Dr. Cynthia Gagnon Receives 2024 Steinert Award, IDMC-15 Meeting to Take Place in Saguenay
We are pleased to share that NMD4C steering committee member Dr. Cynthia Gagnon was honoured with a Steinert Clinical Sciences Award at the recent International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium Meeting (IDMC-14) in Nijmegen, Netherlands!
The prestigious Steinert awards are presented to individuals who display excellence in clinical and basic research on myotonic dystrophy. Based in Québec’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, an area with an elevated prevalence of Myotonic dystrophy (DM1) where 1:600 people are affected by the disease, Dr. Gagnon is the scientific director of the Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les maladies neuromusculaires (GRIMN) where she leads research projects and clinical trials on a variety of NMDs, including DM1. Dr. Gagnon has established an internationally renowned research program focused on documenting the natural history of NMDs through an interdisciplinary perspective to document disease progression and identify significant predictor and explanatory factors related to participation in daily activities and social roles of patients, and defining the best outcome measures to assess potential therapeutic targets. Dr. Gagnon is a key figure in growing the number of clinical trials available in Canada for DM1, facilitating trials at sites in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and collaborating with Dr. Hanns Lochmüller’s research team in Ottawa.
Saguenay Prepares to Welcome International Colleagues to IDMC-15 in 2026
Dr. Gagnon and GRIMN will host the 15th edition of the IDMC in Saguenay, QC in the fall of 2026.
We look forward to welcoming the leading international myotonic dystrophy conference to Canada, and will share further news on the meeting as details are available.
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Call for Applications: Join the NMD4C Basic Science Trainee Committee (BSTC)
We are now accepting applications from graduate students, research trainees, and postdoctoral fellows working in neuromuscular labs in Canada.
Basic Science Trainee Committee Launches Pre-Clinical Science Standard Operating Procedures
We’re pleased to announce the launch of the BSTC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), now available through the NMD4C Resource Hub. These SOPs provide standardized guidance for laboratories, clinics, and research programs across Canada, supporting consistent, high-quality neuromuscular care and research. Explore the full SOP Library and other open-access resources designed to advance collaboration and strengthen practices nationwide.