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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Discover Neuromuscular Talent Across Canada
The NMD4C Neuromuscular Talent Pool is now live with new trainees! We invite supervisors and research groups to explore the Talent Pool to identify candidates whose skills, experience, and interests align with your work and upcoming positions. Trainees interested in being included in the Neuromuscular Talent Pool can register by completing the short form, uploading a CV and brief personal statement outlining their experience, interests, and career goals. For more information and to access the Talent Pool, please visit our website.
Join Us at the 2026 NMD4C Annual Meeting on 25 September
The 2026 NMD4C Annual Meeting will take place in Calgary on Friday, September 25, 2026. The agenda will feature a brief network update, trainee and early-career recognitions, flash talks, a health economics research showcase, and a series of cross‑disciplinary and parallel clinical/pre‑clinical discussion sessions to explore key topics, including advocacy and therapy access, strategies to sustain and strengthen pre-clinical programs, and network sustainability and strategic planning.