The ALS Association Golden West Chapter

ASK ME - Educational Webinars

Our ASK ME educational webinar series, sponsored by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, is an opportunity for people living with ALS and their families to learn more about important topics for the ALS community.

Previous Webinars from 2021

Watch our ASK ME educational webinar, “Genetics and ALS: The ATLAS Study” featuring Dr. Jonathan Katz of the Forbes Norris ALS Center at California Pacific Medical Center. If you think you may be a carrier of a certain SOD1 gene variant (also called a gene mutation) and you do not have signs or symptoms of ALS, the ATLAS Study may offer you the opportunity to contribute to SOD1-ALS research. Those who qualify will receive all study-related treatments and assessments, including genetic testing and counseling, at no cost. Reimbursement for study-related travel is available.

See our ASK ME educational webinar, “ALS Alternative Therapies, Cannabis and More” featuring Richard S. Bedlack Jr., MD, PhD, MS, Professor of Neurology at Duke University School of Medicine. Learn about a program called ALSUntangled that reviews alternative and off label ALS treatments, with the goal of helping people make more informed decisions about their care.

Watch our ASK ME educational webinar, “Estate and Legacy Planning Part 2" featuring Sean Burr, Registered Representative from V.S. Associates, Inc. Learn about the benefits of estate conservation, how to find a qualified attorney, how estate taxes work, wills and various types of trusts, and more.

Please watch our ASK ME educational webinar, “Estate planning and ALS,” featuring Christopher Young, Attorney at Law, with The Alvarez Firm. Learn about what estate planning is, how ALS will affect your plans for your assets and your heirs, and tools you can use to plan for your future.

Please watch our ASK ME webinar, "All About the Golden West Chapter" featuring Audra Hindes, MSEd, VP of Care Services and Asher Garfinkel, VP of Community Outreach. Learn more about our efforts in ALS research and public policy initiatives, our care services programs, and ways that you can take action and get involved with the ALS community.

Please see our webinar, "ASK ME: ALS and Palliative Care" featuring leaders from John Muir Health who define palliative care, when it should be considered, and how to ask your healthcare provider about it.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our ASK ME Webinar: ALS Research and Care in 2021. This informative event featured leading ALS researchers and physicians who shared highlights from the 11th annual California ALS Research Summit, explained recent scientific advancements and clinical trial updates, and gave a preview of what to expect in the year ahead.

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

10:00 AM - "Welcome and Chapter Overview"
Audra Hindes, MSEd, Vice President of Care Services
Fred Fisher, MSW, LCSW, President & CEO
The ALS Association Golden West Chapter

10:10 AM - “Current Research Projects Funded by The ALS Association”
Kuldip Dave, PhD, Vice President of Research at The ALS Association

10:30 AM - “Overview of the 11th Annual California ALS Research Summit”
Clive Svendsen, PhD, Cedars Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute,
and Chair of the California ALS Research Network
featuring the Summit's keynote speaker, Nobel Prize-winner, Jennifer Doudna, PhD

10:55 AM - "Presenting the 2021 Barber ALS Research Award Winners"
Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, Golden West Chapter

11:20 AM - "Updates on Research in ALS" View the presentation slides here.
Steve Finkbeiner, MD, PhD, from Gladstone Institutes and Virtual Host of the 11th Annual California ALS Research Summit

11:45 AM - “Evaluating ALS Clinical Trials”
Jeffrey Rosenfeld, MD, PhD, FAAN, Director of the Center for Restorative Neurology at Loma Linda Neurology and a member of the California ALS Research Network

Previous Webinars from 2020

In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, watch our latest ASK ME educational webinar, “Caring for the Caregiver” featuring Kathryn Sexson, PhD, APRN, FNP, Associate Director of Education, Family Caregiving Institute, UC Davis Health, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. We are grateful to Kathryn for her wonderful presentation.

Watch our webinar "ASK ME Webinar: When and How to Most Effectively Use Durable Medical Equipment" featuring Julie Muccini, MS, OTR/L, Clinical Specialist, Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation of the Stanford University Neuroscience Health Center. We would like to thank Julie for this excellent presentation.

See our webinar featuring Natalie Bell, PT, from UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center to learn more about practices and tools for greater well-being. We would like to thank Natalie for this great presentation.

Watch Naomi Weiss and Heather Thompson, speech-language pathologists, from the ALS Clinic at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in an educational webinar about swallowing and dysphagia issues. We are grateful to Naomi and Heather for this wonderful presentation.

Watch Steven Finkbeiner, MD, PhD, in an educational webinar about ALS Research during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are deeply appreciative to Dr. Finkbeiner for his efforts to support the ALS community and for this great presentation.

Watch Catherine Lomen-Hoerth MD, PhD, for a special 60-minute educational webinar. A special thanks to Dr. Lomen-Hoerth for her dedication to our mission and for this helpful presentation.