Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Introduced in Alberta and Saskatchewan
We are excited to share that through the advocacy efforts of Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC), in the past week both Saskatchewan and Alberta’s provincial governments have implemented newborn screening (NBS) programs for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)!
On February 23rd, Saskatchewan officially expanded their newborn screening panel to include testing for SMA as part of its newborn screening program, and on February 28th Alberta announced that through a pilot project with MDC, newborns will be able to be screened for SMA.
MDC continues to work diligently with donors, provincial governments, partners and supporters to remove barriers so that screening for SMA in Canada is a reality. Read more about MDC’s multi-year, multi-phase endeavour in collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. to better understand and address barriers for the implementation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Read next...
Save the Date: 2027 NMD4C-RARE.Qc Basic Science Research Summer School
NMD4C and RARE.Qc are pleased to announce the 2027 NMD4C–RARE.Qc Basic Science Research Summer School, will take place May 12-14, 2027, at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). The Summer School will bring together graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers for hands-on training workshops, scientific lectures, trainee presentations, networking opportunities, and engagement with leading experts in neuromuscular and rare disease research.
Now Open: 2027 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Funding Competition
Deadline: Oct 14 2026 | We are happy to announce that applications for the 2027 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Funding Competition, in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy Canada, is now open. This annual funding competition awards salary support to early-career scientists in interested in advancing their postdoctoral studies in neuromuscular disease (NMD) research.
Congratulations to our 2026 Collaborative Research Training Award Recipients!!!
We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Awards, which supports Canadian trainees in their efforts to advance neuromuscular disease research while strengthening national collaboration among neuromuscular research laboratories.