The Live Like Lou Foundation's inaugural Career Development Award for ALS Research supported a first-of-its-kind investigation into the complex cellular makeup of ALS in the brain. The grant, valued at $150,000, was awarded to a project titled "Single-Cell Multi-Omic Dissection to Identify Therapeutic Targets for ALS and FTD" and supported two emerging scientists, Dr. Veronique Belzil and Dr. Manolis Kellis, and their labs to study ALS and the related condition of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).
Recently, the team published their research findings. Their study showed a strong molecular overlap between ALS and the cognitive disorder FTD and revealed a target for potential treatment.
Live Like Lou's Scientific Director, Evangelos Kiskinis, Ph.D., Northwestern University, says, "This is a fantastic achievement. The cataloging of gene expression changes that affect distinct nerve cells in the brains of patients diagnosed with ALS will serve as an invaluable resource for the community of researchers and clinicians and will spark new lines of investigation for the causes and treatments of the disease."
This milestone not only advances our understanding of ALS but also brings hope to countless individuals and families affected by this disease. Thank you to our donors and supporters who fund programs like the Career Development Award, making it possible to offer grant funding to emerging researchers!
