Home ::> Programs ::> Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Program
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Program
Clinical Activities
The ALS Centre at GF Strong is a trans-disciplinary entity providing care, teaching and basic research in the Vancouver area as well as providing clinical services to affected patients and their families. The highly trained ALS Team at GF Strong provides social work, physio- and occupational therapy, speech language assessment and therapy, and dietary guidance. For a listing of staff at the ALS Centre at GF Strong, please go to the Member section below.
Outreach Clinics: The ALS Society of BC (ALSBC) and the ALS Centre have consolidated an innovative partnership to provide a successful outreach clinic program for areas of the province difficult to reach for disabled patients. Outreach clinics in 2008 included Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George.
Research Activities
Three major scientific programs are being conducted at the ALS Centre.
- Dr. Briemberg leads clinical trials for the ALS Centre, in collaboration with other team members and with the encouragement and financial assistance of ALSBC. Two clinical treatment trials are underway, and an additional trial is being considered through the newly founded Canadian ALS Clinical Trials and Research Network (CALS). In the future, it is possible that the scope of clinical trials may expand with assistance from ALSBC to include new medical devices and technologies for improving the quality of life with ALS.
- Dr. Krieger’s CIHR-supported basic scientific program at Simon Fraser University is focused on the engraftment of stem cells in the affected CNS of mouse models of ALS, with collaboration from Fabio Rossi at the UBC Biomedical Research Centre.
- Dr. Cashman is a Canada Research Chair in Neurodegeneration and Protein Misfolding Diseases at the UBC Brain Research Centre. With support from CIHR, CFI, BCKDF, and Amorfix Life Sciences, Dr. Cashman is conducting basic research on immunotherapies and vaccines to protein misfolding diseases, especially ALS.
Members
Neurologists:
Physiatrist:
Dr. Travlos
Specialized Nurse Coordinator:
Marife Fabros