Epidemiology in Multiple Sclerosis program

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the brain and spinal cord, with no known cure.  An average of 12 Canadians are diagnosed with this progressive disorder every day. Our group’s research goals are to investigate possible underlying factors influencing MS and driving disease progression – from genes (human and microbial) to the environment. A core component of this program focuses on bringing together, for the first time, multiple large health databases created for over two decades by physicians, pharmacists and allied healthcare professionals. Whether current MS drugs have any long-term beneficial or even harmful effects are being examined. We also have an active ‘Gut microbiome and MS’ research component. One aspect of this involves examining the gut microbiome profiles in children with MS as compared to healthy controls (funded by the MS Scientific and Research Foundation in collaboration with the Canadian and USA paediatric MS networks). We are also exploring the impact of the MS disease-modifying drug treatments on the gut microbiome and whether our human genes influence risk of drug adverse effects in MS (funded by CIHR and the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network). Ultimately, we aim to improve the health, treatment options and outcome for people and families living with MS.

The team: We thrive on diversity. Our team members are trained in many different disciplines and we collaborate with a number of local, national and internationals groups.