Current Fundraiser

Every year, high school students in GIDAS vote on diseases of their choice, set up projects to raise awareness locally, and raise microgrants funds for research on the chosen diseases. If you are interested in getting funding for your own research, please visit this link.

This year’s focus: ALS

High school students are fundraising for ALS research

It is difficult to get government funding for innovative research due to the lack of supporting data. We provide microgrants so that an innovative researcher can obtain initial data. Your donation will help advance ALS research by providing much needed funding.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease that causes loss of function, which can significantly affect one’s quality of life. There is currently no cure for this disease and there are little treatments provided for patients today. Motivated by this lack of information/resources, Dr. Barmada and his research staff decided to produce an experimental design that could increase knowledge on the causes of ALS. After multiple examinations of ALS patients, researchers found that there is an accumulation of the TDP43 protein in the soma (part of neuron that holds the nucleus). The TDP43 protein is a binding protein that is needed for splicing and transporting RNA transcripts from the nucleus in various cells. Researchers are unaware of the cause for the mislocation of TDP43 in ALS patients. Using smFISH, the most modern technology used to study gene expression, Dr. Barmada plans to examine brain and spinal tissues from control and ALS patients. The expected outcome of this experiment is upregulation of TDP43 in ALS patients caused by abnormal TDP43 splicing. With a budget of $10,000, Dr. Barmada and his team will be able to advance ALS research and pave the way for future treatment options for ALS patients.