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.

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

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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.

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