Weinberg ALS Center

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 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.