See below for the provisional programme of the 32nd International Symposium on ALS/MND which will be held virtually on 7-10 December 2021.
This includes platform presentations made up of cutting-edge research talks with live Q&As at the end of each session, and discussions from our invited plenary speakers, award presentations, and live poster sessions. Please note that the programme may be subject to change.
The published abstract book will be available in mid-November 2021.
There will also be networking opportunities, industry-led sessions and the ePoster Hall (to preview over 350 posters before the live poster sessions) will be available throughout the virtual event.
DAY 1 (Tuesday 7 December)
SESSION 1: OPENING SESSION
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400 - 1405 | 0900 - 0905 | 2300 - 2305 | Welcome to the 32nd International Symposium on ALS/MND | |
| 1405 - 1445 | 0905 - 0945 | 2305 - 2345 | The Stephen Hawking Memorial Lecture: Introduction C1 CRISPR: The Science and Opportunity of Genome Editing | L Hawking (UK) J Doudna (USA) |
| 1445 - 1455 | 0945 - 0955 | 2345 - 2355 | International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations Forbes Norris and Humanitarian Awards | |
| 1455 - 1510 | 0955 - 1010 | 2355 - 0010 | IPG Award and winner’s research presentation |
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 2: CLINICAL TRIALS
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1525 - 1545 | 1025 - 01045 | 0025 - 0045 | C2 ALS Drug Development Programs 2021: Overview of the international ALS drug development programs with the integration of Biomarkers in Early Phase development programs | A Genge (Canada) |
| 1545 - 1555 | 1045 - 1055 | 0045 - 0055 | C3 Long-term functional benefits and safety of a fixed-dose coformulation of sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol in ALS | S Paganoni (USA) |
| 1555 - 1605 | 1055 - 1105 | 0055 - 0105 | C4 Long-term follow-up of masitinib study AB10015 shows prolonged survival in patients that start treatment prior to severe impairment of functionality | A Ludolph (Germany) |
| 1605 - 1615 | 1105 - 1115 | 0105 - 0115 | C5 NurOwn targets multiple disease pathways in ALS Phase 3 Trial | R Brown (USA) |
| 1615 - 1640 | 1115 - 1140 | 0115 - 0140 | Discussion/Questions |
BREAK (10 MINUTES)
LIVE POSTER SESSION A
GMT 16:50 - 18:20 | EST 11:50 - 13:20 | JST 01:50 - 03:20
DAY 2 (Wednesday 8 December)
LIVE POSTER SESSION B
GMT 12:15 - 13:45 | EST 07:15 - 08:45 | JST 21:15 - 22:45
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 3: METABOLISM AND NUTRITION
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER | PARALLEL SESSION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400- 1425 | 0900- 0925 | 2300- 2325 | C6 Optimising nutrition for people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | C McDermott (UK) | 1400-1430 | Networking |
| 1425- 1440 | 0925- 0940 | 2325- 2340 | C7 The combined study of gut microbiota and metabolomics of early-stage ALS patients | Z Gong (China) | ||
| 1440- 1455 | 0940- 0955 | 2340- 2355 | C8 Elevated levels of HDL-cholesterol at diagnosis are associated with shorter survival in patients with ALS | M Janse van Mantgem (Netherlands) | ||
| 1455- 1510 | 0955- 1010 | 2355- 0010 | Discussion/Questions | |||
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 4: CELL BIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER | PARALLEL SESSION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1525 - 1550 | 1025 - 1050 | 0025 - 0050 | C9 Dysfunction to proteostasis mechanisms in ALS | J Atkin (Australia) | 1525 - 1610 | Industry Sponsored Session (non-CME) |
| 1550 - 1605 | 1050 - 1105 | 0050 - 0105 | C10 Sporadic ALS disease initiation and targeted therapy: Nuclear accumulation of CHMP7 initiates nuclear pore complex injury and subsequent TDP-43 dysfunction in sporadic and C9orf72 ALS | J Rothstein (USA) | ||
| 1605 - 1620 | 1105 - 1120 | 0105 - 0120 | C11 Perivascular fibroblasts activity precedes the onset of ALS neurodegeneration with high plasma SPP1 associated with short patient survival | S Lewandowski (Sweden) | ||
| 1620 - 1635 | 1120 - 1135 | 0120 - 0135 | Discussion/Questions | |||
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 5: AUTONOMY AND DECISION MAKING
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER | PARALLEL SESSION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1650 - 1715 | 1150 - 1215 | 0150 - 0215 | C12 Medical assistance in dying in Switzerland | H Gudat (Switzerland) | 1650 - 1720 | Networking |
| 1715 - 1730 | 1215 - 1230 | 0215 - 0230 | C13 Discussing personalised prognosis of survival in ALS: A qualitative study of experiences of patients, caregivers and physicians | R van Eenennaam (Netherlands) | ||
| 1730 - 1745 | 1230 - 1245 | 0230 - 0245 | C14 IMPACT ALS Europe – a European survey of people living with ALS | M Heverin (Ireland)/M Galvin (Ireland) | ||
