Past Podcast Episodes

I spent this past weekend attending the iConquer MS Leadership Summit in Boston. iConquer MS is a people-powered research network created by the Accelerated Cure Project for MS. Instead of just asking people with MS to provide data, iConquer MS is driven by people living with MS, and it represents a new paradigm of building collaborative partnerships to solve big healthcare questions.

This past spring, I had an in-depth conversation with Dr. Robert McBurney, CEO of the Accelerated Cure Project for MS, and David Gwynne, who heads up their Alliances & Collaborations. We'll revisit that conversation, and I'll also give you my thoughts on the remarkable iConquer MS Leadership Summit.

We're also talking about the shocking decision in the UK to withhold Ocrevus as a treatment for Primary Progressive MS, the MS In America 2017 survey results, and I'll tell you about a couple of excellent webinars that you should be sure to check out.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS?

My guest on the podcast is Mitch Sturgeon. Mitch is an award-winning blogger, and with the publication of his book, Enjoying the Ride: Two Generations of Tragedy and Triumph, Mitch is a published author, as well. In 2001, Mitch was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS. He was 35 years old at the time, and that was the same age that Mitch's mother was when she took a fall that left her a quadriplegic.

Mitch's book is more than just a reflection of his MS journey. It's a story about a family with all of the quirks, idiosyncrasies, strengths, and faults that any family might have…and how they lived through and even prospered, in the face of tragic circumstances.

We're also talking about what it means to transition from caregiver to advocate. We'll talk about the concept of cognitive reserve and its relationship to MS disability and depression. And we'll share the latest statistical evidence that makes the case for identifying a reliable biomarker for MS disease progression.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS?