TARGET ALS AND MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA ANNOUNCE WINNER OF THE FIRST ANNUAL REBECCA LUKER COURAGE AWARD
The organizations also praise an unsung hero and recognize groundbreakers including researchers, philanthropists, and patients
Target ALS T arannounced Merit E. Cudkowicz, Chief of the Neurology Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, as the winner of the first annual Target ALS Rebecca Luker Courage Award. To honor the life and legacy of Broadway legend Rebecca Luker, the award is given to those who have demonstrated a courageous spirit and made a positive impact on the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) community. The award, presented in partnership with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA), will be featured at the upcoming Target ALS Annual Meeting, the premier meeting in ALS research, taking place May 3-5, 2022.
Luker, a renowned Broadway star for more than 30 years, died from complications of ALS in December 2020. Diagnosed less than a year before she died, Luker showed incredible courage as an advocate for ALS clinical trials and treatments while also performing concerts and recording her final album. To memorialize Luker upon her passing, Target ALS presented “Becca” in May 2021, a musical tribute to benefit ALS research, with support from MTPA. The concert raised more than $150,000 and inspired the inauguration of the annual courage award.
A selection committee made up of notable Broadway performers, ALS researchers, and ALS advocates reviewed the award nominations based on a predetermined selection criterion, including the nominees’ innovation, collaboration, impact, and reach within the ALS community.
“There are so many individuals making a meaningful difference in the fight against ALS, it’s an honor to recognize some of them with this inaugural award,” said Manish Raisinghani, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., President and CEO, Target ALS. “It was so gratifying for our team to recognize and celebrate our outstanding colleagues. We thank MTPA for sponsoring this award.”
Along with Raisinghani, the selection committee included Luker’s husband and Tony Award-winning Broadway performer, Danny Burstein, Luker’s close friend and Broadway star, Sally Wilfert, Director of the Center for NeuroGenetics at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, Laura P. W. Ranum, Associate Professor of Biomedicine at the University of Zurich’s Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, Magdalini Polymenidou, and Sunny Brous, ALS Advocate.
“We are thrilled to announce Merit E. Cudkowicz as the first recipient of the Rebecca Luker Courage Award,” said Atsushi Fujimoto, President of MTPA. “As an organization that’s committed to the advancement of ALS research and treatment, we are encouraged and inspired by those who strive to make a difference in the lives of those affected by ALS every day. Together, we’re battling on all fronts to fight ALS.”
In addition to the Courage Award, Target ALS and MTPA also announced the winners in the Unsung Hero category and three Awards of Recognition:
Courage Award Winner: Merit E. Cudkowicz
Unsung Hero Winner: Joumana Baroody
Awards of Recognition: Tim Miller, Sandy Morris, and Mark Calmes
Please visit TargetALS.com and TogetherWeFightALS.com
