RealTalk MS

Jon Strum
  • 4.7 (145)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. Revisiting ECTRIMS 2025 with Dr. Bruce Bebo and Kristine Werner Ozug

    5D AGO

    Revisiting ECTRIMS 2025 with Dr. Bruce Bebo and Kristine Werner Ozug

    We're closing out the year by revisiting the most listened-to episode of RealTalk MS in 2025. And it shouldn't come as a major surprise that this year's most listened-to episode was our review of the largest MS research conference in the world, ECTRIMS.   This episode features the annual conversation that I have with Dr. Bruce Bebo, right outside of the conference center, just minutes after ECTRIMS adjourns. Dr. Bebo is the Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society, and each year, he very generously closes out 3 days of nonstop meetings, presentations, and research reviews by sharing his initial thoughts on the announcements and presentations that caught his eye during the conference.   When I produced this episode last September, I also wanted to capture a patient's perspective on what can easily become an overwhelming 3 days of presentations, news, and announcements. Kristine Werner Ozug, a member of the RealTalk MS team who lives with MS, joined me right after the conference to share her perspective on ECTRIMS 2025. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: ECTRIMS 2025   :22 Dr. Bruce Bebo shares his first impressions of the news and research presented at ECTRIMS 2025  1:22 Kristine Werner Ozug weighs in with an MS patient's perspective on the news and research presented at ECTRIMS 2025  10:35 Share this episode  22:45 Next week on RealTalk MS  23:06 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/435 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 RealTalk MS at ECTRIMS 2025 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLATxgj1uHpxNoXakZif9TEkKT6mQSwX_9 Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms 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 435 Guests: Dr. Bruce Bebo and Kristine Werner Ozug Privacy Policy

    24 min
  2. Revisiting Managing Menopause While You're Managing MS with Dr. Riley Bove

    12/22/2025

    Revisiting Managing Menopause While You're Managing MS with Dr. Riley Bove

    The holiday season gives me the opportunity to indulge in what's become a RealTalk MS tradition. I reserve the last two episodes in December to revisit the most popular conversations that I've had over the past year.  Women represent two-thirds of the MS population.  Yet, surprisingly, there isn't nearly enough data related to women's health issues and MS. With an estimated 300,000 women living with MS in the United States who are currently in peri- or post-menopause, researchers have started to focus on how menopause and MS interact, and the best ways to treat symptoms of each.    This brings me to a conversation I had last March about managing menopause while managing MS with Dr. Riley Bove.    Dr. Bove is a neurologist and the founding director of the Sex and Gender-Enriched (SAGE) Neurology Program at the University of California, San Francisco, and she's considered one of the world's foremost experts on women's health issues and MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Managing menopause while you're managing MS   :22 Dr. Riley Bove discusses some of the issues facing the estimated 30% of the MS population who are currently in peri- or post-menopause  1:53 Share this episode  20:30 Next week on RealTalk MS  20:51 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/434 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 RealTalk MS at ECTRIMS 2025 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLATxgj1uHpxNoXakZif9TEkKT6mQSwX_9 Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms 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 434 Guests: Dr. Riley Bove Privacy Policy

    22 min
  3. Our Most Important Conversations of 2025 with Dr. John Corboy, Dr. Mikael Simons, Dr. John DeLuca, and Dr. Stehen Krieger

    12/15/2025

    Our Most Important Conversations of 2025 with Dr. John Corboy, Dr. Mikael Simons, Dr. John DeLuca, and Dr. Stehen Krieger

    As the year draws to a close, we wanted to share some of the most compelling conversations we've had over the past 12 months. And rather than make my own picks, we went through the hundreds of emails we've received over the past year from the RealTalk MS listener community to see which topics really connected with you.  In this week's episode, you'll hear from four of the top MS experts in the world discussing the subjects you've told me are most important to you. First, we'll explore aging and MS with Dr. John Corboy, the principal investigator of the largest study designed to answer the question, "Once I turn 60, can I discontinue my disease-modifying therapies?" We'll talk about remyelination with the winner of the 2025 Barancik Prize for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research, Dr. Mikael Simons. You'll hear our conversation with one of the world's top MS rehabilitation experts, Dr. John DeLuca, as we tackle one of the most disruptive MS symptoms -- fatigue. And we'll wrap up this episode by talking with clinician-scientist Dr. Stephen Krieger about the confusion around trying to reconcile the idea of progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) with a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Our most important conversations of 2025  :22 Dr. John Corboy discusses aging and MS  1:07 Dr. Mikael Simons discusses remyelination  10:54 Dr. John DeLuca discusses MS-related fatigue  19:20 Dr. Stephen Krieger discusses how the current course descriptors for MS (relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, primary progressive) may no longer be working for doctors or patients  26:11 Share this episode  42:10 Next week's episode  42:30 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/433 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 SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy 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 433 Guests: Dr. John Corboy, Dr. Mikael Simons, Dr. John DeLuca, Dr. Stephen Krieger Privacy Policy

