June 2020 Press Conference to announce the $5.3Million campaign to establish the ALS Society of BC ALS Research Professorship at UBC.

Photo L-R: Virtually Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, Dr. Jon Stossel, Head of Neurology UBC and Donna Bartel, ALS Society of BC President.

April 15, 2021 the $5.3Million goal was achieved.

Photo L-R: Wendy Toyer, Executive Director ALS Society of BC with Brad MacKenzie, ALS Society of BC Director, and Chair of the Advocacy Committee.

A new goal is set to raise $20Million for ALS Research at UBC.

Photo: Sheldon Cleaves President ALS Society of BC.

February 2022 a new goal to raise $20 Million for ALS Research at UBC was set.

Photo L-R: Wendy Toyer, Executive Director ALS Society of BC with Dr. Jon Stossel, Head of Neurology UCB in front of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.

The ALS Society of British Columbia and PROJECT HOPE

The ALS Society of British Columbia (ALS BC) is a registered non-profit charity supporting ALS patients, their families, and caregivers to ensure the best quality of life possible for those living with and affected by ALS. The Society supports ALS Research and is committed to finding the cause of and a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) through PROJECT HOPE.

How will PROJECT HOPE help find the cause of and a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?

The ALS Society of BC successfully launched PROJECT HOPE, raising over $5.3M to establish an endowed trust to fund an ALS Research Professorship at UBC. As this is an endowed trust, funds for the professorship will be in perpetuity. Recruitment of a clinician-scientist will oversee, spearhead, and create opportunities for patients to access clinical trials in BC, to become a leader in Canada and the world for ALS research. They will champion enhanced care for ALS patients in BC.

The future of PROJECT HOPE

The ALS Clinic move to UBC is taking place. It is our dream to End ALS through creating a world-class ALS Centre at UBC. To that end, the ALS Society of BC has pledged to UBC to raise an additional $20M to see this come to fruition.

“The partnership between the ALS Society and UBC is an historic leap toward meaningful change for all those living with ALS here in BC and beyond,” said Dr. Jon Stoessl, professor and head of UBC’s department of neurology. “Patients are counting on us to improve access to treatment, develop new therapies and move closer to a cure for ALS. Local patient participation in clinical trials will be critical to achieving these bold aims.”

ALS Professorship Posting – The University of British Columbia (UBC)

“In 1999, when I was still Director of the ALS Clinic at the Vancouver General Hospital we were honored to host the Annual ALS Symposium organized through the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, which represents about 60 nations. During the meeting I chaired special 2-hour question/answer session, for ALS patients and their families. About a dozen world-wide ALS physician-scientists participated. The session was designed to push the "hope meter" up by several notches. It is my firm belief that PROJECT HOPE will push the meter's dial into overdrive. It is true that meaningful ALS therapy has been elusive, as has been true for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, the other major neurodegenerations. But we are on the verge of a major game change. 21st century understanding of the mechanisms of neuronal cell death in neurodegenerations has opened windows to a spectrum of therapeutic options. Combination therapy is likely to prove most efficacious. Also, and equally important is the search for early markers of disease. Because ALS begins many years and probably decades before it becomes clinically apparent, early pre-clinical detection will allow for rescue of sick cells that are not dead, and thereby prevent motor deficits that are characteristic of ALS. PROJECT HOPE is ambitious, and its fruition will require major funding. I am delighted and deeply enthusiastic to be part of this unique venture that has created a "marriage" between a disease-oriented society (ALSBC) and a major university (UBC), in addition to the support of the Provincial Government”

Andrew Eisen

ALS Physician Scientist and Founder of the ALS Society of British Columbia.
“Thanks to the generosity of so many donors, with over $5 million raised, PROJECT HOPE is launched. Those funds go to the research that give us hope. With more promising lines of investigation being pursued than ever before, there is reason for hope.”

MP Elizabeth May

Member of Parliament - Saanich—Gulf Islands, British Columbia
“The BC Liberals have sent a formal letter to Premier Horgan urge his government to continue providing support to the ALS Society of BC's transition into the second phase of Project Hope, which will enable clinical trials and further research into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) here in British Columbia. "We all want a world without ALS, and the only way to get there is through investment in research and clinical trials like those that will be possible if Project Hope comes to fruition.”

BC Liberal Caucus

“Today we have some hope, with the direction of the ALS Society to raise funds and in cooperation with the government we can dream of an optimum environment for ALS research and clinical care in BC. To make this dream a reality we are working with the ALS Society of BC and creating a fundraiser with 100% of funds going directly to PROJECT HOPE. This will provide a hopeful outlook for BC residents that are diagnosed with ALS.”

Jeff Derby

Living with ALS
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More HOPE on the way for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients.

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