UPDATED: The ECTRIMS Podcast – Episode Library

Prior to the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress 2022, held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, we announced that our co-founder, Brett Drummond, had been invited to host the event’s official conference podcast.  Recorded daily, the podcast engaged a special guest to help review and explore the most relevant outcomes from each day’s presentations.

For the inaugural podcast series, the following three people sat down with Brett to share their knowledge and insights:

• • Day 1: Brenda Banwell, MD, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (USA). Brenda also delivered the keynote address at ECTRIMS 2022.  Listen here.

• • Day 2: Timothy Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services and Science Officer at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (USA). Listen here.

• • Day 3: Mar Tintoré, MD, PhD, ECTRIMS President and Clinical chief of neurology in the Neurology-Neuroimmunology Department at the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), at the Hospital Vall d’Hebron (Spain). Listen here.

Brett renewed his role as podcast host at ECTRIMS Congress 2023, held in Milan, Italy.  In this instance his three daily guests were:

• • • Day 1: Dr Stephen Hauser, Fishman Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  Dr Hauser had the honour of delivering the keynote address at MS Milan 2023.  Listen here.

• • • Day 2: Clare Walton, Head of Research at MS Society UK.  Listen here.

• • • Day 3: Mar Tintoré, MD, PhD, ECTRIMS President and Clinical chief of neurology in the Neurology-Neuroimmunology Department at the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), at the Hospital Vall d’Hebron (Spain).  Listen here.

At a meeting where it is impossible for delegates to attend every single presentation delivered, a resource such as The ECTRIMS Podcast is an incredibly important tool, helping attendees stay across the developments they may have missed.

This podcast series has been extended beyond the annual congresses, with additional new episodes published each month.  Excitingly, Brett will remain involved in this initiative on an ongoing basis as host.

Outside of the congresses, Brett has hosted the following episodes:

• • • Stem Cell Research in Multiple Sclerosis – a discussion with Professor Tomas Kalincik, Head of the Clinical Outcomes Research Unit at the University of Melbourne (Australia), exploring his research comparing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with existing treatments in relapsing and progressive multiple sclerosis.  Listen here.

• • • Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis: A new clinical trial – a discussion with Dr Will Brown and Professor Alasdair Coles from University of Cambridge (UK), exploring remyelination in multiple sclerosis and a promising clinical trial that they are currently involved in. Listen here.

• • • Epstein-Barr Virus in Multiple Sclerosis – a discussion with Professor Alberto Ascherio of Harvard University (USA), who led a study that 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.  This episode discusses the findings of this work and their preventative and therapeutic implications.  Listen here.

• • • Utilising Global Data Registries for MS Research – a discussion with Dr Izanne Roos of the University of Melbourne (Australia) and Dr Cyrus Daruwalla of the University of Cambridge (UK), exploring the types of data registries that currently exist, the importance of collecting observational data and how they used both in their research.  Listen here.

• • • Women in MS – a discussion with Professor Rhonda Voskuhl of UCLA and Professor Elisabeth Celius of University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, exploring the topic of why multiple sclerosis affects more women than men.  Listen here.

• • • The Changing Role of MS Nurses – a discussion with Belinda Bardsley, an N-CRESS (Neuro-Immunology Clinical Research, Education and Support Service) Nurse Manager at Austin Health in Australia, and Ruth Stross, Head of Nursing at Neurology Academy in England, exploring how MS nursing has evolved and the current challenges faced. Listen here.

• • • Genetics and MS Severity – a discussion with Professor Sergio Baranzini (University of California San Francisco) and Dr Adil Harroud (McGill University), who have identified the first genetic marker for MS severity, which could pave the way for new treatments to prevent disease progression. Listen here.

• • • Factoring in Female Health in the MS Journey – a discussion with Professor Ruth Dobson (Queen Mary University of London) and Professor Emmanuelle Leray (Ecole des hautes études en santé publique), where they outline and discuss some of the unique challenges faced by women throughout their MS journey. Listen here.

• • • Efforts Towards a Better MS Diagnostic Criteria – a discussion with Xavier Montalban, Chair of the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis, explaining and exploring the evolution of the McDonald criteria and why the proposed revisions are important for clinicians and patients alike. Listen here.

• • • Multiple Sclerosis in the Black Community – a discussion with Natalie Bursari (The Nerve of My Multiple Sclerosis) and Mitzi Joi Williams (Joi Life Wellness Multiple Sclerosis Center), exploring the issues faced by Black people living with MS.  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.  Listen here.

The MStranslate team thanks the ECTRIMS organisation for the opportunity to be involved in this fantastic initiative and looks forward to working collaboratively on it well into the future.  Stay tuned to this page as future episodes will be added once they have been published.

As always, if you have questions for Brett on any of the podcast episodes shared above, please either comment below or join the conversation on our social channels.

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