Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (AMS) is a fatal and fearsome neurodegenerative disease. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, it causes the nerve cells that control muscles to die. Symptoms may start with weakness or twitching. Over time, people with ALS may lose the ability to speak, eat, or breathe on their own. Daniel Doctoroff, former CEO and president of Bloomberg L.P., knows the disease well. He lost his father to it in 2002. An uncle followed in 2010. In 2021, Doctoroff announced that he too had been diagnosed with ALS. Though the disease has weakened his body, it has strengthened his resolve.
In 2013, Doctoroff founded Target ALS, an innovative nonprofit that has sparked dramatic progress in research on the neurodegenerative condition. “When I was first diagnosed I turned to the CEO of Target ALS immediately and said we’ve got to scale up,” he recalls. Since then, the nonprofit has helped to fund numerous cutting-edge research projects. Thanks to courageous support like this, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is now scaling up its own neurodegenerative disease research through our Foundations for the Future expansion project.
CSHL recently awarded Doctoroff and his wife, Target ALS Board member Alisa Doctoroff, the 2024 Double Helix Medals in recognition of their contributions to science research. Press play to hear more about their work. Follow the link below to see more from this star-studded event.
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