The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announces the award of 34 new research grants totaling more than $9.9 million in its summer round of funding.
“This latest round of grants is impressive in terms of total funding, number of grants awarded and the diverse impact these grants will have in furthering neuromuscular disease research,” says MDA President & CEO Lynn O’Connor Vos, in a media release.
“With each grant cycle we are getting closer to unlocking the mysteries of so many of these neuromuscular diseases and identifying therapeutic targets that will lead to life-changing treatments, which is very exciting.”
Of note in this latest round of funding are two grants awarded to set up clinical research networks for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), respectively. Additionally, a research infrastructure grant was awarded to fund the development of computational tools that can integrate and analyze complex amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) data sets.
This latest round of funding also includes 24 research grants awarded to established, independent investigators; five development grants awarded to investigators at the beginning of their careers and who are on the brink of becoming independent investigators; one clinical trial travel grant to help alleviate the financial burden on individuals and families traveling to participate in clinical research; and one clinical research training scholarship to a physician in the early stage of their medical career who is interested in pursuing a career in clinical neuromuscular research, the release explains.
“This latest round of grants is a testament to the advances in technology and drug discovery that have taken place in the last few years,” states MDA Senior Vice President and Scientific Director Grace Pavlath, PhD.
“The opportunity to fund groundbreaking research has never been greater, and MDA remains committed to achieving our ultimate goal of providing treatments and cures for our community.”
MDA is currently funding 177 different research projects around the world with a combined investment of $47.3 million.
[Source(s): Muscular Dystrophy Association, PR Newswire]
My name is Scott Williams. I would like to tell you about a fundraising effort, called “Smiles For Mikey”, to benefit my grandson, Mikey Budzinski.
Smiles For Mikey (SFM) takes its name right from Mikey, who is an 11-year-old resident of Susquehanna County, PA.
Despite his constant challenges, Mikey never fails to wear the biggest, most beautiful smile.
Mikey loves spending time with his sisters, Mackenzie, Sondra, and Katrina and has a blast playing video games, especially “Fortnite”.
He loves superheroes (Spiderman is his favorite) as well as Hot Wheels. And carrots are his favorite food.
Mikey has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (MD). One out of 3,500 boys is affected by MD, which is an inherited disorder known specifically for progressive muscle weakness.
Mikey has a hard time walking and is unable to run or jump like other kids his age.
Due to the progression of his disease, Mikey now relies on a motorized wheelchair, which enables him to move quickly on his own and to maintain some semblance of independence.
Unfortunately, Mikey’s family does not own a wheelchair accessible vehicle, which is also not available through Mikey’s medical insurance.
As a result, Mikey is only able to use his wheelchair during the hours he is attending school at Mountain View Elementary.
Without a wheelchair accessible vehicle, Mikey is forced to leave his wheelchair parked at the school when he goes home each day and on the weekends.
When he is home, Mikey is unable to play outside with his siblings.
Each time they attempt to go somewhere, Mikey’s parents must struggle to lift him into their truck, whereas Mikey would be able to enter or exit a wheelchair accessible vehicle on his own, without waiting for anyone else’s help.
Mikey is looking forward to the day when he will be able to zip around in his electric wheelchair (really, really fast!) inside their home.
Mikey’s sisters are looking forward to being able to play together, with their brother, outside, when Mikey can finally bring his electric wheelchair home with him.
The SFM Benefit was created to raise funds towards the purchase of a wheelchair accessible vehicle and to grant Mikey the independence everyone deserves.
In addition to raising money through GoFundMe, SFM is hosting a Pasta Dinner (Dine-In or Take-Out) on May 21, 2022.