neurology and Neurophysiology Laboratory (NODO Lab), and is a co-founder and active member of the Executive Committee of ELATAM. His research focuses on understanding pathophysiological mechanisms and identifying novel biomarkers in neurological disorders, particularly MND and other neuromuscular diseases.

Josiah CHAI

Singapore

Jun-An CHEN

Deputy Director, Instiute Of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica

Taiwan

The focus of research in my laboratory is to elucidate how neurons establish individual identity in the developing nervous system and why only specific neuron subtypes are vulnerable to neurodegenerative diseases. We tackle these questions by studying non-coding RNAs and their roles during motor neuron (MN) generation and degeneration. My lab uses mouse and human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and mouse/chicken animal models to investigate MN development and disease. We have developed a series of stem cell lines and animal models to study the functions of microRNAs and lncRNAs by “gain-of-function” and “loss-of-function” approaches. Further, we perform single-cell multiomics on healthy and ALS iPSC-derived MNs to functionally characterize non-coding RNA pathologies in MNs. In this talk, I will illustrate several new topics, including how lncRNA form condensates to perpetuate neuronal fate and the progress of the miRNAs and their application in MN diseases.

Jung-Joon SUNG

Professor, Seoul National University Hospital

Korea (Republic of)

Jung-Joon Sung received his MD, PhD from Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul Korea. He completed residency and neuromuscular fellowship in Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital. He has been a full professor and director of neuromuscular division at Seoul National University Hospital since 2014. He is focusing on translational medicine for ALS and recently, dedicated on the development of cell and gene therapy to cure ALS. He has authored or co-authored 131 international and 46 national publications. He has applied more than 20 international patents and registered 7 patents. He is leading KALSA since 2018.

Leanne SKLAVENITIS

Health and Fitness Professional

Australia

Leanne is an accomplished health and fitness professional whose career spans more than 30 years. Before being diagnosed with MND in 2017, she was a nationally recognised personal trainer, group fitness instructor, coach, and motivational speaker. She built a business and a life around helping others live with energy, optimism, and awesomeness. Since her diagnosis, Leanne has continued to do exactly that. Despite losing her ability to walk, use her arms, and speak, she continues to inspire through her writing, resilience coaching, advocacy, and presentations. Leanne has also made significant contributions to MND research, including providing muscle biopsies and participating in a long-term MND metabolism study. Through her generosity and openness, she hopes to advance our understanding of this disease and help shape more person-centred approaches to both care and research.

Leonard VAN DEN BERG

Professor of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht

Netherlands

Leonard H. van den Berg is Professor of neurology with a Chair in Motor Neuron Disorders at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. He is founder and director of the Netherlands ALS Center, and chair of the European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS), a network of the European ALS Centres, and of TRICALS, a European Trial Consortium. He is author of more than 700 peer-reviewed publications in Neurology, Neuroscience, Genetics, Bioinformatics, Trial Innovation and Epidemiology. His dedication to patient care and research has been recognized by the Sean M. Healey International Prize for Innovation in ALS Research, the Forbes Norris Award, the Winkler Medal, and the Sheila Essey Award, and has been appointed a life member of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Lezanne OOI

Professor, University of Wollongong

Australia

Lezanne Ooi is a Professor in the School of Science at the University of Wollongong, Australia and Group Leader of the Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration Lab. Her research speciality is cellular neuroscience and the regulation of neuronal function and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. The Ooi lab uses electrophysiology, imaging and a range of cell and molecular biology techniques to investigate disease mechanisms and for drug discovery, using induced pluripotent stem cells, tissue and disease models.

Manish RAISINGHANI

CEO, Target ALS Foundation

United States of America

As CEO of Target ALS, Manish drives forward the organization’s mission of breaking down barriers to ALS research to find effective treatments. Manish has led the organization since its founding in 2013, growing Target ALS into the largest private funder of ALS research globally. With Manish’s vision and leadership, Target ALS established the organization’s landmark Innovation Ecosystem model. By eliminating barriers that traditionally limit scientific progress, the Innovation Ecosystem accelerates the best ideas on ALS research across the drug discovery pipeline at an unprecedented pace.

