RealTalk MS

Episode 143: MS Research Update with Dr. Ellen Mowry

MS research has reached an important moment. My guest, Dr. Bruce Bebo, calls it "an inflection point." Dr. Bebo is the Executive Vice-President of Research for the National MS Society, and we're talking with Bruce about the MS research projects that have him most excited, why now is the time to write the final chapter in solving the riddle of MS, and how we might even go about preventing people from developing MS.

My guest is Dr. Robert Shin, and we're talking about what the experts are learning from the first batch of real data about the effect of COVID-19 on MS. We'll also get into whether someone getting Ocrevus infusions today should be worrying about the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine. We'll talk about the things that people living with MS should be thinking about as our local communities begin to re-open for business. And we'll get into how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect MS care in the future.

My guest is Dr. Elizabeth Crabtree, the Medical Director at the Tulane Center for Comprehensive MS Care. Dr. Crabtree is passionate about creating meaningful care models for patients living with MS. And this week, we're taking a deep dive with Dr. Crabtree into the impact of nutrition, diet, and vitamins in managing MS symptoms. We're also going to get into the impact of stress on MS, and Dr. Crabtree will even share some tips on how to best manage that stress.

Nancy Guerrera is a registered nurse who was diagnosed with MS in 2007. And last month, Nancy was diagnosed with COVID-19. In this episode, we'll hear exactly what it's been like for someone living with MS to contract COVID-19. We'll also get our weekly update on MS and COVID-19 from Kathy Costello, the Associate Vice-President of Healthcare Access for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. And physical therapist Mandy Rohrig will share exercises that you can do at home to stay healthy.

Returning as a guest on the podcast is Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams. Dr. Williams is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Fellowship trained Multiple Sclerosis Specialist with expertise in understanding MS in underserved and ethnic minority populations. Dr. Williams is giving us our weekly update on what we're learning about COVID-19 & MS. And we're taking a closer at how COVID-19 is impacting minority populations and how MS itself impacts minority populations differently.

My guest is Dr. Tanuja Chitnis, a board-certified neurologist specializing in MS, with a dual appointment at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Hospital. We're discussing who, among everyone living with MS, is immunocompromised and who isn't -- and why that matters when it comes to being susceptible to COVID-19. We're talking about whether pandemic-related stress can lead to an MS relapse. And we'll look at the outcomes for patients living with MS who have already contracted COVID-19. 

Joining me as my guest is Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an Assistant Professor of Neurology specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.  We're talking with Dr. Kaisey about the things that people need to know about Ocrevus, Tecfidera, Gilenya, and other specific MS disease-modifying therapies in light of COVID-19. Dr. Kaisey will also share information about the status of people living with MS who have already been diagnosed with COVID-19. 

My guest is Dr. Kevin Alschuler, the Psychology Director at the University of Washington Medicine Multiple Sclerosis Center. We're talking with Dr. Alschuler about how people living with MS can build their personal resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. He'll share some specific steps that you can start taking today that will help reduce the stress that you're feeling and empower you to come through the other side of these uncertain times with inner strength and greater calm.

Episode 134: COVID-19 and MS Updates with Dr. Aaron Miller

The National MS Society's National Medical Advisory Committee has issued its recommendations for MS disease-modifying therapies and the coronavirus (COVID-19), and we're sharing them in this episode. You'll also hear about a new disease-modifying therapy that's about to receive FDA approval. And we'll tell you about study results that indicate there are still a lot of people living with MS who aren't acting in their own best interest.

Bonus Episode: MS Awareness Week with Damian Washington and Dan & Jen Digmann

It's hard to talk to anyone about anything without talking about the coronavirus. And because the CDC has announced that people with weakened immune systems may be particularly vulnerable to this virus, people affected by MS can feel as though they have even more reason to worry. My guest is clinical psychologist Dr. Abbey Hughes and we're talking about how people affected by MS should be thinking about the coronavirus, and what they should and shouldn't be doing about it. 

My guest is Dr. Jackie Bhattarai and we're talking about her research exploring disparities in MS-related depression and fatigue symptoms between African-Americans living with MS and Caucasians living with MS.  We're also talking about clinical trial results for a drug that slows disability progression in people living with primary progressive MS and non-active secondary progressive MS. And you'll learn about a study that shows how high doses of Vitamin D worsened disability in mice with MS.

Welcome to this Bonus Episode of RealTalk MS, coming to you from the 2020 ACTRIMS Forum. ACTRIMS is an acronym for the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis. And this year, 1200 MS research scientists and clinicians have come together to share the latest MS research news and insights. We'll take you into the proceedings on this episode of RealTalk MS