Awards

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations presents three awards to recognise excellence in the ALS/MND community. The awards are described below, along with a list of previous winners and the nomination forms.

 

The Forbes Norris Award

The Forbes Norris Award, first presented in 1994, honours the memory of Dr. Forbes “Ted” Norris (1928-1993), a neurologist who dedicated his career to helping people with ALS/MND. The purpose of this prestigious award is to encourage a combination of two major qualities: management of and advances in understanding ALS/MND, to the benefit of people living with the disease.

Nominations for the Forbes Norris Award are considered annually; the awards are presented each year during the opening ceremony of the International Symposium on ALS/MND.  If there are no qualified candidates nominated in a particular year, the award will not be granted.

 

The Humanitarian Award

The Humanitarian Award was inaugurated in 2000 by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations to recognise a non-scientific contribution to the fight against ALS/MND. The Humanitarian Award is intended to recognise and encourage individuals and/or groups whose work makes, or has made, a contribution of international significance for people affected by ALS/MND.

2019 Humanitarian Award Recipient

The recipient of the 2019 Humanitarian Award is Dario Ryba. Dario’s father was diagnosed with ALS/MND in 2011. This the same year he founded the first and only organization for people affected by ALS/MND in Argentina. Dario has designed training programs for caregivers, and authored self help guides for people living with ALS/MND. His work has seen him travel to research centers and hospitals in different countries to learn and share information in relation to the research and treatments available to those living with ALS/MND.

Dario is the current President of UNELA (Union of Latin American ALS/MND Associations) which was established in 2018.

In 2015, Dario was recognized in Argentina for his Humanitarian efforts.

 

Nominations for the Humanitarian Award are considered annually; the awards are presented each year during the opening ceremony of the International Symposium on ALS/MND. If there are no qualified candidates nominated in a particular year, the award will not be granted.

 

Allied Health Professional Award

The Allied Health Professional Award was inaugurated in 2018 by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations to recognise an individual committed to providing exceptional care to people with ALS/MND. To celebrate the sharing of expertise and exploration of new ideas to improve patient care and to recognise significant contribution to the advancement of ALS/MND clinical management.

2019 Allied Professional Award Recipient

The recipient of the 2019 Allied Health Professional Award winner is Rachael Marsden. In her professional life, Rachel provides a point-of-contact service for patients between clinic visits, and facilitates the communication of information between all those locally involved in an individual patient’s care. She has contributed to numerous publications as well as given numerous presentations and educational seminars on the care of individuals with ALS/MND. A small sampling of her publications include Motor Neuron Disease, as part of the Facts Series, published in 2008 along with Kevin Talbot, MD co-author and the Oxford Care Manuals Motor Neuron Disease A Practical Manual, 2010, co-author.

Since June 2019, she (and her riding companion) are attempting to set a world record as the fastest women to circumnavigate the globe on a tandem bicycle. They are aiming to raise £18,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Oxfam.

You can follow Rachael’s ride progress @TandemWow.

Nominations for the Allied Health Professional Award are considered annually: this award is presented each year during the Allied Professionals Forum between the Alliance Meeting and the International Symposium on ALS/MND. If there are no qualified candidates nominated in a particular year, the award will not be granted.