Marina KENNERSON

Group Head Of Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory

Australia

Dr Kennerson is a Professor of Neurogenetics/Neurosciences with the ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney Local Health District and Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia. She heads the Gene Discovery and Translational Functional Genomics Inherited Peripheral Neuropathies Program at the ANZAC Research Institute. Her team has discovered several neuropathy genes and is doing pioneering research to investigate the role of structural variation and its role in new disease mechanisms for hereditary neuropathies. Her research program includes functional studies for gene (ATP7A and PDK3) and SV mutation (CMTX3 and DHMN1) discoveries using induced pluripotent stem cell derived motor neurons and animal models (C. elegans). Marina is a board member of the Peripheral Nerve Society, Secretary of the Charcot-Marie-Tooth and Related Neuropathies Consortium (CMTR), Chair of the Asian Oceanic Inherited Neuropathy Consortium (AOINC), serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the CMT Research Foundation and is a member of the Scientific Committee for MND Australia.

Mario PRADO JR

Neurologist and Biostatistician, University of the Philippine Manila

Philippines

I am Mario Prado Jr, from the University of the Philippine Manila. I am a neurologist and a biostatistician. Most of my research focus on statistical methods and neuromuscular disorders including Guillain Barre Syndrome, Tetanus, Myasthenia Gravis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. For ALS, my latest publications involve systematic review and meta-analysis about the benefits of high caloric diet among ALS patients, a network meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of different disease modifying treatments approved by FDA for this condition, and characterization of the Filipino ALS cohort. Together with other doctors, we have also established a support group and a registry for patients with motor neuron disease, wherein we already had around 70 participants in a span of 2 years. We hope to eventually join the world in doing clinical trials for this condition. Thank you.

Marnie GRACO

Implementation Scientist, Institution for Breathing and Sleep

Australia

Dr Marnie Graco is a clinician researcher and Implementation Scientist at the Institute for Breathing and Sleep (Austin Health, Melbourne). Her research aims to improve the health and quality of life of people living with neuromuscular diseases, by improving the clinical management of their sleep and breathing disorders.

Mary-Louise ROGERS

Principal Research Fellow, Flinders University Flinders Health

Australia

Associate Professor Mary-Louise Rogers is a Principal Research Fellow at Flinders University Flinders Health & Medical Research Institute (South Australia) where she has led the Motor Neurone Disease and Neurotrophic Research Laboratory at Flinders University since 2011 (https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/mary-louise.rogers). Assoc Prof Rogers research is focused on using OMICS and other techniques to discover biomarkers that can detect if treatments are working in clinical trials for ALS/ MND and working out why MND/ ALS starts. Success in funding from USA and Australian granting bodies has enabled the research program to continue and resulted in candidate biomarkers for MND/ALS that are being validated. Assoc Prof Rogers is passionate about improving the outcome of people with MND/ALS and is active in research committees in national organisations such as MNDA, FightMND and the Australian National MND Collective (Research Driving team) as well as within South Australia as a Director of MND South Australia.

Matthew KIERNAN

Chief Executive Officer and Institute Director, Neuroscience Research Australia

Australia

Professor Matthew C Kiernan AM MBBS PhD DSc FRACP FAHMS FAA Professor Matthew Kiernan is the Chief Executive Officer and Institute Director of Neuroscience Research Australia. He holds appointments as the Scientia Professor of Neuroscience at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia and Senior Staff Specialist in Neurology at South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. Professor Kiernan is past President of the Australian & New Zealand Association of Neurologists, having helped shape neuroscientific research and the training of neurologists across Australia and New Zealand. In 2024, he was elected to Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science. Professor Kiernan is Chair of the World Federation of Neurology Specialty Group in ALS/MND, Chair of the World Congress of Neurology, President of the Brain Foundation and Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (BMJ Publishers, United Kingdom), having served as Editor-in-Chief from 2010-2022.

Merit CUDKOWICZ

Chief, Massachusetts General Hospital Neurology Service

United States of America

Dr. Merit Cudkowicz is the Chief of the Massachusetts General Hospital Neurology Service, Director, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Cudkowicz is one of the founders and former co-directors of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), a group of over 140 clinical sites in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East dedicated to performing collaborative academic-led clinical trials and research studies in ALS. She is leading the first Platform Trial initiative in ALS and is also the Principal Investigator of the Clinical Coordination Center for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Neurology Network of Excellence in Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT). Dr. Cudkowicz mentors neurologist in careers in experimental therapeutics.

