ALS Clinical Research Learning Institute®

The ALS Clinical Research Learning Institute® (CRLI) is a two-day program designed to provide education and training to individuals impacted by ALS who are interested in clinical research and the therapy development process.


Organized by the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), the ALS Clinical Research Learning Institute® (CRLI) program offers a comprehensive curriculum covering various aspects of ALS clinical research, including study design, data analysis, ethical considerations, and community engagement opportunities. Individuals who complete the training program are considered ALS Research Ambassadors and are eligible to participate in opportunities that influence and improve the ALS research process.

The ALS CRLI was launched in 2011 by Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD (Duke ALS Clinic) and Merit Cudkowicz, MD, MSc (Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General Hospital) to empower people living with ALS and their loved ones with essential knowledge about clinical research. Through education and collaboration, the ALS CRLI plays a crucial role in fostering a community of engaged ALS Research Ambassadors dedicated to including lived experience in ALS research. Click here to read more about the ALS CRLI program.

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About

Education and Collaboration

Watch a presentation from the 2020 CRLI to learn more about the goals of the program and what it means to be an ALS Research Ambassador®.

get involved

Become an ALS Research Ambassador®

The open call for applications for the next in-person ALS Clinical Research Learning Institute® will be announced in June. This CRLI will be held in October 2024 in Clearwater, Florida. For updates, sign up to receive email announcements from NEALS.

Community Engagement

Meet the ALS Research Ambassadors

There are over 600 ALS Research Ambassadors that have completed the ALS CRLI education program. To learn more about the projects the ALS Research Ambassadors are working on, click here to watch a roundtable discussion presented at the 2021 virtual Annual NEALS Meeting. You can also follow the NEALS ALS Research Ambassadors on Facebook.