Women’s History Month
Celebrating the Leadership of Women in the ALS Community!
In celebration of Women's History Month, the Golden West Chapter highlights the contributions of the many remarkable women who are making a difference in the fight against ALS. Join us in celebration of the amazing women who have helped lead us in raising ALS awareness.
Celebrating the many ALS Clinicians and Scientists of the Golden West Chapter Dedicated to Care, Cures, and Community
As a part of the annual celebration of Women’s History Month and of National Doctors’ Day (March 30) it is a great time to celebrate the many ALS clinicians and scientists. These dedicated individuals work tirelessly for people living with ALS and their families, while advancing the search for effective treatments and cures. They are also leaders, teachers, and mentors training the next generation of physicians and researchers.
Barber ALS Research Award Winners
The annual Barber ALS Research Award is one of the many legacies of Jim Barber, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2006 and battled the disease for nearly a decade. A major outcome of Jim's work was the formation of the California ALS Research Network in 2010 and the creation of the annual California ALS Research Summit in 2011.
Jim held a deep passion and commitment to the mission of the Golden West Chapter, and it was his desire that the annual ALS Research Summit would encourage collaboration and sharing of ideas as well as give special recognition to those participating researchers.
Beginning with the 2017 Summit and continuing annually, the Barber family in conjunction with the Golden West Chapter present three (3) cash awards of $1,000 to each of the top poster presenters, along with a special memento recognizing their accomplishment.
Since the award’s inception, sixteen women have been honored with the Barber ALS Research Award for their outstanding efforts in ALS research.
- 2023 - Monica Feole, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Carolina Kondorfer Rangel, UCSD
- 2022 - Mariana Bravo-Hernandez, UCSD; Shu-Ting (Michelle) Hung, USC and Wonhee Lee, Cedars-Sinai
- 2021 - Sandra Diaz Garcia, PhD, UC San Diego; Deepti Lall, PhD, Cedars-Sinai and Shan Lu, PhD, UC San Diego
- 2020 - Maya Maor Nof, PhD, Stanford, and Veronica Garcia, PhD, Cedars Sinai
- 2019 - Jone Lopez-Erauskin, PhD, Ludwig Institute UCSD and Suganya Selvarajah, PhD, Prosetta Biosciences
- 2018 - Lindsay Becker from Gitler Lab at Stanford
- 2017 - Dara Ditsworth, UCSD; Pooja Hor, USC and Gretchen Thomson, Cedars-Sinai
Previous Articles Celebrating Women’s History Month
Celebrating women making a difference in the fight against ALS
Women’s History Month (WHM) has been observed in the United States every March since 1987, and is dedicated to raising awareness of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. A…
Remembering Judy Heumann, disability rights leader (1947-2023)
The Golden West Chapter joins the world in mourning and celebrating the life and legacy of disability rights activist Judith “Judy” Heumann, who died March 4, 2023. Known as the…
Bay Area theater director perservering with ALS
East Bay theater director Erin Merritt is living with the debilitating effects of ALS, the degenerative nervous system disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Even though she struggles to…
Bay Area theater community rallies behind ailing director
Erin Merritt has been a powerful force in Bay Area theater for decades, as a director, actor, producer and as someone who all-around makes things happen. Founder of the all-female…
This Bay Area artist has ALS and can’t speak — but she’s still directing her dream project
A year ago, Erin Merritt stopped being able to sing in tune during her car karaoke. Then the El Cerrito director, who has been working in Bay Area theater for…
Researcher Spotlight: Anuradhika Puri, Ph.D., 2022 Milton Safenowitz Postdoctoral Fellow
Today marks the 8th annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an opportunity to remind ourselves that further efforts are needed to ensure gender equality in science, technology,…
Natalie Woody: Growing Up with My Dad and ALS
ALS affects all people in the family – including kids. And while most ALS youth caregivers demonstrate amazing resilience and grace, they have complex experiences and feelings when living with…
Kayla Turochy: Lamar Helped Me Find My Voice
Kayla met Lamar Woody back in 2017 at the music store where he taught voice and piano lessons. As her very first vocal coach, Lamar will always have a special…