Research Insights Episodes

Early in your MS journey, it's not uncommon to experience minor walking and gait issues. And people living with advanced MS often face more serious mobility challenges. The good news is that rehabilitation can help people on either end of the "mobility spectrum" improve. But different mobility challenges require different approaches to rehabilitation. Joining me to talk about mobility rehabilitation for people who are more recently diagnosed with MS as well as rehabilitation for people living w...

The FDA has authorized a third dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. What does this mean for people living with MS? Are you eligible for a third dose now? Are you eligible in September? How will your disease-modifying therapy effect that third dose? What if you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine? And who is that Regeneron monoclonal antibody cocktail for? Dr. Nancy Sicotte joins me with an update on vaccines, variants, boosters, and antibodies, explaining how they all may impact people living...

Imagine being able to see improvement in cognition, motor function, and self-esteem, while enhancing neurological functions like walking and speech without taking another pill or even breaking a sweat. Joining me to talk about the evidence-based benefits that people living with MS can gain through music and art therapy are Dr. Meera Rastogi, Veronica DeNoma, and Betsy Hartman. We're also talking about the shocking and deeply concerning outcome of a study used to validate the reliability of a n...

Just a few weeks ago, life sciences company Abata Therapeutics came out of stealth mode, unveiling a $95 million dollar investment in a novel cell therapy to treat progressive MS. Joining me to talk about this potentially transformational treatment for progressive MS are the President and CEO of Abata Therapeutics, Samantha Singer, and Dr. Richard Ransohoff, one of the company's co-founders as well as its Chief Medical Officer. We'll also give you a sneak peek at a study that measured the impa...

Research shows that members of minority communities often experience MS differently. And by differently, we mean worse. -- more severe symptoms, shorter time to disability, and greater levels of disability. That's why ensuring greater diversity in clinical research is of urgent importance. At the same time, the conversation about putting the patient at the center of MS research has grown louder and more pronounced. Major pharmaceutical companies have gotten both of these messages and joining m...

In medicine, a prodrome is a set of signs or symptoms that can appear years before the major symptoms of an illness develop. Recognizing the prodromal phase of MS could mean that, one day, someone who is highly likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis could receive proactive treatment years in advance and, perhaps, never develop any MS symptoms. Dr. Helen Tremlett, a professor, and the Canada Research Chair in Neuroepidemiology and Multiple Sclerosis at the University of British Columbia,...

Every two years, the MS International Federation awards the Charcot Award, recognizing lifetime achievement in outstanding research into the understanding and treatment of MS. My special guest is this year's recipient of the Charcot Award, Professor Alan Thompson, who is being honored for what is truly a remarkable body of work. We'll also share some encouraging news from the FDA about a biomarker for progressive MS clinical trials. We'll tell you about the outcome of a study that shows high-e...

Receiving an MS diagnosis can be frightening. And receiving that diagnosis as a young adult can feel like your whole world just got flipped upside down. When Matoaka Kipp (she/her/hers) received her MS diagnosis at the age of 21, she not only had to come to terms with how that diagnosis would change her life but as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Matoaka also had to confront some of the systemic inequities of our healthcare system. Matoaka joins me this week to share her MS journey. We're al...

At some point, about 50% of the people living with MS will experience clinical depression. This goes beyond simply feeling sad. Left unchecked, MS-related depression can sometimes lead to tragic consequences. As it relates to multiple sclerosis, mental health must be de-stigmatized, studied more rigorously, and discussed more often. Returning to the podcast to talk about managing the mood-related symptoms of MS is Dr. Anthony Feinstein, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto an...

Some people call them flares, some people call them exacerbations, and some people call them MS attacks. But all those terms refer to the very same thing -- an MS relapse. What does a relapse really mean in terms of disease progression? What's the difference between a relapse and a pseudo-relapse? How does pregnancy make you less likely to experience a relapse and then more likely to experience a relapse? Dr. Michelle Cameron is joining me to answer these questions and to share some advice on h...