The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the neuromuscular disease community has been a part of my extended family my entire life. And so today, on one of the biggest days of my life, it felt right to celebrate with all of you. I started writing when I was about eight years old. Mostly fiction, I loved . . .
Researchers at the University of California, Davis Neuromuscular Research Lab are seeking individuals with or without neuromuscular disease (ages 2 years or older) to participate in a research study to test the feasibility of using a wearable gait sensor to collect data as part of a new outcome measure for use in future clinical trials. This . . .
The relationships we at MDA form with our community is one of the most rewarding parts of our mission. One such relationship is our friendship with Jon Burcaw and his son Shane. As a long-time supporter of Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson – a member of the Eastern Harley-Davidson Dealership Association (EHDDA) – Jon became a supporter of . . .
Drug companies are developing more therapies for rare disease patients — and doing it faster — than ever before. But when it comes to enrolling minorities in clinical trials, the US track record is lagging behind. That subject was the focus of a March 15 session during the 2022 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference in . . .
When Yuliya Matyushenko was 12 years old, the Paris-based rare disease organization Eurordis featured her on a poster promoting Rare Disease Day 2015. In late February, the young woman with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was hiding in a bare concrete basement in Kharkiv as Ukraine’s second-largest city, located only 35 kilometers from the Russian border, . . .
Today was the second full day of sessions of 2022 MDA’s Clinical & Scientific Conference. The three major themes of today’s sessions were (1) therapeutic strategies to treat NMDs, (2) clinical trial design and implementation, and (3) optimizing patient care. Highlights Mitochondrial interventions: small molecule and gene therapy Carlos Moraes, PhD, from the University of . . .
Today was the first full day of sessions of MDA’s 2022 Clinical & Scientific Conference. For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians, scientists, policymakers, nonprofit, and industry leaders are convening, primarily in-person, for a dynamic and informative five days in Nashville, TN. With more than 975 in-person and 490 virtual . . .
2021 was another challenging year for many, but once again, MDA’s grassroots advocates were relentless in ensuring lawmakers heard their voices. Throughout the year, our volunteers emailed, called, and met with important decision-makers urging them to act on vital public policy that will improve the lives of people living with neuromuscular disease and their families. . . .
On Oct. 28, 2021 the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced the awarding of 18 new grants totaling over $1.6 million toward neuromuscular disease (NMD) research. These new grants represent a continued commitment by MDA to fund groundbreaking research that will one day lead to treatments and cures for the diseases in its program. The newly . . .
Researchers at Russell Sage College are seeking parents or legal guardians of individuals with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to participate in a survey about the communication abilities of the affected individuals. Analysis of the current communicative behaviors used by individuals with SMA will help researchers develop communication systems that better address the needs of this population. . . .