Michelle FARRAR

Child Neurologist, UNSW Sydney, Sydney Children’s Hospital

Australia

Dr Michelle Farrar is Professor of Paediatric Neurology and Neuroscience at UNSW Medicine and Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN). Her work focuses on spinal muscular atrophy and neurodegenerative diseasess in children. She is an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator (Emerging Leader), on the topic of “Improving health outcomes for children with rare neurological diseases with genomic technologies”. She directs the multidisciplinary neuromuscular clinic and clinical research program at SCH. Her work includes clinical care, training of residents and fellows, clinical research and collaborating with scientists in translational research. Dr. Farrar is a principal investigator in spinal muscular atrophy clinical trials, and the clinical lead for the Australian SMA newborn screening pilot programme and clinical guidelines. She is medical director for Muscular Dystrophy NSW and a member of the International Rare Diseases Consortium Therapies Scientific Committee.

Naoki ATSUTA

Associate Professor, Aichi Medical University

Japan

Naoki Atsuta graduated from Nagoya University School of Medicine in 1996, became a neurologist after clinical training, received his degree from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, and served as the ward chief of Neurology at Nagoya University Hospital from 2009 to 2020. Since November 2020, he has been working as an associate professor at Aichi Medical University. Since 2005, he has been a central contributor to the establishment, operation, and analysis of JaCALS, a registry of ALS patients in Japan. He has participated as a site PI in many ALS clinical trials, including edaravone and methylcobalamin trials. He is a member of the ALS Clinical Guidelines Committee of the Japanese Society of Neurology, and is also a member of the committee currently working on the clinical evaluation guidelines for ALS clinical trials.

Nicole SHEERS

Senior Research Fellow on Respiratory Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne

Australia

Dr Nicole Sheers, PhD, is a clinician researcher whose research focuses on improving the respiratory care, breathing and cough function of people living with neuromuscular diseases. She has over 25 years of experience as a respiratory physiotherapist, providing specialist respiratory care and home ventilation to adults with chronic ventilatory failure, and is a senior research fellow based at The University of Melbourne and the Institute for Breathing and Sleep at Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia. She was awarded the 2024 Jim Zissimopoulos MNDRA Postdoctoral Fellowship and is currently undertaking clinical trias investigating a novel combined respiratory therapy for people with MND.

Nortina SHAHRIZAILA

Professor of Neurology, University of Malaya

Malaysia

Dr Nortina Shahrizaila graduated from University of Nottingham Medical School, UK in 1997. She went on to complete her general medical training, specialist neurology training and doctorate degree in the UK before returning to Malaysia in 2009. She is currently works as Consultant Neurologist at University Malaya Medical Centre as well as Professor of Neurology at University of Malaya (UM). She has subspecialty clinical and research interests in the field of peripheral neuropathies, motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and peripheral neurophysiology. She leads the UM MND Clinical and Research group. She is the President-Elect of the Pan-Asian Consortium for Treatment and Research in ALS (PACTALS). She is also Associate Editor of Clinical Neurophysiology Practice journal and an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Osamu KANO

Professor and Chair Department of Neurology, Toho University

Japan

Dr. Kano is currently a Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at Toho University Faculty of Medicine. He earned both his MD and PhD in Neurology from Toho University. He completed postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Professor Stanley Appel at Houston Methodist Hospital. His research focuses on identifying peripheral blood biomarkers in patients with ALS, with the goal of facilitating future clinical trials. He is particularly committed to addressing the challenges of drug lag and drug loss for ALS treatments in Japan, and to advancing clinical trials across the Asia-Oceania region.

Parvathi MENON

Academic and Associate Professor, University Of Sydney/Concord Repatriation General Hospital

Australia

A/Prof Menon is an academic neurologist with a research interest in MND and neuromuscular disease. Based at the Brain and Nerve Research Centre, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, University of Sydney, A/Prof Menon leads an MND clinical service at Concord Hospital, undertakes clinical trials in MND, and undertakes research studies to increase knowledge regarding the causation and progression of MND using specialised neurophysiology techniques.

