Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

I am a graduate student in neuroscience striving to improve clinical care of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a worsening debilitating disease typically diagnosed in young adults. Canada has one of the highest rates of MS with 1 in 400 people. In MS, the white blood cells mistakenly attack the protection around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This causes a wide range of symptoms that can resolve or worsen. Treatments are available to modify disease course by reducing symptoms and slowing disability progression. However, the clinical course is variable and unpredictable. This complicates the care of people with MS. Therefore, it is crucial to find ways to select an effective treatment for each patient as early as possible. My project seeks to fill this clinical gap by identifying predictors of disease course. A variety of white blood cells contributes to MS disease processes. These damage-causing cells may have an abnormal surface, which could be detected by a blood test to predict upcoming symptoms. During my master's, I have already identified seven markers that were abnormally increased on MS patient white blood cells compared to healthy controls. To test their predictive potential in MS, I will analyze all seven markers on individual white blood cells from MS patients. Then, I will correlate the presence of these markers with the occurrence and worsening of clinical symptoms. Finally, I will conduct assays to determine the role of these markers in MS disease processes. Ultimately, my study will lead to the first blood test for MS clinical management. Such a test would allow doctors to promote rapid treatments adjustments, thereby preventing disease symptoms and progression. Undoubtedly, this would drastically improve the quality of life of people with MS.