MDA Clinician, Researcher,
Board Member Receives Award

Neurologist and neuromuscular disease specialist Stanley Appel, a long-time MDA research grantee and clinician, as well as an MDA Board member, has been named the recipient of the Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair for the Treatment and Research of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurological disorder.

“I think this award truly recognizes Dr. Appel’s accomplishments, from the establishment of his first rate multidisciplinary clinic for ALS care, to his long and productive career in ALS research,” said Sharon Hesterlee, MDA director of Research Development.

Gary Edwards, a board member at Methodist Hospital in Houston, where Appel practices, and his wife, Peggy Edwards, established the $1 million endowed chair for a physician-scientist who champions the research and treatment of patients with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Gary’s mother, Jeannette, who died in 1985, had ALS and was cared for by Appel in the 1980s.

Appel is chairman of neurology and co-founder of the Methodist Neurological Institute, where he’s also director of the MDA/ALS Center and co-director of the MDA Neuromuscular Clinic.

ALS is a devastating neuromuscular disease that causes progressive paralysis of voluntary muscles, including those controlling breathing, by mysteriously destroying the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control them.

Current treatments are aimed at symptom relief and prolongation of life. The cause of the disease remains unknown for the vast majority of cases, although a small percentage of cases have a clear-cut genetic origin.

Appel’s current research grant with MDA is for the study of immunologic mechanisms in ALS.

“I’m grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards for honoring our MDA/ALS team at the Methodist Hospital,” Appel said, “and for supporting our collective efforts to improve the quality of life for our patients.

“Mr. Edwards’ mother, Jeannette, was one of the beneficiaries of our MDA clinical programs and, since those early days, we’ve made significant progress. We truly appreciate the generosity of the Edwards family and their encouragement of our ability to make a difference in the lives of our courageous ALS patients.”