2026 Annual Conference

The Spastic Paraplegia Foundation (SPF) is thrilled to invite you and your family to join us in St. Louis, MO, June 15-17, 2026, for our 23rd Annual SPF HSP/PLS Annual Conference, a meaningful, welcoming gathering for patients, families, caregivers, and kids living with HSP and PLS.

Pathway to the Gateway: Roadmap to Health, Therapies & Wellness, is the 2026 theme and reflects where our community is today: informed, connected, hopeful, and moving forward together. Our goal for the 2026 Conference is to thoughtfully integrate science, innovation, and lived experience -- highlighting tools that can meaningfully support daily function, independence, and quality of life.

Monday, June 15 — Scientific Forum (Open to All Attendees)

The conference begins with a half-day Scientific Forum Research Roundtable, held from 1:00–5:00 PM, designed to be open, accessible, and engaging for all attendees—including patients and families.

This session will feature a roundtable-style discussion with leading clinicians and scientists who are deeply informed about HSP and PLS. You’ll hear directly from experts about:

·         What researchers and clinicians are learning right now

·         How scientific discoveries move toward treatments

·         Where hope and opportunity are emerging for HSP and PLS

Speakers will participate either in person or via Zoom, making it easy to join in the way that works best for them. This forum is a unique opportunity to listen, learn, and feel connected to the people working every day to advance understanding and care.

Tuesday–Wednesday, June 16–17 — Patient & Family Conference

The heart of the conference takes place over the next two days, focused entirely on you, the patients, families, and caregivers—with something for everyone. Session opens at 8:30am Tuesday morning until 5:00pm on Wednesday . SPF will host a Dinner banquet on Tuesday evening.

These days will include:

·         Educational sessions in plain language

·         Wellness and assistive technologies

·         Health, and daily-living support

·         Opportunities to connect with other families who “get it”

·         Space for hope, resilience, and community

Yes—please bring the kids!
As in past years, we will offer a dedicated kids’ agenda, with age-appropriate activities and programming so children can connect, have fun, and feel included—while parents attend sessions knowing their kids are engaged and supported.

Why Attend

SPF’s Annual Conference is more than a meeting—it is a gathering of voices, experiences, and shared determination. It is a place where families come together, questions are welcomed, and progress is shared openly. Whether this is your first conference, or you’ve attended before, or joined us virtually, you are an essential part of our community.

When individuals and families affected by HSP and PLS come together in one location, something powerful happens. We are no longer isolated stories—we become a visible, united community. Our collective presence helps clinicians, researchers, industry partners, and policymakers truly understand the scope, urgency, and human impact of these conditions. Seeing the community together—across ages, diagnoses, and stages—underscores why progress cannot wait and why patient voices must remain central to every research and care decision.

This conference is also about connections and care. It offers practical tools for living well today—through wellness, movement, nutrition, and supportive technologies—while also advancing the research and innovation needed for tomorrow’s treatments. Your participation strengthens the research ecosystem, informs priorities, and helps ensure that future therapies reflect real patient needs.

We can’t wait to welcome you to **St. Louis—the Gateway—** as we come together to learn, connect, and move forward on the pathway to better health, meaningful research, and lasting hope for us all. By attending, you help amplify patient voices, support one another, and show the world the strength and resilience of the HSP and PLS community—together.

With excitement and heartfelt appreciation,
Spastic Paraplegia Foundation