Phyu Phyu LAY

Professor and Senior Consultant Neurologist, Yangon General Hospital, University Of Medicine 1, Yangon

Myanmar

She is a Professor and Senior Consultant Neurologist since 2014. She is a retired Head of Department of Neurology, Yangon General Hospital, University of Medicine1, Yangon. She received her MBBS (Ygn) in 1987, M.Med.Sc (Internal Medicine) in 1997, Dr.Med.Sc (Neurology) in 2007, Dip.Med.Ed in 2018, F.R.C.P (Edin) in 2016, F.RC.P ( Glasg) in 2020, F.RC.P( London) in 2021. She did fellowship training in Clinical Stroke at Singapore General Hospital in 2001 and in Neurophysiology at University of Malaya Medical Centre in 2012. She is a current Patron of the Myanmar Neurological Society, Immediate past President of the Myanmar Society for the Study of Pain, a Vice-President of the Association of South-East Asia Pain Societies ( ASEAPS) and a member of The Pan-Asian Consortium for Treatment and Research in ALS since 2019.

Rachel TAN

FightMND Mid-Career Research Fellow/Associate Professor, University of Sydney

Australia

A/Prof Rachel Tan is a FightMND Mid-Career Research Fellow and Head of the Translational TDP-43 Proteinopathies laboratory in the School of Medical Sciences of the University of Sydney. Her research program is focused on determining the molecular drivers of early and divergent pathogenesis and translating these to clinical measures that can improve diagnosis and targeted interventions. Rachel is also the co-director of the Brain and Mind Centre’s Neurotherapeutic Innovations Initiative, which is dedicated to advancing the clinical design of outcome measures for neurodegenerative diseases. The impact of A/Prof Tan’s research has been highlighted by editorials, recognized in publication awards and made possible through funding support from the NHMRC, NSW Health, FightMND, the MonStar Foundation and MNDRA.

Robert HENDERSON

Neurologist, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

Australia

Dr Robert Henderson graduated from the University of Queensland, and completed physician training at the RBWH. After training at Robart’s Research Institute in London, Ontario Canada (1999) and the Mayo Clinic in the USA (1999-2001), Dr Henderson was the Director of Neurology at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital from 2005-2012. He has an interest in neuromuscular disorders and in particular MND. He co-ordinates the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Motor Neuron Disease (MND) clinic with 80-90 patients under active care. With Professor McCombe he has conducted investigator-driven research into biomarkers of disease progression, and linked with the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research and other UQ structures. He has participated in more than 20 international MND and other neuromuscular disease Phase 1-3 trials including 2 neuropathy trials and 3 Pompe disease trials along with IBM trials.

Ruben VAN EIJK

Assistant Professor, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU)

Netherlands

Ruben van Eijk is an MD and biostatistician appointed as Assistant Professor at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), The Netherlands. He obtained his Ph.D. in neurology/biostatistics, entitled: “Optimizing the design and conduct of clinical trials for ALS”. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Innovative Study Design and Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Stanford University. His current research focusses on new statistical models to combine survival and longitudinal data, integration of real-world evidence into drug development, as well as developing new endpoints that addresses the multidimensional nature of ALS and differences in patient preference.

Seung Hyun KIM

Professor of Neurology, Hanyang University Hospital

Korea (Republic of)

Dr. Seung H. Kim is a neurology professor, the director of the ALS Clinic at Hanyang University Hospital, and President of the Korean Neurological Association. He has also served as President of the PACTALS, the Korean Dementia Association, and the Society of Neurodegenerative Diseases. A therapeutic strategy employing autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for ALS was approved as an orphan drug in the Korean NIH research project. He is currently conducting translational research in neurodegenerative diseases to develop stratified and precision medicine. He received the 2016 Secret of Life Award from the Catholic Foundation and awards from the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning. Currently, he is a member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology and the National Academy of Medicine of Korea. Additionally, he leads the Korean Dementia Platform Project, which aims to develop immune-inflammatory biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases.

Sheila AGUSTINI

Neurologist, Mayapada Hospital

Indonesia

Dr. Sheila Agustini, a graduate from Department of Neurology (University of Indonesia), a fellow in Neurophysiology, has been volunteering for the Indonesia ALS Foundation for more than a decade until present time. She is consistent and actively supporting the ALS community in Indonesia working mainly towards promoting ALS awareness and sharing knowledge within the community and medical professionals. Dr. Sheila aims to provide general to specific information on what is next after ALS diagnosis and how to navigate the holistic care to make “ALS livable” in Indonesia using various platforms and tools. She is the editor of Indonesia’s first ALS guideline and the country representative for PACTALS (Pan-Asian Consortium for the Treatment and Research in ALS). In addition of being a professional watercolor artist (@neurologistswhodraw), she started fundraising activity “Art for ALS” in 2023, dedicated to support Indonesia ALS Foundation.

