The Sheila Essey Award for ALS Research was established in 1996 and is sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
[1] The prize is funded through the philanthropy of the Essey family and the ALS Association.
[2] The award recognizes an individual who has made seminal research contributions in the search for the cause, prevention of, and cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The award includes a trophy, a $50,000 prize, and a 20-minute lecture at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.
The prize is named after Sheila Essey (wife of Richard Essey[3]) who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 1994.