RealTalk MS

Jon Strum
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Jon Strum cuts through all the jargon and breaks down the latest multiple sclerosis news. You'll meet the scientists who are creating tomorrow's MS treatments today. You'll hear from the experts discussing how the latest tweaks and changes to our healthcare laws will impact your MS treatment. And we'll be talking to the courageous MS warriors who are out there advocating on behalf of the MS community every day, as well as the men and women who are committed to living their best lives with MS and living their best lives as MS caregivers. If you're dealing with multiple sclerosis in your life -- as a patient, caregiver, family member, or friend -- join us each week for RealTalk MS.

  1. MS and Pregnancy with Dr. Riley Bove

    2 DAYS AGO

    MS and Pregnancy with Dr. Riley Bove

    For decades, an MS diagnosis came with outdated advice and significant uncertainty regarding starting a family. Today, the conversation has shifted from "Is it possible?" to "How do we optimize the journey?" This week, we're taking a deep dive into the essential considerations for family planning, managing MS during pregnancy, and the crucial postpartum period.  We're joined by Dr. Riley Bove, an Associate Professor of Neurology at UCSF and a leading expert in hormonal influences on MS. Dr. Bove brings her extensive research background and clinical expertise to help us understand how to navigate disease-modifying therapies while planning a family, the biological shifts that occur during pregnancy, and how to build a robust support system for the "fourth trimester." We're also sharing study results that provide some optimistic news for people experiencing MS-related depression. We'll tell you about a study that explains the actual changes in the immune system that occur when someone with MS exercises. If you get your health insurance on the Affordable Care Act online marketplace, we'll explain why health economists feel certain that your premiums will be going up again next year. And we're also sharing some sobering research that highlights systemic inequities that prevent people with MS who rely on Medicaid from accessing high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: MS and family planning, pregnancy, and postpartum  :22 STUDY: High-efficacy disease-modifying therapies are not available to all Medicaid recipients   1:08 Millions have failed to renew their ACA individual health insurance plans  5:05 STUDY: Cognitive-behavioral therapy improves MS-related depression  9:32 STUDY: Researchers identify the biological mechanisms that are impacted when people with MS exercise  11:29 Dr. Riley Bove discusses family planning, pregnancy, and postpartum issues that affect women with MS  14:48 Share this episode  35:31 Next week  35:50 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/453 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Access to High-Efficacy Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis Under Medicaid: Variation in Coverage and Utilization Across States https://aan.com/msa/Public/Events/AbstractDetails/61520 STUDY: Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2026/04170/effectivess_of_cognitive_behavioral_therapy_for.27.aspx STUDY: Physical Exercise Modulates T Cell Activity and Mitigates Synaptic Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis Through Vagus Nerve Engagement https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159126002710 UCSF Clinical Trials: Pregnancy Registry, Infants, Serum/Milk Analysis (PRISMA) https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT06940323 AbleNOW https://ablenow.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 453 Guest: Dr. Riley Bove Privacy Policy

    37 min
  2. Why Natural Myelin Repair Stops Working for People with MS (And How It Could Be Re-Started!) with Dr. Larry Sherman

    29 APR

    Why Natural Myelin Repair Stops Working for People with MS (And How It Could Be Re-Started!) with Dr. Larry Sherman

    Myelin repair is a natural function. But, for people living with MS, that ability to repair myelin eventually stops working. New research led by my guest, Dr. Larry Sherman, may explain why that happens and point to new possibilities for future myelin repair treatments. Dr. Sherman is a professor at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, and his research focuses on how the brain and spinal cord respond to injury and disease, particularly in demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis. We're also sharing some potentially good news for people living with non-relapsing secondary progressive MS in Europe, but not in the United States. We'll give you the details about an experimental drug that's just been submitted to the FDA and EMA for approval for treating relapsing forms of MS and primary progressive MS. We'll share the results of a study that focused on the impact of a cancer diagnosis on MS care. We'll tell you how Fernando Mendoza celebrated being named the #1 pick in this year's NFL draft. And we're sharing news about a new AI tool for your doctor. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Why myelin repair stops working for people living with MS  :22 EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommends approval of Tolebrutinib   1:35 Roche submits Fenebrutinib for FDA and EMA approval  4:45 Study results show the effect of a cancer diagnosis on MS care  6:13 The first pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Fernando Mendoza, partners with the National MS Society to launch the Mendoza Family Fund  9:43 OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Clinicians  10:56 Dr. Larry Sherman discusses why myelin repair stops working for people with MS, and how his team may have found a way to restart it  14:37 Share this episode  27:59 Next week  28:19 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/452 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 440: An MS Specialist Responds to the FDA with Dr. William Conte https://realtalkms.com/440 STUDY: Impact of Cancer on Multiple Sclerosis-Related Healthcare and Disease-Modifying Drug Use: A Multinational Cohort Study https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585261437966 STUDY (Plain English Version): Impact of Cancer on Multiple Sclerosis-Related Healthcare and Disease-Modifying Drug Use: A Multinational Cohort Study https://tremlettsmsresearchexplained.wordpress.com/2026/04/23/impact-of-cancer-on-multiple-sclerosis-related-healthcare-and-disease-modifying-drug-use-a-multinational-cohort-study-explained DONATE: The Mendoza Family Fund (in Partnership with the National MS Society) https://nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give/mendoza LEARN MORE: ChatGPT For Clinicians https://chatgpt.com/plans/clinicians AbleNOW https://ablenow.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 452 Guest: Dr. Larry Sherman Privacy Policy

