Seed Grant Recipients 

Pursuing new and innovative lines of research is often a “chicken or the egg” scenario. Researchers can’t secure funding without data, but it’s difficult to collect data without funding. That is why we are proud to provide initial support for projects like these through our Seed Grants. 

2023 Recipients 

Azlina Ahmad-Annuar, Ph.D., University of Malaya, Malaysia 
Developing Bioinformatics Infrastructure for ALS Genomics Analysis in Malaysia 

Jimena Andersen, Ph.D., Emory University 
Characterization of a Human Model of the Cortico-Motor System to Study ALS 

Veronique Belzil, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University 
Identification of ALS Risk Factors Leading to CHIP-Related Epi-Age Acceleration 

Susan D’Andrea, Ph.D., University of Rhode Island 
Biomechanical Investigation of Gait and Myoelectric Activity in ALS Patients 

Michael Gotsbacher, Ph.D., The University of Sydney, Australia 
Novel Ligands for TDP-43 to Enable a PROTAC Development Platform to Fight ALS 

Stephen Johnson, M.D., Mayo Clinic Arizona 
Digital Respiratory Comorbidity Detection Using a Wearable Device in pALS 

Christi Kolarcik, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh 
Motor Unit Population Changes in ALS 

Katharina Linse, Ph.D., Technische Universität Dresden, Germany 
Patients’ and Caregivers’ Views of Multidimensional Care in ALS in Germany 

Patrick Oeckl, Ph.D., German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen)
Development of a Simoa Assay to Measure the Somatodentritic Marker MAP2 in Blood 

April Pyle, Ph.D., University of California Los Angeles 
Improving NMJ and Skeletal Muscle function in ALS-hiPSCs 

Katarzyna Raczynska, Ph.D., Adam Mickiewicz University (Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu), Poland 
ALS-Linked U7 snRNA Mislocalization Leads to Retrotransposon Activation 

Lauren Tabor Gray, Ph.D., Nova Southeastern University 
Oral Hygiene in pALS: An Unmet Clinical Need 

Christine Vande Velde, Ph.D., Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Canada 
ASO-Mediated Stabilization of G3BP1 as a Therapy for ALS/FTD 

Haohan Zhang, Ph.D., The University of Utah 
A Neck Exoskeleton for ALS Head Drop 

Yue Zhao, Ph.D., University of Michigan 
Unraveling RNA Modifications in ALS Blood through Nanopore Direct RNA Sequencing 

Qiang Zhu, Ph.D., Van Andel Research Institute 
Developing a miniCas-Based System to Target C9orf72 Repeat Expansion Toxicity

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2023 RECIPIENTS

2022 Recipients 

Jason Ackrivo, M.D., University of Pennsylvania
Implementation of a Transcutaneous CO2 Monitoring Protocol in ALS  

John Altrip, Ph.D., Royal Papworth Hospital, UK 
On the Validation of Tidal/End-Tidal CO2 in ALS (VOTECO2ALS)  

Chelsey Carter, Ph.D., Yale University 
Care Interactions in ALS: An Exploratory Study with Non-White Persons  

Richard Daneman, Ph.D., University of California San Diego
Analyzing the Cerebrovascular Changes in Patients with ALS  

Emma Dempster, Ph.D., University of Exeter, UK
Developing a Blood Test for the Early Detection of ALS  

Christopher Donnelly, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh  
Axonal TDP-43 Dysfunction as a Pathogenic Event in ALS  

Jeannine Heckmann, Ph.D., University of Cape Town, South Africa  
Establishing an African ALS Research Network to Transform the ALS Landscape  

Eran Hornstein, M.D., Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Uncovering the Proteome of TDP-43 Condensates in Human Neurons  

Jack Humphrey, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mapping the Genetics of TDP-43 Binding in ALS Motor Neurons  

William Janes, OTD, University of Missouri
Multisite Customizable Assistive Technology Intervention  

Stephen Kolb, M.D., Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Study of Axonal Contents in Mice Expressing ALS-Associated KIF5A Mutation  

Marco Peviani, Ph.D., University of Pavia, Italy
Axl Receptor as Novel Biomarker Across the ALS and FTD Spectrum  

Nortina Shahrizaila, Ph.D., University of Malaya, Malaysia  
To Investigate the Relationship Between Exposure to Tropical Infections and ALS  

Sergey Stavisky, Ph.D., University of California Davis  
A Brain-Computer Interface for Restoring Speech in People with ALS  

Ana Maria Vranceanu, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital  
An Embedded Psychosocial Service for Patients with ALS and Informal Caregivers  

Vladimir Zhemkov, Ph.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center  
A Competitive Synapto-Forming Assay to Study Sporadic ALS Using hiPSCs  

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2022 RECIPIENTS

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