NMD4C: The Neuromuscular Disease Network for Canada

Last month, NMD4C hosted its 2025 Annual Meeting in Ottawa

It was a full day of collaborative sessions, strategic discussions and networking that brought together clinicians, researchers, trainees, and partners from across Canada to advance neuromuscular research and care.

Meeting highlights included:

• A recognition ceremony celebrating Early Career awardees and NM fellowship funding recipients
• Flash talk presentations showcasing the work of early-career researchers
• Networking breaks to foster collaboration and community building
• Parallel group discussions to address key priorities in neuromuscular research and care:

• • Clinical Sessions explored:
    • Implementation strategies and awareness-building for new SBMA guidelines
    • Health administrative data linkage for SBMA, OPMD, SMA, and DMD with the CNDR
    • Barriers to implementing MRI and ultrasound into clinical practice
    • Planning for gene therapy in Canada
    • Development of combination treatment guidelines for SMA
    • Establishing and integrating DM1 outcome measures with CNDR datasets
  • Cross-disciplinary and Basic Science Sessions focused on:
    • Collaborative grant design and funding pathway exploration
    • Academic retention and postdoc-to-PI transition support
    • Enhancing access to shared resources and fostering preclinical-clinical collaborations
    • Synthesizing insights to prioritize next steps for cross-disciplinary initiatives

We extend our sincere thanks to our funders — Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) — and to all members, discussion leads, and partners who contributed to the success of this event.

Together, we are strengthening Canada’s neuromuscular research and care community.

We look forward to hosting our 2026 Annual Meeting just ahead of the WCNMC 2026 in Calgary on September 25, 2026!

See snapshots of the annual meeting in Our Gallery