A Melting Pot of Strategies and Collaboration at the 2025 MDA Conference: Sharon Hesterlee, PhD

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

"Our goal is really about community—bringing together all these different facets, from clinical care to research, to create incredible momentum."

On March 16th, 2025, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will host its yearly Clinical and Scientific Conference in Dallas, Texas. The annual 4-day event brings together scientific and medical professionals, patients, and advocacy groups to explore the latest advances in the field of neuromuscular disorders.¹ The conference will feature presentations on all different types of neuromuscular diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and much more.

In this upcoming meeting, session tracks will feature topics including strategies for regenerating muscle and nerve tissue, new insights into disease mechanisms, clinical experience in gene therapy, access and reimbursement, and clinical trial readouts. At the conference held last year, 1492 in-person and 567 virtual attended from over 30 countries, which made it the biggest global gathering of the neuromuscular disease community. For this year, those who are registered with MDA have the opportunity to partake in the virtual meeting at no-cost or may register in-person at the patient/caregiver rate until allotted spots are filled.¹

Prior to the event, Sharon Hesterlee, PhD, chief research officer of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, sat down with NeurologyLive^® in an interview to discuss the primary focus areas of the upcoming conference, particularly in muscle regeneration and ALS research. She also spoke about how the conference addresses the challenges of workforce diversity and training in neuromuscular specialties. Hesterlee also talked about the roles of advocacy groups and allied health professionals in shaping the discussions at the upcoming meeting.

Registration for the 2025 MDA Conference is now open! The meeting is set to be held at the Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas, from March 16 to 19, 2025. To register and for more information, head to www.mdaconference.org

REFERENCES
1. Registration Now Open for the 2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference Featuring the Latest Innovations in Neuromuscular Disease Research and Care with Global Leaders, March 16-19 in Dallas, TX. News Release. MDA. July 30, 2024. Accessed September 25, 2024. https://www.mda.org/press-releases/2024/registration-now-open-for-the-2025-mda-clinical-and-scientific-conference-featuring-the-latest-innovations-in-neuromuscular-disease-research-and-care-with-global-leaders-march-16-19-in-dallas-tx