Awards

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations presents four awards to recognize excellence in the ALS/MND community. The awards are described below, along with a link to submit a nomination and a list of previous winners.

Forbes Norris Award

The Forbes Norris Award, first presented in 1994, honours the memory of Dr. Forbes “Ted” Norris (1928-1993), a neurologist who dedicated his career to helping people with ALS/MND. The purpose of this prestigious award is to encourage a combination of two major qualities: management of and advances in understanding ALS/MND, to the benefit of people living with the disease. The criteria for the Forbes Norris award are that the nominee must be:

• a major participant in the delivery of outstanding ALS/MND patient care;
• a significant contributor to the medical literature on ALS/MND clinical management or basic science; and
• a member of team/s undertaking ongoing research into ALS/MND care, management and/or basic science.

Nominations for the Forbes Norris Award are considered annually; the awards are presented each year during the opening ceremony of the International Symposium on ALS/MND.  If there are no qualified candidates nominated in a particular year, the award will not be granted.

2024 Forbes Norris Award Recipient

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations is pleased to announce the winners of the prestigious 2024 Forbes Norris Award: Dr. Jonathan D. Glass and Dr. Zachary Simmons. This award recognizes their exceptional contributions to the care, research and support of people living with ALS/MND.

For over 30 years, Dr. Jonathan D. Glass has dedicated himself to ALS/MND community. He leads the Emory ALS Center, one of the largest centres in the United States, where he has earned a reputation for providing compassionate, expert care. He has been at the forefront of important research, including the first human trials of stem cell treatment for ALS/MND. He has also built a large collection of patient samples that has helped scientists around the world study ALS/MND, leading to new discoveries about the disease.

“What sets Dr. Glass apart is his passion for bringing science to the clinic,” say Dr. Christina Fournier and Meraida Polak of the Emory ALS Center. “Dr. Glass is an outspoken proponent for the ethical and responsible involvement of ALS/MND patients in research about their disease, and then ensuring that patients reap the rewards of those efforts.”

Dr. Glass’s impact is global. He has collaborated on international projects like Answer ALS and Project MinE, sharing data and insights to help researchers worldwide. He is also a respected mentor, guiding many young doctors and scientists, and strengthening the ALS/MND research community.

Dr. Zachary Simmons has dedicated over four decades to the management of ALS/MND, including his long tenure as the Director of the Penn State Health ALS Center at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Through his leadership, he has directly impacted the lives of thousands of ALS/MND patients, providing compassionate care and advancing critical research. His work spans from pioneering telehealth initiatives to developing an ALS/MND-specific quality of life instrument.

Dr. Simmons has also led numerous clinical trials and research projects focused on ALS/MND, cognitive dysfunction and the use of technology in patient care. His contributions to the ALS/MND community have been recognized not only in clinical settings but also through his educational work as Professor of Neurology and Humanities at Penn State College of Medicine and as an active volunteer with The ALS Association in the United States.

“The research and care services he has been associated with demonstrate teamwork, creativity and innovation,” says Tony Heyl from ALS United Mid-Atlantic. “His work enriches the lives of persons living with ALS/MND and their families, giving them help and hope.”

Dr. Glass and Dr. Simmons truly represent the spirit of the Forbes Norris Award. We thank them for the hope they have inspired within the global ALS/MND community.

Humanitarian Award

The Humanitarian Award was inaugurated in 2000 by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations to recognize a non-scientific contribution to the fight against ALS/MND. The Humanitarian Award is intended to recognize and encourage individuals and/or groups whose work makes, or has made, a contribution of international significance for people affected by ALS/MND.

2024 Humanitarian Award Recipient

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations is pleased to announce Evy Reviers from Belgium as the winner of this year’s Humanitarian Award for her work in supporting people living with ALS/MND.

Evy’s dedication to improving the quality of life in the ALS/MND community comes from her personal experience as the daughter of a person living with ALS/MND. She has worked hard to influence important laws in Belgium that provide of people living with ALS/MND easier access to care, support and resources. These include funding for personal assistance, specialized physiotherapy and dedicated care centres. She also helped establish Middelpunt, a care centre on the Belgian coast, where people living with ALS/MND and their families can enjoy a holiday together, providing much-needed respite.

