The International Symposium on ALS/MND is the single largest medical and scientific conference on ALS and related Motor Neurone Diseases.
Following the success of last year’s virtual Symposium and the ongoing challenges caused by the global pandemic, the MND Association’s 33rd International Symposium on ALS/MND, 6-9 December 2022, will once again be held online.
As many of you know, we were due to be hosted in San Diego by the ALS Association (ALSA). We have consulted with ALSA and the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations prior to making this decision. Whilst the latest COVID-19 omicron wave is starting to recede in some countries, it has also demonstrated the frightening speed at which new variants can spread across the world. Given the prospect of new COVID-19 variants and additional spikes toward the end of the year and taking into account the risks linked to significant contractual obligations, we do not have the logistical or financial certainty we need to go ahead with planning an on-site event of the scale and international reach of the Symposium. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to ensure charitable funds are used wisely in supporting people affected by ALS/MND and in the search for effective treatments.
Whilst we are incredibly disappointed in having to make this decision, we can do so in the knowledge that over the past two years we have demonstrated the success of the online event. Although this cannot replicate an onsite meeting, it has proven effective in maintaining communication across the ALS/MND research community and in making the Symposium more accessible to a wider international audience.
Further details, including abstract submission instructions, will be provided in the near future.
We hope you will join us to ensure that this year’s event is even more successful in fostering exchange of knowledge and information, and catalysing new ideas and collaborations that take us closer to understanding, treating and defeating ALS/MND.
This event is organised annually by the MND Association. Please visit their website for more information about the meeting. If you have questions about the virtual Symposium specifically, please direct your queries to symposium@mndassociation.org.