Plenary Speakers

Every year, we invite a number of plenary speakers who are experts in their respective fields. Their talks complement the Symposium sessions by providing a coherent overview on a variety of topics across the ALS/MND research and clinical management spectrum. Click on the images below to find out more about the plenary speakers who will be presenting at the 35th International Symposium on ALS/MND. 

The Stephen Hawking Memorial Lecture


Professor Timothy Caulfield
University of Alberta, Canada


Dr Michael Benatar 

University of Miami, USA


Dr Frank Bennett

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., USA


Professor Elizabeth Finger

The Brain and Mind Institute, Canada


Dr Stephanie Fradette 

Biogen, USA


Dr Angela Genge

Montreal Neurological Institute & Hospital, Canada


Cassandra Haddad 

End the Legacy, USA


Professor Jeannine Heckmann

University of Cape Town, South Africa


Professor Wendy Johnston

University of Alberta, Canada


Professor Virginia Lee

Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, USA


Dr Sebastian Lewandowski 

Karolinska Institute, Sweden


Professor Douglas McKim

The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada


Dr Corey McMillan 

University of Pennsylvania, USA


Professor Hande Ozdinler

Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, USA


Professor Jeroen Pasterkamp 

UMC Utrecht, Netherlands


Professor Hemali Phatnani

New York Genome Center, USA


Professor Ronald Postuma 

Montreal Neurological Institute Hospital, Canada


Professor John Ravits

University of California at San Diego, USA


Dr Dilraj Singh Sokhi

The Aga Khan University Medical College of East Africa, Tanzania


Professor Martin Turner 

Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, UK