    43 min

  4. 12/11/2025 · BONUS

    Guiding the Future of MS Care: MS21 Consensus Recommendations for Improving MS Care to Relieve the Burden of Disease

    This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and is only intended for a U.S. audience. EMD Serono is the healthcare business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the United States and Canada. Please note this episode is only intended for a U.S. audience. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, Professor Elisabeth Celius and Amanda Montague join me to explore new consensus recommendations for the future of MS care from MS in the 21st Century. We'll hear what experts and people in the MS community think are the priorities to focus on to improve care and help lessen the burden of living with MS.   Professor Elisabeth Celius is a consultant neurologist with a special focus on MS at Oslo University Hospital in Norway, where she is the group leader of the MS Research Group and also conducts epidemiological, genetic, and clinical research.  Amanda Montague is a global thought leader and Interim President & CEO of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Both Amanda and Elisabeth are active members of the MS in the 21st Century initiative, more commonly known as MS21. MS21 is a Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, initiative involving healthcare professionals, people with MS, and patient advocacy groups.  To learn more about MS in the 21st Century, please visit www.msinthe21stcentury.com.

    15 min
  5. Working With a Health & Wellness Coach with Amy Behimer

    12/08/2025

    Working With a Health & Wellness Coach with Amy Behimer

    Michael Jordan never won an NBA championship until he was paired with the right coach. Then, he won six. Could working with a coach change your MS journey? In this week's episode, health & wellness coach Amy Behimer explains what health coaching is all about and how working with a coach might impact someone living with MS. We're also sharing study results that show DMTs fail to manage MS-related pain. Then, we'll explain how a common misconception can lead to the wrong outcome for someone with MS. And we'll share study results showing that adhering to the Mediterranean or MIND diet improves cognitive performance among people living with MS. We'll also explain why this study raises as many questions as it seeks to answer. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Thank you!  :22 This Week: What working with a health coach is all about  1:08 Study results show that disease-modifying therapies don't help manage MS-related pain (But are they supposed to???)  2:29 Study results show that adhering to the Mediterranean or MIND diet improves cognitive performance among people with MS (Or does it??)  5:13 Health & Wellness Coach Amy Behimer explains how someone living with MS could benefit from coaching  12:11 Share this episode  39:33 Next week's episode  39:53 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/432 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 DONATE: The National MS Society https://nationalmssociety.org/donate SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy STUDY: Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Moderna's EBV Vaccine and MS https://www.msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(25)00573-5/fulltext STUDY: Mediterranean and MIND Diet Patterns and Cognitive Performance in Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the UK Multiple Sclerosis Register https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/21/3326 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 432 Guests: Amy Behimer Privacy Policy

    41 min

  6. 12/04/2025 · BONUS

    I'm the First Participant in a CAR-T Cell Therapy Clinical Trial with Jan Janisch-Hanzlik

    Welcome to a RealTalk MS special series on MS clinical trials. This special series is made possible through a generous grant from Sanofi. In this final episode of this series, you'll meet Jan Janisch-Hanzlik. Jan lives with MS and is a participant in one of the clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for MS.  In CAR-T cell therapy, blood is taken from the patient or a healthy donor, much as you would donate blood. This blood is sent to a lab, where the white blood cells, or T-cells, are separated out and reprogrammed to carry a receptor designed to fight a particular condition. This receptor is known as a chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR. Over several weeks in the lab, these fortified T-cells multiply until there are millions of them, then they're reintroduced to the patient by intravenous infusion. CAR-T cell therapy is already used to treat some blood cancers, and Jan is the first person in the world to receive this one-and-done treatment to treat MS. She's joining us to share her experience participating in the clinical trial and to give us an update on how she's doing following her treatment.  This special episode of RealTalk MS is made possible by a generous grant from Sanofi. Sanofi has two ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials in MS studying Frexalimab, an investigational second-generation anti-CD40 ligand monoclonal antibody. If you are interested in learning more about these clinical trials, please visit SanofiStudies.com SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/ct4 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! Privacy Policy