Evy’s impact goes beyond Belgium. She founded EUpALS, a network of 28 ALS/MND organizations from 22 European countries, to help ensure people living with ALS/MND in Europe have access to clinical trials. She also plays a key role in the TRICALS research initiative, which focuses on finding a cure for ALS/MND, and serves as a patient representative at the European Medicines Agency, helping to shape research and policy decisions.

On a global scale, Evy has led projects to provide equipment like electric wheelchairs to people living with ALS/MND in other countries, directing impacting their quality of life.

Through all these initiatives, she advocates for the rights of people living with ALS/MND at the national and international levels, making her a deserving recipient of the Humanitarian Award.

Allied Health Professional Award

The Allied Health Professional Award was inaugurated in 2018 by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations to recognize an individual committed to providing exceptional care to people with ALS/MND; celebrate the sharing of expertise and exploration of new ideas to improve patient care; and recognize significant contribution to the advancement of ALS/MND clinical management.

2024 Allied Professional Award Recipient

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations is proud to announce the winners of this year’s Allied Health Professional Award: Dr. Alisa Apreleva and Dr. Tatiana Mesquita e Silva. Both have made remarkable contributions to the ALS/MND community.

Alisa Apreleva, PhD, MT-BC, NMT, is a music therapist, researcher and community educator who has spent over 10 years working with ALS/MND patients. She has developed music-based therapies that improve quality of life, focusing on speech, breathing and emotional wellbeing. Alisa also runs Music.ALS, a free online resource filled with practical tools for using music in ALS/MND care.

“I know how difficult it is to find support for complementary programs and treatments for ALS/MND,” says Marina Bialik, CEO of Palliative Care Initiative. “I strongly believe that the decade-long innovative work of Dr. Apreleva in ALS/MND clinical care deserves to be recognized.”

Tatiana Mesquita e Silva, PT, PhD, is a physiotherapist in Brazil who has been a leader in developing new treatments for ALS/MND, particularly in the field of hydrotherapy. She has published educational materials and trained professionals on best practices for care. She is also a long-time advocate for the ALS/MND community, serving as a vice-president of the ALS/MND association in Brazil, and sharing her expertise internationally through her work with the Alliance.

“She has extensive knowledge of physiotherapy for individuals with neurological and neuromuscular diseases, including ALS/MND,” says fellow physiotherapist Sara Feldman, “It is evident she is truly a leader in her area of expertise.”

This award recognizes Dr. Apreleva’s and Dr. Mesquita e Silva’s dedication to improving the lives of people living with ALS/MND and their families. Their work is a reminder of how patient-focused care can make a difference for those affected by the disease.

Student Innovation Award

The Alliance created the new Student Innovation Award, which will be presented for the first time at the 2023 Alliance Conference. This award encourages ALS/MND exposure and awareness in the global student community, provides a platform for students to showcase their innovative ideas to improve the quality of life of people living with ALS/MND, and drives innovation within the ALS/MND space.

Candidates for the Student Innovation Award must:

• have initiated and implemented work that will have an international impact on people living with ALS/MND;
• explored new and innovative ideas for improving quality of life of PALS that shows an understanding of PALS needs;
• have potential to be an achievable and accessible solution; and
• be a full-time student.

2024 Student Innovation Award Recipients

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations is excited to announce the winners of this year’s Student Innovation Award: Valeria Otalora Garces, Valentina Gonzalez and Luisa Maria Hormizda Infante. These three medical students in Colombia are being recognized for their work to improve the lives of people living with ALS/MND and other rare diseases.

Over the past three years, these students have developed digital tools that help doctors, caregivers and patients manage rare diseases. They started by creating an app focused on cystic fibrosis, enabling the medical community to exchange experiences and knowledge on this topic.

Valeria, Valentina and Luisa María then turned their attention to ALS/MND, working closely with the ALS/MND association in Colombia to understand the needs of those affected. As a result, they created two key resources: a digital guide for caregivers, doctors and patients with practical information on care, nutrition and managing symptoms; and an app that tracks the progression of ALS/MND. Both are currently being used by the Colombian ALS/MND community.

“It is necessary to give importance to this selfless work and [encourage] more students to become interested in these initiatives,” says research professor Mauricio Plaza Torres. “I am very proud of the work of these students, which uses technology to improve the quality of life of patients affected by diseases such as ALS/MND.”

Valeria, Valentina and Luisa María are continuing their research and are now studying ways for people living with ALS/MND to use brain-computer interface technology to help control devices.
Their work is making a difference in the ALS/MND community, and their achievements serve as an example to others in the student community and beyond.