Elizabeth Dellar and Joke de Vocht winners ENCALS Young Investigator Award 2026

Elizabeth Dellar and Joke de Vocht are the winners of the ENCALS Young Investigator Awards 2026 in Madrid, Spain. Prof. Ammar Al-Chalabi (chair of the Award Committee) awarded the special price for their contribution and outstanding research on ALS. Unfortunately, Joke was unable to attend and therefore could not accept her award in person. However, she had prepared a presentation, which was shown during the ceremony.

Elizabeth Dellar, Nuffield Department Of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Dellar is a postdoctoral researcher in the ALS Biomarker Group at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Her research focuses on the discovery and development of biomarkers for ALS, with particular expertise in proteomics and extracellular vesicles (EVs). She has made significant contributions to improving biomarker methodologies and advancing the understanding of disease mechanisms, with numerous first-author publications in leading scientific journals.

Lizzie has led several innovative research projects aimed at identifying biologically relevant biomarkers for disease progression and improving insight into the presymptomatic phase of ALS in individuals carrying ALS-associated gene variants. Her work combines laboratory research, bioinformatics, and close collaboration with national and international academic and industry partners. She has successfully secured competitive research funding and continues to investigate the biological significance of her findings.

Joke de Vocht, Biomedical Sciences, Department of Neurosciences Laboratory For Neurology, KU Leuven

Joke is a clinical neuropsychologist and postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on understanding the onset and progression of ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). During her PhD, she pioneered the use of FDG-PET/MRI imaging in presymptomatic ALS mutation carriers to investigate the earliest changes in the brain before symptom onset. She also established a research line on cognitive impairment in ALS, resulting in several high-impact publications, including first-author papers in JAMA Neurology and the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Alongside her research, Joke successfully combined clinical responsibilities with specialist training in clinical neuropsychology, completing her PhD within four years. As a postdoctoral researcher, she has expanded her multidisciplinary research using neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessments, and fluid biomarkers, while building international collaborations through research stays and joint projects with leading ALS centres.

Joke is increasingly recognised as an emerging leader in ALS research. She has taken on international leadership roles, including chairing the ENCALS Neuropsychology Working Group, and is regularly invited to review scientific manuscripts and research grant applications. Her work continues to advance understanding of the earliest stages of ALS and improve the field’s ability to detect and monitor disease progression.

The ENCALS Young Investigator Award

The ENCALS Young Investigator Award was designed to recognize the brightest and best young scientists in ALS and is awarded yearly at the ENCALS meeting for outstanding research. It is judged by the ENCALS Award Committee, an international panel of experts lead by prof. Ammar Al-Chalabi. Criteria include any or all of novelty, challenge to existing ideas about ALS, results with patient benefit, and impact on our understanding of ALS.

If you want to apply for the ENCALS Young Investigator Award, keep an eye on our website. The next opportunity for applications will open at the beginning of 2027.