Weinberg ALS Center

What a great night celebrating Lou Gehrig Day with the Phillies! ⚾💙

Together, we can strike out ALS.

We loved spending the evening with our ALS community, cheering on the Phillies and celebrating the incredible people who inspire our work every day.

A big thank you to Gabriella Christina and Mikey Trims for hosting us once again and making the night so special.

Onward!

May is ending. Our work is not.

This month, we shared science, opened our doors, and ran a few unexpected races in the name of ALS Awareness. But what we built together is more than a series of calendar events—it is a lasting momentum of collaboration, where every single milestone depends on many hands, many minds, and shared goals all moving in the same direction.

In the fight against ALS, the bench and the clinic are inseparable. The discoveries we chase in the laboratory are entirely driven by the real-world resilience of our patients and their families. Every breakthrough in research transforms into the care, support, and hope we deliver in our clinic every single day.

Awareness doesn't stop when the month changes. We will keep pushing forward together, every single day. Because our patients and their families deserve nothing less.

LABOlympics medal ceremony:

A month of science, precision, and teamwork comes to a close.
And the ITALY TEAM stood up, winning the gold medal 🏅
But beyond the scores and the medals, what truly stood out was the spirit behind it all: the shared commitment to understanding ALS and moving science forward.
Congratulations to all teams for the energy, creativity, and dedication you brought to the lab. The real win, as always, is what we build together in the name of science and for our patients.

For someone diagnosed with ALS, every single second counts.
While brilliant minds in the lab work toward a cure, assistive technology bridges the gap in the present. Eye-gaze trackers, specialized communication devices, and mobility tools help transform overwhelming obstacles into a more manageable life.
This ALS Awareness Month, let’s celebrate the resilience of the people living with ALS, and let’s back the science.

LABOlympics Game 5: Eyewash Station Hunt 🚿

In ALS, the muscles controlling the eyes are often among the last to be affected. As the disease progresses and voluntary movement becomes increasingly difficult, maintaining visual communication becomes one of the few remaining connections between a person and the world around them.
That contrast is what makes this disease so devastating: the gradual loss of ways to interact with the world, while awareness often remains intact.

We train to protect our sight in the lab. We research to protect it in our patients.

The everyday habits we take for granted are the very things ALS takes away.
When independence fades, families must trust others' hands.

LABOlympics Game 4: Cell Counting Challenge 🔬

Counting cells accurately is a fundamental step in many experiments, but in ALS research, it carries a deeper meaning.
ALS progressively destroys motor neurons — the cells responsible for voluntary movement. As the disease advances, patients lose strength, mobility, and independence, making the loss of these cells not just a biological measure but a direct reflection of disease progression.
When we track how many cells survive in our models, how quickly they decline, or whether a potential treatment slows that process, we are ultimately trying to gain a molecular understanding of what patients experience.
We train to measure cell survival in the lab. We research to preserve what ALS erases in our patients.

Communication never stops, and neither do we.
For many living with ALS, finding new ways to express thought and connect with family is a journey of incredible resilience. Let's celebrate those voices.

May is ALS Awareness Month. While ALS changes how a person moves and speaks, it cannot diminish who they are.

LABOlympics Game 3: Molarity Medley ⚗️

Preparing solutions of exact concentration is one of the most practiced skills in any research lab. Too little, and an experiment loses meaning. Too much, and the system you are studying is pushed beyond its limits.

In ALS, the fine balance of neurotransmitters — particularly glutamate — becomes dangerously disrupted. This imbalance contributes to excitotoxicity, a process in which motor neurons are overstimulated and progressively damaged, accelerating disease progression.

We train to master molecular precision in the lab. We research to preserve balance in our patients.