Brian Lin, PhD, on Using Genetics, Biomarkers, and Clinical Trial Readiness to Enhance ALS Care

This interview originally appeared on our sister site, NeurologyLive®.

“From my perspective, the [ALS] field is really evolving. It’s shifting more toward a model where understanding a patient’s genetic profile—and in many cases ALS is sporadic, where that profile can be less clear or harder to interpret—means that looking at dominant disease pathways can really help influence treatment decisions.”

Considered the largest neuromuscular-focused clinical forum, the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinical & Scientific Conference’s upcoming meeting for 2026 is scheduled for March 8 to 11 in Orlando, Florida. This year, the 4-day meeting will include track-based sessions in allied health, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), care trends, disease mechanisms, drug development, lab-to-life research, and neurology. Topics like diet and exercise management, adaptive equipment, gene therapy, emerging ALS therapeutics, health care policy, muscle regeneration, inherited neuropathies, and safety considerations will be among those addressed by the sessions. The program additionally includes time for talks on patient care approaches, case-based challenges, and early intervention strategies.

Notably, several sessions within the conferences broader program are to focus specifically on ALS. Among these are a session chaired by Bryan Traynor, MD, PhD, MMSc, FANA, FRCPI, FRCP entitled “From Genes to Pathways: New Frontiers in ALS Drug Discovery”; one chaired by Nicholas Maragakis, MD, entitled “Advancing ALS Therapeutics: Targets, Tools, and Trial Readiness”; and another chaired by Kelly McCoy Gross, RN, called “ALS: Optimizing Care and Support.” Developments in ALS research, therapeutic discovery, clinical trial preparedness, and approaches to care and support across the disease continuum will be collectively be covered by these educational sessions.

In the lead up to the conference, Brian Lin, PhD, research portfolio director at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, spoke with CGTLive®’s sister site NeurologyLive^® to about the ALS sessions to be presented at the upcoming conference. Throughout the discussion, Lin described a shift toward more personalized approaches in ALS, where genetic profiling, and emerging biomarkers are helping clinicians and researchers better target therapies and assess treatment responses. Lin also highlighted improvements in clinical trial readiness across the ALS field, including coordinated patient registries, validated biomarkers, adaptive platform trials, and strong clinical networks.

Registration for the 2026 MDA Conference is now open! The meeting is set to be held at the Hilton Orlando, Orlando, Florida, from March 8 to 11, 2026.

Click here to register for the upcoming 2026 MDA Conference.

REFERENCES
1. Agenda Announced for 2026 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference Featuring Leading Speakers Dedicated to Groundbreaking Research and Clinical Achievements in Neuromuscular Disease. News release. Muscular Dystrophy Association. October 15, 2025. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://www.mda.org/press-releases/agenda-announced-for-2026-mda-clinical-scientific-conference