A Long Swim – a foundation that uses open water swimming to raise funds for ALS research – has proven that teamwork is the best way to accomplish lofty and sometimes extreme goals.  Teamwork gets a swimmer across a channel, teamwork achieves business success, and teamwork will find a cure for ALS.

Because of its commitment to teamwork and collaboration in ALS research, A Long Swim now joined forces with the Ozdinler Lab for ALS research at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine.  Dr. Hande Ozdinler is as committed to teamwork as we are, and we are committed to her lab as the best place to concentrate the funds that we raise.

As an example of the accelerating pace of discovery emanating from her lab, Dr. Hande Ozdinler has recently announced that it has received a $3.1 million drug discovery grant based on promising early results of compounds to address protein clumping and neuron degeneration. This has been a collaborative effort with Dr. Richard Silverman, the inventor of Lyrica.  Dr. Ozdinler is one of the rare scientists who appreciate the importance of collaboration, forming teams, and the moving together for a cure.  We believe there could not be a better person than Dr. Ozdinler to join our A Long Swim team as the Director of Scientific Research.  Under her guidance we will initiate novel and collaborative efforts that will pave the way towards a solution for ALS and other related disorders.  Welcome Dr. Ozdinler to our team!!

To learn more about Dr. Ozdinler’s Research: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/ozdinler/index.html

To learn more about her recent NIA Grant with Dr. Silverman: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2019/08/als-drug-grant-to-spur-drug-discovery-at-northwestern/

Hear Dr. Ozdinler’s announcement at our A Long Swim Open Water Event in Winnetka, Illinois this summer: