Research Priorities and Focus for 2026 MDA Conference: Angela Lek, PhD

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"Gene therapy can at best halt neuromuscular disease progression. We now need to push forward and understand how to regenerate and repair muscle that has already been lost, because that is where the next major gains for patients will come from."

The annual Clinical and Scientific Conference hosted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has increasingly become a forum not just for showcasing new data, but for recalibrating priorities across neuromuscular care and research. As therapeutic development accelerates across muscular dystrophies and related disorders, the conference has taken on a central role in addressing where current strategies succeed, where they fall short, and what questions clinicians and researchers must tackle next.

The 2026 iteration of the meeting, held March 8-11 in Orlando, Florida, is expected to cover numerous trending topics, including the growing recognition that stabilizing disease progression may not be enough for many patients. While gene replacement and gene-targeted therapies continue to advance, there is mounting consensus that additional strategies are needed to address muscle loss that has already occurred.

Prior to the meeting, NeurologyLive^® sat down with Angela Lek, PhD, chief research officer at MDA, to better understand how the organization’s research priorities are being translated into the conference program. In this conversation, Lek outlines how MDA is shaping sessions, funding initiatives, and collaborative efforts around muscle regeneration, and explains what clinicians can expect to gain from attending a meeting designed to align emerging research with real-world neuromuscular care challenges. Furthermore, she gives her call to action for the clinical community, providing reasons why clinicians who treat neuromuscular conditions should attend.

For more information about registration to the 2026 MDA Conference, click here.