Media Releases and Opportunities

A team of researchers is launching a national study to better understand how biological and social factors can influence health outcomes for Canadians living with multiple sclerosis (MS), which affects more than 90,000 people in the country, making it one of the highest rates in the world.

Each person's experience with MS is different, due in large part to factors like their gender, age, ethnicity and if they live in a city or not. Together, these factors contribute to a person's diversity, yet researchers are unsure which of these put people at the greatest health disadvantage.

With almost $2 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the interdisciplinary team at Dalhousie University, the University of Manitoba, Queen's University and the University of Waterloo, will examine that relationship to improve the health of people with MS who have historically not been part of past studies.

They will develop ways to test how biological factors, like genetics, age and sex, contribute to health outcomes in people with MS. That will involve recruiting 500 diverse people with MS to look at how a person's biology, lifetime experiences and environment affect their health. And, the research will test ways to best support people with MS who experience health disadvantages because of their experiences and environments.

The researchers, led by Dalhousie professor Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie, will work closely with people living with MS, health-care providers, advocacy groups and health policy decision-makers -- an inclusive approach ensuring that research findings are meaningful, equitable and actionable.

Dr. Marrie, the Multiple Sclerosis Research Chair at Dal, is available to discuss how understanding diverse life stories and biological differences can help ensure that care and support are accessible and effective for everyone living with MS.

If interested in participating, please visit the study site or contact: msepidemiology@nshealth.ca

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Media Contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca