Our story begins in 2001, when Christopher Hobler was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — the same disease that took his grandfather’s life. Then at the height of a successful musical career, the 35-year-old father of three was determined to create something positive from his situation. He decided to take active steps to fight ALS and help others because, as he put it, “Happi­ness, purpose and contentment come from between your ears, not from circumstances that surround you.”

Chris formed ALS Hope – The Chris Hobler/James Maritz Foundation to fund innovative research and inspire scientific collaboration toward finding a cure. Two years later, the Foundation partnered with the Washington University at St. Louis School of Medicine to establish a center and lab for translational research.

Though Chris lost his battle with ALS in 2005, his family continued his devotion to the cure, generously funding the Christopher Wells Hobler Labo­ratory for ALS Research.

Hobler Laboratory Director and leading ALS researcher Timothy Miller, MD, PhD understood that ALS patients benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach to research and care. He also knew that Washington University in St. Louis — recognized as one of the best graduate schools in the field of medicine — was an ideal location to recruit the finest minds in contemporary science and medicine.

Having already established a productive scientific research lab, Dr. Miller led the effort to obtain funding and create the ALS Center. Today, the Miller Lab, in conjunction with the ALS Center, focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease and developing novel therapeutics for these disorders, in particular Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and dementias associated with protein tau. The talented team of graduate students, post-docs, instructors, and technicians provides a fun, exciting, collaborative, rewarding environment to study neurodegeneration.

Our Commitment to
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Miller Lab is committed to providing an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive to people of all backgrounds. We strive to create a safe environment in which each of our members can perform, learn, and train to their highest abilities. To foster this environment, the Miller Lab does not discriminate in employment or recruitment of faculty, staff, or students on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, disability, or genetic information.