Ataxia UK CEO Sue Millman provided an update on the charity’s work and priorities, sharing what Ataxia UK has been doing to support the ataxia community and looking ahead to the work still to come.

This session with Wendy O'Mant highlighted the range of support available through Ataxia UK, including information, advice, advocacy and services for people affected by ataxia, as well as their families and carers.

Dr Michael Bonello, an ataxia specialist neurologist from The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, joined us for a Q&A session. He answered questions from the community and shared his expertise on living with and managing ataxia.

Beverley and Georgia Hart spoke at our Liverpool Roadshow about why Ataxia UK’s #AccessOmavNow campaign was so important for people affected by Friedreich’s ataxia (FA).

They shared their experiences of advocating for improved access to treatment and highlighted the need for change for people living with FA.

The session also gave attendees an opportunity to learn more about the campaign and how they could support the call for improved access to treatment.

Andy Grant from NVIDIA, alongside Prof Chenghua Lin from the University of Manchester and Dr Ning Ma from the University of Sheffield and Sheffield NHS Trust, joined us at our Liverpool Roadshow to share their research into speech recognition technology for people with ataxia.

Attendees heard how the project aimed to develop more efficient and personalised technology that could better understand the unique speech patterns associated with ataxia, helping to improve communication and accessibility.

Joslyn Crowe from Lexeo Therapeutics joined us at our Liverpool Roadshow to share an update on Lexeo’s FA-CM Gene Therapy Programme.

Attendees heard about the company’s work to develop potential treatments for people affected by Friedreich’s ataxia, as well as the latest developments in its research.

The session also provided an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and learn more about the future of gene therapy research in FA.