The ECTRIMS Podcast

The world is better when its people are connected. The ECTRIMS Podcast aims to be a sounding board for MS experts & advocates to discuss innovative work in MS research, treatment and care with the greater MS research community, while offering a collaborative platform for MS and healthcare experts to promote & nurture the advancement of research.

Artificial Intelligence in MS Research 05/16/2024

Artificial Intelligence in MS Research Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool to help enhance our understanding of MS disease processes, improve our diagnostic accuracy, better predict disease course, and identify optimal treatments. How is AI being used in MS research currently and what may it be able to do in the future? Host Alan Thompson, Editor in Chief of MS Journal, talks with Arman Eshaghi of the Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, and Daniel Ontaneda of the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis in the United States. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/31333192

Prioritising Women's Health Topics in MS Research 04/20/2024

Prioritising Women's Health Topics in MS Research In a landscape where funding is increasingly difficult to obtain, the importance of conducting research that has the greatest impact has never been more important. In the case of women with MS, a large-scale scoping review,* conducted on behalf of the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS, sheds light on the research gaps related to female health. ln this episode, host Brett Drummond of MSTranslate talks with two of its authors -- Lindsay Ross, an assistant professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and Ruth Ann Marrie, professor of medicine and community health sciences at the University of Manitoba in Canada. *Ross, L., Finlayson, M., Amato, M. P., Cohen, J. A., Hellwig, K., Tintore, M., Vukusic, S., Salter, A., & Marrie, R. A. (2024). Priority setting: women's health topics in multiple sclerosis. Frontiers in neurology, 15, 1355817. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/30807313

Spotlight on Young MS Researchers 03/29/2024

Spotlight on Young MS Researchers The ECTRIMS Congress offers a valuable opportunity for young researchers to gain experience and exposure. Joonas Lehikoinen from Helsinki University Hospital and the University of Helsinki Neurocenter, along with Ahmed Abdelhak from the University of California, San Francisco, received poster abstract prizes at MSMilan2023. Host Brett Drummond from MSTranslate talks with them about their research, experiences, and advice for young researchers preparing abstracts for ECTRIMS2024. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/30578618

MS in the Black Community 03/07/2024

MS in the Black Community With the growing push towards taking a more personalised approach to the treatment and management of multiple sclerosis, it is important to understand the unique issues – both socially and clinically – that may arise among people of different ethnicities. In this episode, Natalie Bursari of The Nerve of My Multiple Sclerosis in the UK and Mitzi Joi Williams of Joi Life Wellness Multiple Sclerosis Center in the US discuss the issues faced by Black people living with MS, with host Brett Drummond of MStranslate. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/30251678

Efforts Towards a Better MS Diagnostic Criteria 02/13/2024

Efforts Towards a Better MS Diagnostic Criteria Discussions are ongoing to change the way MS patients are diagnosed and treated. In this episode, Xavier Montalban, Chair of the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis, which is leading the discussions, explains the evolution of the McDonald criteria and why these proposed revisions are important for clinicians and patients alike. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/29840228

Factoring in Female Health in the MS Journey 01/31/2024

Factoring in Female Health in the MS Journey Recent global epidemiological data show that approximately 70% of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis are women. While this may tell us something about the mechanisms behind disease susceptibility, it also raises a number of unique challenges throughout the MS journey. In this episode, Ruth Dobson, Professor of Clinical Neurology at Queen Mary University of London, and Emmanuelle Leray, Professor of Epidemiology at Ecole des hautes études en santé publique in Rennes, France, guide us through the different stages of this pathway and discuss the latest research findings that relate to female health. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/29380233

The Importance of Patient Community Day 01/11/2024

The Importance of Patient Community Day The MSMilan Patient Community Day was designed for people living with multiple sclerosis and related neurological diseases and their caregivers to stay updated and involved in the advancements being made on their journey towards managing their conditions. In this episode, Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services & Science Officer and Bonnie Higgins, Director of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United States discuss their experiences at MSMilan Patient Community Day, their roles, and why they believe it is important to put people living with MS and other neurological conditions at the centre of everything that we do. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/29380068

Genetics and MS Severity 12/15/2023

Genetics and MS Severity Why do some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) continue to run marathons while others are in wheelchairs years after diagnosis? Genetics partly explains why. Scientists have identified the first genetic marker for MS severity, which could pave the way for new treatments to prevent disease progression. Sergio Baranzini of University of California San Francisco and Adil Harroud of McGill University in Canada discuss their findings with host Brett Drummond of MS Translate. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/29077488

Defining MS Subtypes in Clinical Practice 11/30/2023

Defining MS Subtypes in Clinical Practice Descriptors of multiple sclerosis are currently based on a combination of clinical and MRI features, and include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting, secondary and primary progressive subtypes. Accumulating evidence suggests that the clinical course of MS is better considered as a continuum, with contributions from concurrent pathophysiological processes that vary across individuals and over time. In this episode, MS Journal Editor in Chief Alan Thompson talks with neurologists Marcello Moccia of the Multiple Sclerosis Unit of the University of Naples Federico II and Angela Vidal of Centre d’Esclerosi Multiple de Catalunya on the new understanding of the key mechanisms underlying progression and the availability of neuroimaging and humoral biomarkers and their implications for clinical care and treatment. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28854808

The Changing Role of MS Nurses 11/15/2023

The Changing Role of MS Nurses Two sessions at the 9th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting (MSMilan2023) focused on nursing. Nurses play a critical role throughout an MS patient's life. And in this episode, we discuss the changing role of MS nurses and the challenges they face, with guests Belinda Bardsley, an N-CRESS (Neuro-Immunology Clinical Research, Education and Support Service) Nurse Manager at Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia; and Ruth Stross, Head of Nursing at Neurology Academy in England. Hosted by Brett Drummond of MS Translate. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28552859

Discontinuing DMTs in Patients with Stable Relapsing-remitting MS: When and How? 11/10/2023

Discontinuing DMTs in Patients with Stable Relapsing-remitting MS: When and How? Long term use of disease modifying treatments (DMTs) poses challenges in terms of safety and pharmacoeconomics, while preventing disability progression. As such, there is an ongoing debate on how long disease modifying treatments should be continued and if discontinuation should be considered in stable multiple sclerosis. In this episode, Alan Thompson, Editor in Chief of the MS Journal, speaks with Gilles Edan, Professor of Clinical Neurology and chair of the Department of Neurosciences, University Hospital of Rennes; and Eva Strijbis, neurologist at the Department of Neurology, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28583563

Day Three Highlights of MSMilan2023 10/13/2023

Day Three Highlights of MSMilan2023 /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28131689

Day Two Highlights of MSMilan2023 10/12/2023

Day Two Highlights of MSMilan2023 Listen to Clare Walton with MS Society UK and host Brett Drummond discuss the key takeways unveiled on the second day of MSMilan2023. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28131677

Day One Highlights of MSMilan2023 10/11/2023

Day One Highlights of MSMilan2023 ECTRIMS Lecturer Dr. Stephen Hauser deep dives into the most relevant insights from day one of MSMilan2023, with host Brett Drummond. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28131671

Behind the landmark WHO decision on essential medicines for MS 09/21/2023

Behind the landmark WHO decision on essential medicines for MS Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments have been successfully added onto the World Health Organisation's Essential Medicines List (EML) in July 2023. Nick Rijke of the MS International Federation and Deanna Saylor of Johns Hopkins Hospital discuss the impact of this milestone and the next steps for clinicians, researchers, patients, and the MS community at large. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/28055091

Women with MS 08/10/2023

Women with MS MS affects more women than men. Research on the reasons behind this, and if and how sex-specific processes may impact disease progression, and the symptoms experienced by women living with MS continue to expand. In this episode, Rhonda Voskuhl of UCLA and Elisabeth Celius of University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital discuss these issues and more. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/27679479

Utilising Global Data Registries for MS Research 06/29/2023

Utilising Global Data Registries for MS Research The development of global databases that record and store large amounts of clinical data for people living with MS has made a significant difference to the MS research world. In this episode, we talk to Izanne Roos of the University of Melbourne and Cyrus Daruwalla of the University of Cambridge about the types of registries that currently exist, the importance of collecting observational data and how they used both in their research, which was presented as part of the late-breaking session at ECTRIMS 2022. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/27320226

Epstein-Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis 05/24/2023

Epstein-Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis A longitudinal study published in 2022 found that infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) dramatically increased the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, suggesting that MS is likely caused by EBV. In this episode, Professor Alberto Ascherio of Harvard University, who led the study, discusses the findings and their preventative and therapeutic implications. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/26925459