    21 min
  7. When a Teenager Becomes a Caregiver For a Parent With MS with Michaela Janssen Pohl

    12/01/2025

    When a Teenager Becomes a Caregiver For a Parent With MS with Michaela Janssen Pohl

    At the age of 14, Michaela Janssen Pohl became a caregiver for her mother, who lives with MS. I think most of us can agree that just being a teenager carries with it more than enough challenges. Those adolescent years are the years when just about everything in life starts changing. Imagine adding the responsibilities of being a caregiver to all the other things going on in a 14-year-old girl's life. Michaela joins me this week to explain how she found ways to survive and thrive in what can only be described as a challenging situation for any teenager. We'll also explain why you might want to think a little differently about Giving Tuesday this year. We're sharing all the details about the Phase 2 clinical trial focusing on Moderna's investigational Epstein-Barr vaccine and MS (and we'll explain why that might turn out to be important!) We're talking about how MS impacts women's health issues with this year's winner of the Rachel Horne Prize for Women's Research in Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Kristen Krysko. And we're sharing the results of the Phase 2 clinical trial for PIPE-307, an investigational remyelination therapy. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! It's Giving Tuesday (and why that matters more this year than ever before)  :22 This Week: Becoming a caregiver for a parent with MS when you're 14 years old  3:27 A clinical trial focused on an EBV vaccine and MS is recruiting participants  4:25 Dr. Kristen Krysko discusses MS and women's health issues  7:52 Results from the Phase 2 clinical trial for PIPE-307 remyelination therapy  13:48 Michaela Janssen Pohl shares her story of becoming a caregiver at the age of 14  16:55 Share this episode  33:20 Next week's episode  33:40 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/431 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 DONATE: The National MS Society https://nationalmssociety.org/donate SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy PARTICIPATE: Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Moderna's EBV Vaccine and MS https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06735248 Email: WeCareClinicalTrials@modernatx.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 Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 431 Guests: Dr. Kristen Krysko, Michaela Janssen Pohl Privacy Policy

    35 min
  8. Navigating Winter Weather When You're Living with MS with Dr. James Stark

    11/24/2025

    Navigating Winter Weather When You're Living with MS with Dr. James Stark

    Almost everyone with MS is aware of their sensitivity to heat. But cold weather presents a whole different set of challenges that we don't always think about. This week, I'm talking with Dr. James Stark about safely navigating cold-weather conditions when you're living with MS.  Dr. Stark is the Senior Attending Neurologist and Associate Medical Director at the International Multiple Sclerosis Management Practice. And he's sharing tips for staying safe and healthy when the temperature starts to drop. The FDA has just approved a new generic DMT, and the first biosimilar for MS is hitting the market. We'll tell you about these new disease-modifying therapy options, and we'll bring you up to speed on what biosimilars are all about. I ran into Dr. Robert Fox at ECTRIMS, the world's largest MS research conference. And, in a brief conversation, Dr. Fox provided a great overview of the MS research landscape. You won't want to miss this conversation!  If you missed the International Progressive MS Alliance's global webcast, Hidden Potential: How Existing Drugs Could Transform MS Treatment, you can still catch the video replay. We're sharing all the details.  We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: There's a lot to still be thankful for  :22 Your opportunity to support the organization that supports you  2:03 What you need to know about the new generic and biosimilar disease-modifying therapies  9:24 The Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Robert Fox shares an overview of the MS research landscape  10:29 Catch the International Progressive MS Alliance Global Webcast video replay  22:41 Dr. James Stark shares tips for navigating winter weather when you're living with MS  23:27 Share this episode  35:14 Next week's episode  35:35 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/430 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 DONATE to the National MS Society https://nationalmssociety.org/donate SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy WATCH: International Progressive MS Alliance Global Webcast Replay https://youtube.com/watch?v=hWK-iVMiQ_I LISTEN: RealTalk MS EP. 315: Understanding Generic and Biosimilar Drugs for MS with Dr. Jiwon Oh https://realtalkms.com/315 VISIT: Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs https://costplusdrugs.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 Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 430 Guests: Dr. Robert Fox, Dr. James Stark Privacy Policy

    37 min
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4.7
out of 5
145 Ratings

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 - 2025
  • Episodes
    489
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    RealTalk MS

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