    30 min
  3. Meet the 2026 Winner of the John Dystel Prize for MS Research with Dr. Ludwig Kappos

    20 APR

    Meet the 2026 Winner of the John Dystel Prize for MS Research with Dr. Ludwig Kappos

    The annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology is underway in Chicago this week, and one of the highlights is the presentation of the John Dystel Prize for Research in Multiple Sclerosis, awarded jointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology. This year's winner of the Dystel Prize is Dr. Ludwig Kappos, a physician-scientist at the University Hospital Basel in Basel, Switzerland, and the director of the Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel. Dr. Kappos has played a major role in how clinical trials in MS are conducted. He helped establish the Expanded Disability Status Scale, or EDSS, which is the gold standard for measuring disability in people with MS, and Dr. Kappos and his team have advanced our current understanding of a key driver of disability in MS, known as progression independent of relapse activity, or PIRA.  Dr. Kappos will be delivering the Dystel Prize lecture at the American Academy of Neurology meeting this week, and he's joining us to share a preview of that lecture in a conversation you won't want to miss. We're also sharing news about a blood test used to monitor MS disease activity that has just been approved by the European Union. We'll give you the details of a study focused on whether disease-modifying therapies can impact neurodevelopmental birth defects in children born to mothers with MS. We'll explain why yaks and Tibetan antelope may have opened a door to neuroprotection and myelin repair for people living with MS. And we'll tell you where healthcare providers and patients may differ when it comes to defining high-quality MS care. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: The John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research is awarded  :22 A blood test to monitor MS disease activity is approved by the EU  2:28 Researchers determine whether disease-modifying therapies have an impact on neurodevelopmental birth defects among children born to mothers with MS  4:21 Researchers studying yaks and Tibetan antelope may have uncovered a pathway to neuroprotection and even myelin repair  7:24 Healthcare providers and people living with MS share their perspectives on what needs improvement in delivering high-quality MS care  10:01 Dr. Ludwig Kappos reflects on how MS clinical trials need to change  13:33 Share this episode  30:58 Next week  31:19 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/451 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Association of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Congenital Anomalies with Prenatal Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: Real World Historial Cohort Study https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cpt.70235 STUDY: A Gain-of-Function Retstat Variant from High-Altitude Adaptation Promotes Myelination Via a Neuronal Dihydroretinoic Acid-RXR-Y Pathway https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(26)00013-9 ARTICLE: Areas for Improvement for High-Quality Multiple Sclerosis Care: Insights from Interviews with People with Multiple Sclerosis, Providers, and Clinical Educators https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1936657426000300 AbleNOW https://ablenow.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 451 Guest: Dr. Ludwig Kappos Privacy Policy