| 1745 - 1800 | 1245 - 1300 | 0245 - 0300 | Discussion/Questions | |||
DAY 3 (Thursday 9 December)
SESSION 6: DISEASE MODELS
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER | PARALLEL SESSION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400 - 1425 | 0900 - 0925 | 2300 - 2325 | C15 iPSCs as a model for neurodegenerative disease: myths and truths | L Studer (USA) | 1400 - 1445 | Industry Sponsored Session (non-CME) |
| 1425 - 1440 | 0925 - 0940 | 2325 - 2340 | C16 ALS drug discovery using AI platform with patient iPSC panel | K Imamura (Japan) | ||
| 1440 - 1455 | 0940 - 0955 | 2340 - 2355 | C17 Cortical hyperexcitability causes TDP-43 proteinopathy | B Turner (Australia) | ||
| 1455 - 1510 | 0955 - 1010 | 2355 - 0010 | Discussion/Questions | |||
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 7: TRANSLATING RESEARCH FROM TARGETS TO TRIALS
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1525 - 1545 | 1025 - 1045 | 0025 - 0045 | C18 AI-augmented search for disease-modifying treatments: A new era in ALS drug discovery | J Hunter (UK) |
| 1545 - 1605 | 1045 - 1105 | 0045 - 0105 | C19 How important are biomarkers in drug development? | R Bowser (USA) |
| 1605 - 1625 | 1105 - 1125 | 0105 - 0125 | C20 Innovative trial design considerations for ALS proof of concept and beyond | R Roubenoff (USA) |
| 1625 - 1640 | 1125 - 1140 | 0125 - 0140 | Discussion/Questions |
BREAK (10 MINUTES)
LIVE POSTER SESSION C
GMT 16:50 - 18:20 | EST 11:50 - 13:20 | JST 01:50 - 03:20
DAY 4 (Friday 10 December)
LIVE POSTER SESSION D
GMT 12:15 - 13:45 | EST 07:15 - 08:45 | JST 21:15 - 22:45
SESSION 8: COGNITIVE CHANGE
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER | PARALLEL SESSION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400 - 1425 | 0900 - 0925 | 2300 - 2325 | C21 Measuring cognitive change in ALS | S Abrahams (UK) | 1400 - 1445 | Industry Sponsored Session (non-CME) |
| 1425 - 1440 | 0925 - 0940 | 2325 - 2340 | C22 Cognitive and neuropsychiatric endophenotypes among asymptomatic relatives from C9orf72 repeat expansion kindreds | M Ryan (Ireland) | ||
| 1440 - 1455 | 0940 - 0955 | 2340 - 2355 | C23 Non-motor impairment across the ALS-FTD spectrum: factors that influence disease severity and progression | E Devenney (Australia) | ||
| 1455 - 1510 | 0955 - 1010 | 2355 - 0010 | Discussion/Questions | |||
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 9: CLINICAL MANAGEMENT
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER | PARALLEL SESSION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1525 - 1550 | 1025 - 1050 | 0025 - 0050 | C24 The Diagnostic Pathway in ALS: Can we do better? | O Hardiman (Ireland) | 1525 - 1555 | Networking |
| 1550 - 1605 | 1050 - 1105 | 0050 - 0105 | C25 Patterns of genetic testing among patients with ALS: real-world results from the United States and Europe | K Stenson (USA) | ||
| 1605 - 1620 | 1105 - 1120 | 0105 - 0120 | C26 Reliability and feasibility of unsupervised vital capacity testing at home in patients with MND | J Helleman (Netherlands) | ||
| 1620 - 1635 | 1120 - 1135 | 0120 - 0135 | Discussion/Questions | |||
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
SESSION 10: CLOSING SESSION
| GMT | EST | JST | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1650 - 1655 | 1150 - 1155 | 0150 - 0155 | Invitation to San Diego 2022 | |
| 1655 - 1715 | 1155 - 1215 | 0155 - 0215 | C27 Gene therapy: Prospects and pitfalls | L Bruijn (Switzerland) |
| 1715 - 1735 | 1215 - 1235 | 0215 - 0235 | C28 Technology to empower living with ALS/MND | S Gleason (USA) |
| 1735 - 1745 | 1235 - 1245 | 0235 - 0245 | Discussion/Questions | |
| 1745 - 1805 | 1245 - 1305 | 0245 - 0305 | Healey Center Award & The Lalji Family ALS Award | |
| 1805 - 1820 | 1305 - 1320 | 0305 - 0320 | Late Breaking News RESCUE-ALS: A Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of CNM-Au8 to slow disease progression in ALS Evaluating the efficacy and safety of Tofersen in adults with ALS and a SOD1 mutation: Results from the Phase 3 VALOR Trial and its Open-Label Extension | S Vucic (Australia) T Miller (USA) |
| 1820 - 1830 | 1320 - 1330 | 0320 - 0320 | Final thoughts |
Symposium Programme Committee
Ammar Al-Chalabi (Chair of Programme Committee), Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics, King's College London
Nick Cole, Head of Research, Motor Neurone Disease Association
Brian Dickie, Director of Research Development, Motor Neurone Disease Association
Annemarie Hübers, Associate Physician, Geneva University Hospitals
Kathi Schweikert, Consultant Neurologist, University Hospital And Rehab, Basel
Nick Goldup, Director of Care, Motor Neurone Disease Association
Markus Weber, Professor of Neurology, University of Basel
David Taylor, Vice President, Research, ALS Canada
