Women’s History Month
The ALS Network celebrates Women’s History Month and embraces the National Women's History Alliance’s theme: Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.
There are many outstanding women in the ALS community who are blazing trails to advance the search for prevention strategies, treatments, and cures, and who are leading the way to raise ALS awareness and support.
We have highlighted a few of their inspiring stories below as we commemorate Women’s History Month 2025. We acknowledge these incredible leaders for their accomplishments and contributions, and all women who inspire hope, courage, action, and commitment in support of the ALS community.
Meet Some of Our Board Officers:
Meet Aubrey Rupinta, Officer at Large, ALS Network Board of Directors
"I got involved with the ALS Network in support of my former boss, a Navy veteran who was diagnosed in his mid-40s. I support the research for cures, and advocacy for the families and people living with ALS, especially veterans who are twice as likely to receive an ALS diagnosis. Together, we can Beat ALS!"
- Aubrey Rupinta, Officer at Large, ALS Network Board of Directors
Meet Pranjal Shah, Treasurer, ALS Network Board of Directors
“ALS is deeply personal for me - my father was diagnosed with ALS in 2008, and I experienced firsthand the immense challenges this disease brings to both patients and caregivers. ALS is devastating and debilitating. While I hope for a future where no one has to endure it, I am committed to ensuring that those affected today receive the care, support and resources they need to live with dignity. Until we find a cure, I want to be part of the solution. Research, advocacy, and community support are critical to finding a cure and improving care, and I am determined to drive progress as we move forward together."
- Pranjal Shah, Treasurer, ALS Network Board of Directors
Meet Some of Our Advisory Trustees:
Cookie’s involvement with the ALS community started in 2012 when her husband, Gary “Black” Miyashiro was diagnosed with ALS. It was just months before the inaugural Hawaii Walk & Roll to Cure ALS in 2013 where she met Nohea Nakaahiki, and Cookie has since become an integral leader and pillar of commitment in the ALS community. Throughout and after Black’s three-year battle with the disease, Cookie remained committed to the ALS Network’s mission and vision, constantly finding ways to involve her family and community as volunteers at the annual Hawaii Walks.
With tenacity, Cookie empowers others through her boldness and drive to find a cure for ALS, and currently serves as an Advisory Trustee, where she remains dedicated to her work and represents the compassion and love which remains at the core of the ALS community.
“During Women’s History Month’s theme of “Moving Forward Together”, it is my pleasure to recognize the inspirational work and contributions of Nohea Nakaahiki, President & CEO, Sheri Strahl, EVP of Mission Advancement, Cherryl Fluke, and my dear friend Sue Morris, among the many women too numerous to name. Continuing to strengthen research, fundraising, and patient and family support programs, it is my honor to have an ongoing role in the ALS Network.”
- With much aloha and gratitude, Cookie Fujio, Advisory Trustee, ALS Network
Meet Nohea Nakaahiki, Advisory Trustee, ALS Network
Nohea first got involved with the ALS Network in 2006 when her husband, Clarence “Bully” Nakaahiki was diagnosed with ALS at the UCSF clinic by Dr. Catherine Lomen-Hoerth. When they moved back to Hawaii to be closer to family, they realized that Hawaii did not have the services, resources, and support that families like theirs needed while facing ALS. Bully lost his battle to ALS in 2010. In that same year, Nohea met former ALS Network President & CEO, Fred Fisher, at the Monterey Bay Walk and Roll to Cure ALS, and she began to seek a way to bring the ALS Network’s programs and services to benefit Hawaii’s ALS community.
Motivated to ensure that no one in Hawaii experienced what she did, Nohea, in partnership with the ALS Network and the ALS community in Hawaii, took on the challenge of kickstarting the inaugural Hawaii Walk in 2013; in addition to being a founder of the event, Nohea also serves as an ALS Network Advisory Trustee. This year will be the 13th annual Hawaii Walk, and Nohea continues to inspire others to lead, support, and act on behalf of the ALS community.
“My journey with the ALS Network has been nothing short of remarkable. When Bully was diagnosed, the ALS Network gave us hope that we would have the collective resilience to be stronger together in our shared vision for access to quality and compassionate care in Hawaii. It’s been 15 years since I first met Fred Fisher and Hawaii’s ALS community and services continues to grow through continuous collaborative support, efforts, and leadership that is responsible for keeping the momentum going in Hawaii to ensure services and partnerships continue to happen for years to come.
I believe that when we feel the weakest, the ALS Network feels our heartbeats and brings us together, on a mission so to speak, where we are strengthened by each other, by the ALS Community that we serve, and by and through our ALS Network family. We’re all in it together!"