    33 min
  4. Exercise is Medicine for People with MS with Dr. Robert Motl

    13 APR

    Exercise is Medicine for People with MS with Dr. Robert Motl

    An exercise program can be hard to start and even more difficult to stick with. But the evidence-based benefits speak for themselves. For people living with MS, it can mean improving quality of life without having to rely on a pill, injection, or infusion. And exercise is 100% affordable! Dr. Robert Motl, the Director of the Exercise Neuroscience Research Laboratory at the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, joins me to discuss how exercise can improve MS-related brain fog, reduce fatigue, and perhaps even support myelin repair. We'll also share the results of a study that shows having mononucleosis is a significant risk factor for developing MS. And we'll tell you about a powerful imaging agent that can identify which immune cells are causing the inflammatory activity that drives MS, determine disease severity, and track the immune system's response to disease-modifying therapy. It's a potential game-changer in MS care. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Evidence-based benefits of exercise for people living with MS  :22 Study results show that having mono increases the chance that someone will develop MS  1:28 Researchers have created an imaging agent with the potential to be a game-changer in diagnosing and treating MS  4:29 Dr. Robert Motl explains how and why exercise can be medicine for people with MS  10:04 Share this episode  31:50 Next week  32:10 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/450 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Among Persons with Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Mononucleosis https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WN9.0000000000000082 STUDY: A Radiolabeled Dendrimer Non-Invasively Identifies and Tracks Innate Immune Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67907-x AbleNOW https://ablenow.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 450 Guest: Dr. Robert Motl Privacy Policy

    33 min
  5. Putting People Affected by MS at the Center of MS Research with Sara Loud, Stephanie Buxhoeveden, and Hollie Schmidt

    6 APR

    Putting People Affected by MS at the Center of MS Research with Sara Loud, Stephanie Buxhoeveden, and Hollie Schmidt

    When you join the iConquer MS community, you're no longer just a patient; you become a research partner. Not just a data point in someone's study. You become the person to suggest the study, to help define the study, and to participate in sharing the outcome of the study. In this week's episode, I talk with the iConquer MS leadership team about what it means to be part of this people-powered research revolution and how iConquer MS keeps people affected by MS at the center of MS research. The National Institutes of Health has just published a Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research. We're sharing all the details. And a research team analyzed data from 20 global studies to determine whether anti-CD20 disease-modifying therapies (Ocrevus, Kesimpta, Briumvi) were cost-effective. We're sharing their somewhat surprising results. And a research team analyzed data from 20 global studies to determine whether anti-CD20 disease-modifying therapies (Ocrevus, Kesimpta, Briumvi) were cost-effective. We're sharing their somewhat surprising results. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're talking about people-powered MS research  :22 The NIH has published a Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research  1:15 Researchers determine whether anti-CD20 disease-modifying therapies (Ocrevus, Kesimpta, Briumvi) are cost-effective  6:05 Sara Loud, Stephanie Buxhoeveden, and Hollie Schmidt discuss what it means to put people affected by MS at the center of MS research  12:41 Share this episode  36:26 Next week  36:45 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/449 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com iConquer MS https://iconquerms.org National Institutes of Health Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/disabilityhealthresearch STUDY: Economic Value of Anti-CD20 Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review of Cost-Effectiveness Studies https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17562864261426816 AbleNOW https://ablenow.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 449 Guests: Sara Loud, Stephanie Buxoeveden, and Hollie Schmidt Privacy Policy

    38 min
  6. At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle

    30 MAR

    At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle

    Last week, about 170 MS activists from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. It's hard to come away from this event and not feel outraged by the stories that are shared, but also inspired by the resilience and bravery of the MS Activists who are willing to share some of the worst moments in their MS journey to make sure that our elected representatives in the House and Senate understand why the legislation we ask them to support is so vitally important.     I met so many truly amazing MS activists at this year's Public Policy Conference, and you'll meet some of them in this week's episode.   We're also sharing survey results that paint a disturbing picture of the human consequences that resulted from losing Congressional funding to support enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace Enrollees  The National MS Society has invested $2.3 million in 11 research projects focused on women's health issues and MS. We're sharing details of each new research initiative being funded. You'll learn about a clinical trial for a novel investigational therapy for MS and other autoimmune diseases. And we'll tell you about a study that you can participate in from home...and get compensated for your participation! We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're at the Public Policy Conference  :22 Survey results show the human consequences of losing Congressional funding to support enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace Enrollees  4:45 The National MS Society invests $2.3 million dollars in research projects focused on women's health issues and MS  7:23 The first healthy participant is dosed in the clinical trial for ICP-538  11:24  An opportunity to participate from home in a clinical trial (and there's compensation!)  12:41 MS Activists David, Cliff, and Michelle share their thoughts on attending the MS Society's Public Policy Conference  15:27 Share this episode  30:10 Next week  30:30 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/448 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Support Jon at WALK MS https://realtalkms.com/walkms JOIN: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 446 -- MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern https://realtalkms.com/446 SURVEY RESULTS: Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/a-follow-up-survey-of-aca-marketplace-enrollees PARTICIPATE: A Study to Determine How Well Different Fall Prevention Programs Work for People with Spinal Court Injury and Multiple Sclerosis Email for More Information: DpQol-FallPrev@illionois.edu JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 448 Guests: David Silbaugh, Cliff Currie, and Michelle Constantine Hibbs Privacy Policy

