The Packard Center is part of a cohort of funders supporting a new global initiative to accelerate drug discovery for ALS treatments. The Longitude Prize on ALS is a new £7.5 million [~$10 million USD] global challenge prize to incentivize and reward cutting edge AI-based approaches to transform drug discovery for the treatment of ALS, […]

This three-day event served as a key forum for sharing cutting-edge research and fostering collaboration. The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research recently held its milestone 25th Annual ALS Research Symposium in Baltimore, bringing together nearly 450 researchers, including 150 virtual participants. This prestigious three-day event served as a key forum for sharing cutting-edge research […]

Packard Center Scientific Director Christine Vande Velde, PhD, was recently recognized as one of 39 individuals from the Canadian ALS community to receive the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for their outstanding contributions toward a world free of ALS. Dr. Christine Vande Velde, (fourth from left) Packard Center Scientific Director, receives her King Charles […]

The commemoration served as the perfect prelude to the Center’s 25th Annual ALS Research Symposium. The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research marked a significant milestone with its 25th anniversary celebration, bringing together a distinguished group of donors, researchers, Board of Governors members, Johns Hopkins leadership, longtime supporters, and both current and past Center staff. […]

The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research proudly supported the 2nd Bi-annual C9orf72 FTD/ALS Summit, a landmark gathering that brought together leading clinicians, researchers, and families affected by the C9orf72 mutation. This collaborative event, held in April in Phoenix, Arizona, focused on advancing our understanding of C9-related disease biology, accelerating biomarker development, and enhancing therapeutic […]

The Game Changer Gala, held in February 2025 in New Orleans, brought together 800 distinguished guests, including members of the ALS community, NFL greats in town for Super Bowl LIX, acclaimed actors, and renowned musicians, for an evening of celebration and fundraising. Comedian Keegan-Michael Key served as master of ceremonies, and Steve Gleason delivered a […]

Reprinted with permission: giving.jhu.eduApril 15, 2025, By Erin Torres This year, the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins celebrates 25 years of work. The Packard Center is a place like no other, operating through a unique model that transcends institutional borders to share knowledge and fuel progress around the globe. And this model is […]

The Packard Center mourns the loss of John Feinstein, the acclaimed sports commentator and author whose influence extended far beyond his celebrated 47-year career at The Washington Post and his 48 bestselling books. Feinstein formed a special bond with the Packard Center through his advocacy for ALS research. His powerful book, “Caddy for Life,” which […]

The Packard Center recently received a transformative $300,000 grant from Hop On A Cure, supporting four future critical research initiatives in the fight against ALS. This generous contribution reflects the organization’s dedicated mission to support research to prevent, reverse, and cure ALS while raising awareness, building a compassionate community, and unleashing the healing power of […]

In a new paper published in Neuron, Gene Yeo, PhD (University of California, San Diego), in collaboration with Packard Center founder, Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein and Packard Center investigator Dr. Alyssa Coyne used CRISPR based knockdown to identify novel factors that modulate the subcellular distribution of CHMP7. In doing so, they identified specific splicing complex proteins that […]