Access For All: Adding MS DMTs to the WHO Essential Medicines List 04/12/2023

Access For All: Adding MS DMTs to the WHO Essential Medicines List Everyone with MS should have access to the treatment and care that they need. Yet in 70% of countries, people face huge challenges in accessing disease modifying therapies (DMTs). Nick Rijke with the MS International Federation and Deanna Saylor of Johns Hopkins Hospital discuss a recent bid to add MS DMTs to the WHO's Essential Medicines List. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/26401365

Using Real-World Studies to Compare DMTs in MS 03/29/2023

Using Real-World Studies to Compare DMTs in MS Tomas Kalincik, Head of the Clinical Outcomes Research Unit at the University of Melbourne, and Maria Pia Sormani, Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Genoa, discuss the use of real-world data to compare disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis, including the advantages and limitations of randomised control trials and observational studies. Hosted by Alan Thompson, Editor-in-Chief of the MS Journal and Professor at University College London. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/26352732

Remyelination in MS: a New Clinical Trial 03/06/2023

Remyelination in MS: a New Clinical Trial Will Brown and Alasdair Coles from University of Cambridge discuss remyelination in multiple sclerosis and a promising clinical trial that they are currently involved in. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/26138541

Stem Cell Research in Multiple Sclerosis 01/24/2023

Stem Cell Research in Multiple Sclerosis Tomas Kalincik, Head of the Clinical Outcomes Research Unit at the University of Melbourne, explains his research comparing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with existing treatments in relapsing and progressive MS. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/25713261

ECTRIMS 2022 For People with MS: Part 3 12/28/2022

ECTRIMS 2022 For People with MS: Part 3 MS Patient Experts Jana Hlavacova with the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform Young People's Network and Helga Weiland, Vice Chair of MS South Africa discuss the involvement of people with MS in conducting research. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/25347006

ECTRIMS 2022 For People with MS: Part 2 12/21/2022

ECTRIMS 2022 For People with MS: Part 2 Dr. Brigit de Jong from Amsterdam UMC and Professor Alan Thompson from Queens Square Institute of Neurology in London discuss promising, new short-term research data for people with MS unveiled in October during ECTRIMS 2022. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/25346646

ECTRIMS 2022 For People with MS: Part 1 12/17/2022

ECTRIMS 2022 For People with MS: Part 1 Dr. Daniel Ontaneda from the Cleveland Clinic speaks about promising, new mid-term research data for people with MS unveiled during the October 2022 ECTRIMS Congress. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/25335888

Rethinking how different types of MS are described 11/19/2022

Rethinking how different types of MS are described This episode discusses a newly proposed initiative by the for a mechanism-driven framework to describe multiple sclerosis; with Daniel Reich from the National Institute of Mental Health, Tanja Kuhlmann from Münster University, and host Alan Thompson from the MS Journal. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/25062843

The role of the MS nurse & the need for more globally: an ECTRIMS 2022 recap 11/16/2022

The role of the MS nurse & the need for more globally: an ECTRIMS 2022 recap Joelle Massouh from Harley Street Medical Centre and Piet Eelen from Nationaal MS Centrum talk about the key takeaways of the Nurse Sessions at ECTRIMS 2022, including how the role of the MS nurses has changed over the years, as well as why we need more MS nurses globally and what is being done about it. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/25033269

ECTRIMS 2022 Wrap-up 10/29/2022

ECTRIMS 2022 Wrap-up Listen to ECTRIMS President Mar Tintoré wrap up the key takeaways from ECTRIMS 2022, as well as highlight what you can expect from ECTRIMS’ new 365 programme. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/24833151

Day Two Highlights of ECTRIMS 2022 10/28/2022

Day Two Highlights of ECTRIMS 2022 Listen to Timothy Coetzee – Chief Advocacy, Services & Science Officer at the National MS Society – discuss the most relevant insights from day two of ECTRIMS 2022. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/24822471

Day One Highlights of ECTRIMS 2022 10/27/2022

Day One Highlights of ECTRIMS 2022 Listen to Brenda Banwell – the ECTRIMS 2022 Keynote Lecturer – deep dive into the key takeaways of the first day of ECTRIMS 2022. /episode/index/show/191457e9-5e84-4e71-ba90-6e71bc290808/id/24809400

The ECTRIMS Podcast

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