    32 min
  7. Walking with Many Sisters Toward a Cure with Brigitte Delaney

    23 MAR

    Walking with Many Sisters Toward a Cure with Brigitte Delaney

    In 1988, there were just 42 Walk MS events, raising approximately $4 million. In 2025, there were 170 events across the country that raised over $30 million. As the largest private funder of MS research in the world, the National MS Society relies on funds raised at events like Walk MS to continue supporting the work that brings us closer to cures.   This week, Brigitte Delaney, an amazing fundraiser and captain of the Many Sisters Walk MS team, shares her story, talks about the origin of the Many Sisters team, and offers her recipe for successful fundraising. We're also sharing study results that show adhering to the MIND diet slows brain aging (and we'll explain why that matters to someone living with MS) We'll tell you about NG01, a remyelinating cell therapy that just received an FDA designation that will accelerate its development. You'll learn about CoPilot Health, Microsoft's new AI health chatbot. And we're sharing study results that indicate people who receive their MS diagnosis over the age of 50 tend to experience a more severe MS disease course. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: It's WALK MS!  :22 Study results show that adherence to the MIND diet slows brain aging  1:24 The FDA grants a designation that accelerates development of a remyelinating cell therapy  4:42 Microsoft launches CoPilot Health, an AI health chatbot  7:17  Study results indicate that people who are diagnosed over the age of 50 often experience a more severe MS disease course  9:32 Brigitte Delaney introduces us to the Many Sisters WALK MS team  12:07 Share this episode  22:28 Next week  22:48 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/447 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Support Jon at WALK MS https://realtalkms.com/walkms JOIN: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy STUDY: Adherence to the MIND Diet and Longitudinal Brain Structural Changes Over a Decade: Evidence from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2026/3/11/jnnp-2025-336957 STUDY: Effect of Late-Onset on Multiple Sclerosis Phenotype and Outcome: Evidence from a Multi-National Registry https:/link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-026-13632-4 JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 447 Guests: Brigitte Delaney Privacy Policy

    24 min
  8. MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern

    16 MAR

    MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern

    175 MS activists are heading to Washington, D.C. next week for the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. Their mission: to bring the concerns of the MS community directly to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.  When it comes to the legislative support for healthcare and medical research, it's no secret that these are unusual times. Joining me to brief us on the National MS Society's ongoing advocacy efforts and give us a sneak peek at the specific legislative issues we'll be taking to Capitol Hill is the National MS Society's Vice President of Advocacy, Steffany Stern. We'll also share updated results from an important study that show the risk of developing MS if a close relative is living with the disease is significantly higher than researchers originally thought. And we'll give you all the details of a Phase 1 clinical trial that's focused on a novel approach to CAR-T cell therapy for MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Preparing for the MS Society's Public Policy Conference  :22 I'm asking for your support:  1:37 An update to a 2015 study shows close relatives of people living with MS are 100 times more likely than the general population to develop MS  2:15 A novel approach to CAR-T cell therapy for MS is recruiting for a Phase 1 clinical trial   4:26 Steffany Stern, the Vice President of Research at the National MS Society, shares a major advocacy win and previews next week's Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.  7:27 Share this episode  33:04 Next week  33:25 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/446 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Support Jon at WALK MS https://realtalkms.com/walkms JOIN: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy STUDY: A Prospective Study of Individuals at Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Informs the Design of Primary Prevention Studies https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acn3.70340 GEMS Study Recruitment https:/nationalmssociety.org/news-and-magazine/news/ms-study-alert-gems RealTalk MS Ep. 439: Preventing MS with Dr. Bruce Bebo https://realtalkms.com/439 PARTICIPATE: A Study to Assess the Safety and Clinical of Azer-cel in Participants with B-cell Mediated Autoimmune Disorders https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06680037/#contacts-and-locations JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 446 Guests: Steffany Stern Privacy Policy

    34 min
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About

Jon Strum cuts through all the jargon and breaks down the latest multiple sclerosis news. You'll meet the scientists who are creating tomorrow's MS treatments today. You'll hear from the experts discussing how the latest tweaks and changes to our healthcare laws will impact your MS treatment. And we'll be talking to the courageous MS warriors who are out there advocating on behalf of the MS community every day, as well as the men and women who are committed to living their best lives with MS and living their best lives as MS caregivers. If you're dealing with multiple sclerosis in your life -- as a patient, caregiver, family member, or friend -- join us each week for RealTalk MS.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Strum
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    507
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    RealTalk MS

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