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New Director of Research at the ALS Society of CanadaAugust 31, 2006
Denise Figlewicz, PhD, will join the ALS Society of Canada on September 5, 2006 as Director of Research. The position of Director of Research is a newly created position for ALS Canada. Dr. Figlewicz’s research career has focused on mammalian nervous system development and pathology, specifically molecular genetic and cell approaches to investigate neuromuscular diseases such as ALS. She has been involved in the ALS research field since the 1980s.
Dr. Figlewicz received her PhD in Biochemistry and completed her post-doctoral work at the National Institutes of Health and National Naval Medical Research Institute, both in Bethesda, Maryland.
Prior to joining ALS Canada, Dr. Figlewicz was Associate Professor and Research Scientist, Neurology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In 2004, she began a new initiative to identify ALS susceptibility genes, taking advantage of the genetic differences between different inbred mouse strains to study alterations of motor neuron diseases phenotype in mutant SOD1 over-expressing mice.
 Prior to her post at University of Michigan she was Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Her research has taken advantage of the powerful new methodologies of molecular genetics to better understand the pathogenesis of human neuromuscular disorders, both inherited and sporadic.
In 1993, Dr. Figlewicz and Dr. Guy Rouleau were part of the international consortium that discovered the first gene responsible for the familial form of ALS. This breakthrough paves the way toward the development of treatments for the hereditary form of the disease.
She has authored more than 75 articles in peer-reviewed publications such as Journal of Neurochemistry, Journal of Neuroscience, Neurology, Muscle & Nerve, New England Journal of Medicine, Genomics, Nucleic Acids Research, Neuromuscular Disorders, Nature, Annals of Neurology and Nature Genetics. An experienced speaker and presenter, Dr. Figlewicz will be one of the plenary speakers at the International ALS/MND Conference in Yokohama, Japan in December 2006. She will be speaking on “The SOD1 mouse as a model of SALS.”
Her scientific activities include being a reviewer for Muscular Dystrophy (U.S.), Muscular Dystrophy Canada, Medical Research Council of Canada, Motor Neurone Disease Association, U.K., French Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Institutes of Health (U.S.), The ALS Association, the Wellcome Trust, U.K., as well as a reviewer for numerous scientific journals.
At the ALS Society of Canada Dr. Figlewicz will lead the development and implementation of a national ALS research strategy focusing on understanding the cause and cure for ALS. She will represent the Society among scientific and research communities world-wide and will act as an advisor to scientists, government officials and industry leaders seeking advice in the ALS research field.
Michael Strong, MD, Chief of Neurology and Co-chair of the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at the University of Western Ontario says, “I applaud the ALS Society of Canada for having the foresight to hire a Director of Research who will elevate the Society’s standing in the international research community. Dr. Figlewicz is a highly regarded scientist and well-respected in the ALS and neuromuscular fields. With her on board, I know that she will contribute greatly to raising the profile of this devastating disease and bring us one step closer to finding a cure for ALS.”
For more information contact:
Bobbi Greenberg
Director of Communications
ALS Society of Canada
416-497-2267 x 208
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