Neil Shneider, MD, PhD, FANA
Columbia University
Neil A. Shneider, MD, PhD, FANA, is the Claire Tow Professor of Motor Neuron Disorders and director of the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. A graduate of Harvard College, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Training Program, his laboratory focuses on the mechanisms of ALS and the development of novel therapeutics for motor neuron disorders.
Dr. Shneider collaborated with Ionis Pharmaceuticals to develop jacifusen (ulefnersen), an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting mutations in the FUS gene, which progressed from compassionate use to an international Phase 3 trial. Results of the investigator-initiated case series of jacifusen were published in The Lancet in 2025. In partnership with the n-Lorem Foundation, he founded and serves as principal investigator of Silence ALS, an initiative to develop individualized ASO therapies for patients with ultra-rare, pathogenic variants in ALS-associated genes. The program—which serves as a model for individualized therapy in ultra-rare disease—is funded by the NIH’s URGenT Network.
2026 ANA Award for Excellence in the category of Clinical and Scientific Excellence – Novel Scientific Career Based Contributions Over 15 Years