Current Research

The ALS Association is the largest private funder of ALS Research worldwide, and those efforts have led to some of the most promising and significant advances in ALS research.

The ALS Association tackles ALS through supporting scientific studies in the following 13 focus areas:

Assistive Technology
Biomarkers
Clinical Studies
Cognitive Studies
Disease Mechanisms
Disease Models
Drug Development
Environmental Factors
Genetics
Nanotechnology
Natural History Studies
Precision Medicine
Stem Cells

Explore the als association-funded research

ALS Focus Surveys

ALS Focus is a patient- and caregiver-led survey program that asks people with ALS and current and past caregivers about their needs and burdens. The goal is to learn as much as possible about individual experiences throughout the disease journey so that the whole ALS community can benefit.

All data collected is de-identified and shared free of charge with the entire ALS community.

Results from ALS Focus surveys are planned to be published in peer reviewed journals and other channels. All data collected is openly available and free to the entire ALS community. Survey participants will have early access to the results.

Learn more

Clinical Trials

Clinical research is the only way that promising laboratory science can be translated into treatments and cures for ALS and other neurological diseases. People with ALS, along with family members and caregivers, are essential partners in this research.

The ALS Association partners with the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) to provide the most accurate and up-to-date resource for information on both federally and privately funded clinical studies focusing on ALS and other similar motor neuron diseases.

NEALS was founded in 1995 with 9 academic clinical centers in the New England area. With help from The ALS Association’s TREAT ALS Network, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and our generous donors, the NEALS membership has grown to over 100 research centers committed to performing research in ALS and MND.

Find a clinical trial

Learn More