#93 - This Allen Institute's ALS Discovery Could Change Everything - Special ALS Episode with Dr. Merit Cudkowicz & Dr. Tanya Daigle

Dec 11, 2025

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Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU65vnqkBmE

When two of the world's leading ALS researchers meet for the first time on a podcast, something remarkable happens. Dr. Merit Cudkowicz - Tim's close friend and arguably the world's foremost ALS expert, returns to Nothing Left Unsaid for her third appearance, this time joined by Dr. Tanya Daigle from the Allen Institute, who's pioneering genetic tools that could transform how we treat neurodegenerative diseases. Together, they reveal a future for ALS research that's closer than most people realize.

This isn't your typical medical conversation. Merit and Tanya speak with unguarded hope about gene therapies that have stopped disease progression in 40% of patients, AI-driven drug discovery that's accelerating at unprecedented rates, and precision targeting tools that could deliver treatments directly to dying motor neurons without invasive brain surgery. They discuss the real bottlenecks between laboratory breakthroughs and patient impact, why most ALS drug trials aren't actually failures, and how the field has evolved from a handful of researchers to a global collaborative effort spanning continents.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Trailer
01:09 Intro
02:55 Current State of ALS Research
05:19 Misconceptions About ALS
09:32 Progress and Future of ALS Treatments
21:17 Innovations in Genetic Tools for ALS
31:59 A New Frontier in ALS Research
35:03 Efficiency of Platform Trials in ALS Research
36:59 The Importance of Funding and Science Collaboration
37:55 Advancements in Treating ALS Smarter
38:52 The Role of Biomarkers and Individualized Therapies
41:31 Dream Trials and Future Prospects
48:01 The Impact of AI in ALS Research
54:08 The Next Big Pivot in ALS Research
58:18 Hope and Collaboration in ALS Research
01:01:04 How to Be Part of ALS Community

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Allen Institute: https://alleninstitute.org
Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General: https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/als

SPONSORS:
ElevenLabs: Thanks to ElevenLabs (https://elevenlabs.io) for supporting this episode and powering Tim’s voice.

SOCIAL:
Website: https://nlupod.com/
X: https://x.com/nlutimgreen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NLUpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlupod

LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-left-unsaid/id1734094890
Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/Nothing-Left-Unsaid/B0CWTCRKGZ
Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id6405921?country=us
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1734094890
iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-nothing-left-unsaid-155769998/

PERSONAL:

Tackle ALS: https://www.tackleals.com
Tim Green Books: https://authortimgreen.com
Tim's New Book - ROCKET ARM: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062796895/

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