- Nohea Nakaahiki, Advisory Trustee, ALS Network
Meet Lucy Wedemeyer, Advisory Trustee, ALS Network
Following her high-school sweetheart and husband Charlie Wedemeyer’s ALS diagnosis in 1977, Lucy and her family have been committed to their local communities, including Hawaii and Los Gatos, as advocates for those living with ALS. Lucy supported Charlie, a former all American football player, as he continued to coach high school football at Los Gatos High School all throughout his 34-year battle with ALS, bringing his vision and inspiring story to the world through her voice.
Lucy first attended the ALS Network’s 2nd annual Hawaii Walk & Roll to Cure ALS in 2014, and has since become an Advisory Trustee and supporter of both the Hawaii Walk and Bay Area Peninsula Walk. Lucy is a light in the ALS community, serving as a beacon of hope, support, and commitment as she returns year after year for the annual Hawaii and Bay Area Peninsula Walks.
“The ALS Network has been a life saver for me, my family and countless others. In the early days of our family's journey with this horrific disease, we struggled with no one to turn to for hope. With courageous effort, Charlie stayed deeply involved with our children throughout his battle with ALS. Now, there is hope with the ALS Network. Being able to lean on others touched by ALS at community events, especially at the Walks, gave me the motivation to help others face this debilitating disease as an Advisory Trustee. The ALS Network has created a family, an Ohana, as we don't just suffer together, but are inspired and encouraged by one another to fight the battle with compassion and love.”
- Lucy Wedemeyer, Advisory Trustee, ALS Network
Meet Some of Our Researchers and Clinicians:
Meet Karen DaSilva, MD, Queen’s Medical Center (Honolulu)
Dr. Karen DaSilva has been practicing medicine since 2006. She worked at the Sansum Clinic since 2011, and then transferred to The Queen’s Health Systems. Dr. DaSilva received her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine Medical School. Dr. DaSilva is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is a member of the American Academy of Neurology. In 2017, she was recognized for her incredible contributions to the care and support of people living with ALS as the 2017 Champion of Care honoree at the 14th Annual Ventura/Santa Barbara County Walk.
“Having recently become involved in the local Hawaii community, I'm working with the local ALS Network in an effort to meet the unique needs of our ALS patients on the islands of Hawaii. I am grateful to be working in such a warm community, and I look forward to continuing to work on improving care for our patients and their ohana."
- Karen DaSilva, MD, Queen’s Medical Center (Honolulu)
Barber ALS Research Award Winners
The Barber Family and ALS Network annually present three awards of $1,000 to each of the top Summit poster presenters, along with a special memento recognizing their accomplishments. The awards were created in honor of Jim Barber. During his nearly decade-long battle with this disease, Jim became an instrumental voice in the ALS community. Since the award’s inception, eighteen women have been honored with the Barber ALS Research Award for their outstanding efforts in ALS research.
This year, we recognize Olatz Arnold-Garcia from UCSD, along with two others. Her poster presentation focused on identifying disease mechanisms in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD and sALS using spatial transcriptomics with single cell resolution.
Meet Some of Our Staff:
Meet Audra Hindes, MS, MHC, Vice President of Care Services, ALS Network
Hear from the ALS Network Vice President of Care Services, Audra Hindes, MS, MHC, about the ALS Network’s care management services and programs, including emotional support, connection groups, equipment loans, and educational webinars for the ALS community. She discusses the connection between care managers and people living with ALS and their families, and how a care manager is there throughout the person’s journey.
“My team has good expertise and strengths in understanding where people are at in their journey and helping them meet some of their goals to maintain quality of life and really maximize their independence. A care manager on my team said recently, ‘You can pay someone for care, but you can’t pay for someone to care.’ … we do care and we provide a lot for people with ALS and having that circle of support is really important.”
- Audra Hindes, MS, MHC, Vice President of Care Services, ALS Network
Meet Allison Nadeau, MPH, MBA, Policy and Advocacy Manager, ALS Network
“As the Policy and Advocacy Manager at the ALS Network, I lead efforts to ensure the ALS community has a central voice in shaping the policies that impact their lives. By collaborating with advocates and lawmakers, I drive meaningful change that reflects the needs and experiences of those affected by ALS. A key part of my work is recognizing that advocacy isn’t just about policy—it’s about people. And people turn possibilities into real-world solutions that make a direct impact on those living with ALS.”
- Allison Nadeau, MPH, MBA, Policy and Advocacy Manager, ALS Network