Shi-Yan NG

Senior Principal Investigator, A*STAR

Singapore

Dr Shi-Yan Ng is a Senior Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, where research in her lab aims to understand the molecular basis of human neurological diseases with the eventual goal of identifying new disease targets. She is also an adjunct faculty at the National University of Singapore (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Department of Physiology) and the National Neuroscience Institute. Shi-Yan is a recipient of a number of awards, including the National Research Foundation Fellowship (2018), the L’Oréal For Women in Science National Fellowship (2019) and the SCSS Dr Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator (2021). Prior to starting her career in IMCB, Shi-Yan was a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Lee Rubin’s lab at Harvard University (2012-2015) after completing her PhD with Professor Lawrence Stanton at the Genome Institute of Singapore and the National University of Singapore (2008-2012).

Shuangwu LIU

Associate Research, and Master's Supervisor, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University

China

Shuangwu Liu, PhD, Associate Research, and Master's Supervisor, focused primarily on neurodegenerative diseases. He is a recipient of the Young Future Scholar Program at Shandong University. Liu has led several research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Program), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (General Program), and the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (General Program). He has published more than 30 SCI papers, with more than 10 articles as the first author or corresponding author.

Shuo-Chien LING

Associate Professor, National University of Singapore

Singapore

After obtained a BS and MSc at the National Tsing-Hua University (Taiwan), I completed my Ph.D. at the Neuroscience program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), USA under Professors William Greenough and Vladimir Gelfand. After a short postdoc at Northwestern University, I moved to University of California, San Diego (UCSD), USA to work with Professor Don Cleveland. In 2013, I joined the Department of Physiology as an Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, where I was promoted to tenured Associate Professor in January 2022. My laboratory focuses on the mechanisms underlying age-related neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Some of our contributions are to decipher the physiological role of TDP-43 in the CNS and PNS glia and the potential pathogenic processes caused by TDP-43, FUS and C9ORF72.

Shyuan NGO

Group Leader, University of Queensland

Australia

A/Prof Ngo is a Group Leader at the University of Queensland. She leads a research program that aims to define the contribution of altered metabolic homeostasis to ALS pathophysiology and pathobiology. Her research blends studies in ALS patients with studies in human-derived cell models (including stem cell-derived neurons, and human primary myosatellite cells and myotubes) and mouse models of ALS. Projects aim to decipher the molecular drivers of ALS and identify therapeutic strategies for ALS. The translational nature of her research has led to the expediting of therapeutics into clinical trials.

Sicong TU

Lenity Fellow, The University of Sydney

Australia

Dr Sicong Tu is the Lenity Fellow and Group Leader for the Neurotherapeutic Innovations research team based at the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney. His research employs multi-modal neuroimaging techniques to quantify changes in brain integrity and connectivity associated with cognitive and motor neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, the development and clinical translation of advanced tractography approaches for assessing and monitoring progressive white matter degeneration in MND. Dr Tu co-leads the development of the Asia-Pacific MND Imaging Initiative (AMII), a multi-site longitudinal collaborative imaging research program for imaging biomarker discovery and validation, and serves on the steering committee for the global Neuroimaging Society in ALS (NiSALS).

Stephanie HOWE

PhD student, The University of Queensland

Australia

Stephanie Howe is a final year PhD student in the Ngo and Steyn laboratories at the University of Queensland. Her PhD broadly encompasses the investigation of the interplay between neuroinflammation and altered metabolism in MND/ALS. Her expertise spans clinical research, 2D and 3D in vitro disease modelling and spatial transcriptomics in human and murine spinal cord. Throughout her candidature she has been involved in the design, tissue sourcing, hands-on experiments, troubleshooting and data analysis of spatial transcriptomics projects. In the Omics Primer, she will share her experience with attendees who are interested in undertaking similar projects as part of their own research, as well as those who are interested in the utility of spatial transcriptomics technology in MND/ALS research.

Steve VUCIC

Northcott Chair of Neurology, University of Sydney

Australia

Professor Vucic is the Northcott Chair of Neurology and Director of Brain and Nerve Research Center (Concord Clinical School, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney). Professor Vucic has interest and expertise in management of MND patients as well as research understanding MND pathogenesis and development of biomarkers. He has extensively published in the field of MND. For his research he has been awarded multiple accolades and a Doctor of Science (DSc) by the University of New South Wales in 2019. Professor Vucic was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2020, in recognition of contributions to health and medical science in Australia, especially for his contribution to medical research.

Thanuja DHARMADASA

Neurologist & Clinical Neurophysiologist, The Royal Melbourne Hospital

Australia

Dr Thanuja DHARMADASA (MBBS Hons 1, FRACP, PhD) is a Neurologist & Clinical Neurophysiologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and a Senior Clinical Research Fellow with The Florey Institute in Victoria (Aus). Thanuja graduated from Medicine with First Class Honours and completed her Neurology specialist medical training in Victoria, undergoing a Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship in her final year. Her PhD in ALS/MND was conducted at the University of Sydney (Brain and Mind Centre) exploring advanced neurophysiological techniques in patients to understand disease mechanisms, during which time she was awarded the Jim Lance Young Investigator’s Award and the Peter Bancroft Prize. She subsequently received a prestigious NHMRC CJ Martin Early Career Fellowship to continue this work at The University of Oxford (UK), exploring novel clinically translatable techniques in high-resolution advanced neuroimaging. While currently continuing this clinical research work in Australia, she also has a keen interest on strategies surrounding the implementation and optimisation of best care for patients living with the disease.

Tu Quoc Le TUAN

Head Of Department Of Neurology, Trieu An Hospital

Vietnam

Dr. Tuan graduated with his M.D. training at Hue Medical University (1984-1990). He then specialized in Neurology (1991-1992) and Clinical Neurophysiology (1997). He trained at Neurolab at Singapore General Hospital (2004) and the Clinical Neurophysiological Department at UCLA, USA (2008). Dr. Tuan has experienced more than 27 years of experience as a Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist. He also obtained his Ph.D. in training at the Military Medical University (2019). In Vietnam, Dr.Tuan is an expert on Myasthenia Gravis and ALS. Dr. Tuan has been the author of many reports at Vietnam medical conferences on Myasthenia Gravis, ALS, pain, and other peripheral nerve diseases. Dr.Tuan is also a lecturer on the Electromyography method for VACN.

Vassilios (Billy) KARNAROS

PhD candidate, Flinders University

Australia

Specialty: Biomarkers I am a PhD candidate at the Flinders Health and Medicine Research Institute at Flinders University. My research is focussed on identifying and measuring biological markers useful for measuring Motor Neuron Disease progression in clinical trials; specifically urinary molecules characterising immune dysfunction. I am using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry as the gold standard for novel biomarker detection, quantification, and validation. I am passionate about bridging the gap between scientific outcomes and real-world clinical outcomes for people with MND.

Woojin Scott KIM

Associte Professor

Australia

Assoc Prof Kim is a Principal Research Fellow of Neuroscience and heads ALS/FTD research and biomarker program at the University of Sydney. Previously, he held academic positions at University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Harvard Medical School, and received a PhD from UNSW. The focus of his research is understanding lipid dysregulation underlying ALS/FTD and other motor and dementia syndromes. He uses innovative lipidomics tools to identify lipid species that represent novel biomarker development opportunities for ALS and FTD. Assoc Prof Kim has published 136 papers, including ground-breaking work in Nature Comm, Brain and Acta Neuropath, with 7,429 citations and h-index of 47. He received 26 competitive grants and awards, including Michael J. Fox Foundation (USA), MSA Coalition (USA), Defeat MSA Alliance (USA), NHMRC, FightMND, Australian Academy of Science International Exchange Program and two UNSW Goldstar Awards. He has been regularly invited to speak at international and national meetings, including AD/PD, SfN, AAIC, FEBS and ANS.

Yi-Chung LEE

Senior Neurologist, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Taiwan

Prof. Yi-Chung Lee is a senior neurologist specializing in Peripheral Nerve System Disorders and Clinical Genetics at the Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. He is also a professor of Neurology at Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. His research focuses on adult-onset inherited neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ALS, CMT, and related disorders. His team has contributed to genetic diagnosis, molecular mechanisms, and management strategies, identifying multiple disease-causing genes and novel phenotypes. He has also helped define the genetic and clinical landscapes of ALS, CMT, HSP, NIID, and CADASIL in the Taiwanese population, contributing to a broader understanding of these conditions.