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Illuminate:
Precision Medicine Resource

The Illuminate: Precision Medicine live series has concluded, and the complete educational library remains permanently available. All materials created for the series, including webinar recordings, in-depth podcasts, social media explainers, and our final comprehensive kit, are shared below. We invite ALS families, advocates, researchers, and clinicians to explore, download, and share these resources as we continue advancing our collective understanding of targeted ALS therapies.

Medical Disclaimer: Content in this library is for educational purposes only and reflects the evolving research landscape. It is not professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Coming soon

The Ultimate Illuminate Kit

Download our final comprehensive guide summarizing the entire four-part series. This Kit translate the complext science of precision medicine into an accessible, practical resource for the ALS community.

What is inside:

  • Key takeaways from all four webinar panel discussions

  • Summaries of what we learned about targeted therapeutic development

  • Essential scientific terminology

Recorded Webinars

The Webinar Library

Watch all four panel discussions, which bring together researchers, clinicians, and individuals with lived experience to discuss the future of targeted ALS treatments.

01

Part One: Introduction to Precision Medicine  

Focus: The foundational biology of ALS, lessons learned from oncology, the clinical utility of biomarkers, and gaps in research equity.
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What is and what is not precision medicine? Experts from ALS, oncology, and drug development share what it really takes to build better treatments: the biology, the lessons from cancer, the promise and limits of biomarkers, and who research leaves out.

Watch the Part One Recording
02

Part Two: The Lived Experience

Focus: The human side of science. People living with ALS, people at risk of developing genetic ALS, and caregivers share personal insights into genetic testing, receiving a diagnosis, living with inherited risk, and navigating sporadic disease.

In this Illuminate webinar, we gathered a group of passionate individuals whose lives have been deeply affected by ALS and FTD. Their stories resonate with the challenges, heartbreak, and "belief" that accompany these conditions.

Watch the Part Two Recording
03

Part Three: Research & Industry

Focus: An honest look at how targeted therapies are designed, funded, and translated into clinical trials, including how therapeutic approaches are matched to specific biological profiles.Focus: Working acorss the therapeutic development landscape

It is an in-depth discussion of how different therapeutic strategies are developed, why their paths to the clinic may differ, and what researchers are learning as precision therapeutics begin reaching both rare genetic populations and the broader ALS community.

Watch the Part Three Recording
04

Part Four: Looking Ahead

Focus: The future of early detection, data-driven research, and efforts to overcome systemic barriers to therapy access.Focus: The future of early detection, data-driven research, and overcoming systemic challenges in therapy access.

This panel discussion explores the latest advances in ALS research, focusing on molecular subgroups, biomarkers, and therapeutic development, highlighting the importance of collaboration and early diagnosis.

Watch the Part Four Recording
Podcast Series

The Illuminate Podcast Series

Listen to in-depth conversations with scientists and advocates exploring key precision medicine themes.

  • Biomarkers with Dr. Michael Benetar

  • Genetics with Donna Bernstein

  • Lived Experience and Targeted Therapeutic Development with Lori Hermstad and Erin Fleming

  • Looking Ahead with Dr. Senda Ajroud-Driss

  • Variants of Uncertain Significance with Dr. Matthew Harms

Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube

Social Media Education Archive
Explore our collection of social media content, including educational graphics and plain-language explanations of complex genetic and therapeutic concepts.
Follow North Star ALS on Instagram

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