endMS Summer School A huge thank you to co-hosts Drs. Chase Figley and Soheila Karimi and their team for the very successful 2024 endMS Summer School MS Pathogenesis, Prognosis, and Repair held in Winnipeg from June 10-13. Thank you also to MS Canada for funding the program, via a directed grant. Please go to the next page for a special message from Dr. Karimi.
Sharing opportunities to learn about multiple sclerosis (MS) research, to network, to attract and retain trainees in the field of MS related research.
June 2024 Issue #26
endMS Bits and Pieces Newsletter
endMS SPRINT Congratulations to the graduating 2023-2024 endMS SPRINTers! Rochelle Benoit (Memorial University) Katherine Cardwell (University of Ottawa), Mona Hejazi (Memorial University), Leah Hohman (University of British Columbia), Megan Krysak (Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal), Ateyeh Soroush (University of Calgary), Risavarshni Thevakumaran (McGill University), Darrin Wijeyaratnam (University of Ottawa), Kaihim Wong (University of Manitoba) and thank you to their SPRINT mentors: Drs. Kaarina Kowalek (University of Saskatchewan), Hedwich Kuipers (University of Calgary) and Jordan Warford (Nova Scotia Health)! Such a pleasure to see and hear about the excellent work they accomplished (and continue to do) through their SPRINT team projects! Welcome to the incoming 2024-2025 SPRINTers!
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Special message from Dr. Soheila Karimi, 2024 endMS Summer School co-host: This June, with my co-host Dr. Chase Figley and our colleagues at the Manitoba Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre, we were honored to host the 2024 endMS Summer School at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. We welcomed 39 talented MS-focused graduate students, postdoctoral and clinical fellows from across Canada, who learned about diverse topics inMS research and care. We had an enriched program that included MS pathogenesis and progression, advanced genomics and bioinformatics, MS prodrome, structural and functional neuroimaging, diagnosis and management of cognition, anxiety, and depression, MS comorbidities, and therapeutic approaches for repair and regeneration. Three SPRINT teams presented their exciting projects showcasing the importance of this program in training the next generation of MS researchers. The program also included sessions on equity, diversity and inclusion, career development workshop focusing on opportunities and pathways both within and beyond academia, and various hands-on small group workshops. We are grateful to all presenters for their expertise and time commitment. A highlight of the program was a well-received session with a panel of individuals living with MS, who shared their journey and how MS has impacted their lives, their perspectives about challenges they face (and how they address them), and their opinions about the most important priorities in MS research and clinical care. There are many individuals that we would like to acknowledge. We were particularly excited to welcome Dr. Pamela Valentine, President and CEO of MS Canada in Winnipeg. A special thank you goes to Dr. Christina Wolfson and Ms. Anik Schoenfeldt for their dedication over many years in building the endMS Training Program, and their constant support in the past year. We are also grateful to the endMS Education and Training Committee for their feedback. We appreciate participation of Ms. Mona Bates, Senior Director for the Prairies with MS Canada, in moderating the Lived Experience Panel. The 2024 endMS Summer School was a team effort by the members of Manitoba MS Research Centre. We sincerely thank Drs. Kaarina Kowalec, Jennifer Kornelsen, and Galen Wright for serving in the endMS Summer School Planning Committee; Ms. Teresa Figley and Dr. Shiva Nemati for co-coordinating the Summer School, Dr. Elisabet Jakova for serving in the endMS Summer School Planning Committee as Trainee Representative, and Ms. Taylor Evans and Ms. Cate Vercaigne (student volunteers). The 2024 endMS Summer School would not have been possible without the hard work of all these individuals. Lastly, we acknowledge the great support that we received from the University of Manitoba. Our Manitoba team is grateful for the opportunity to host this impactful program.
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Dr. Kaarina Kowalec's SPRINT team, Katherine Cardwell, Mona Hejazi and Megan Krysak met from May 18-23rd in Vancouver, BC in conjunction with the Canadian Neuroscience (CAN) conference. They attended the conference and worked on their project and next steps.
endMS SPRINT Team Meetings
IMSVISUAL Summer School is being held July 18-19 in Toronto Registration deadline is Wednesday, July 10, 2024. For information go to: www.imsvisual.org/summer-school-2024
Please share this newsletter with trainees interested in MS related research. To be added/ removed from the endMS Training Program's distribution list, email anik.schoenfeldt@affiliate.mcgill.ca More info: endmstrainingprogram.ca
Follow us @endMS and send us announcements, news and opportunities
Congratulations to the Recipients of the Raifta Shwedyk Bursary Fund: Kaihim Wong (University of Manitoba) Mira Safa (University of Manitoba) Jake Neufeld (University of Saskatchewan) This fund was created in honor of the late Raifta Shwedyk. It supports a student(s) annually from a post-secondary institution from Manitoba and/or Saskatchewan to attend the endMS Summer School.
Awards
Dr. Jordan Warford's SPRINT team, Rochelle Benoit, Ateyeh Soroush and Kaihim Wong met at Memorial University of Newfoundland, in Saint-John's from April 22-27th. The team worked on their project,visited the local MS focused labs and engaged with researchers and neurologists to discuss health research innovation in MS.
Upcoming Events , Announcements and Educational Opportunities:
Dr. Hedwich Kuipers' SPRINT team, Dr. Leah Hohman, Risa Thevakumaran, and Darrin Wijeyaratnam met in Nashviille, Tennessee from May 29th-June 1st in conjunction with the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) conference. The team presented a SPRINT poster for the conference. They also took the opportunity to work on their project and upcoming SPRINT presentation at the endMS Summer School
Publications
Congratulations to Dr. Afolasade Fakolade's SPRINT team for this publication: Tea, F., Groh, A.M.R., Lacey, C.et al.A scoping review assessing the usability of digital health technologies targeting people with multiple sclerosis.npj Digit. Med.7, 168 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01162-0
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