Press release:
Just as the National MS Society invests $29 million in new research to support an expected 83 MS research projects to stop multiple sclerosis, local MS researchers will be updating the community on “MS Research: The Progress, The Promise,” at the Clarion Hotel in Batavia tonight (Thursday, April 10). The free event is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public and hosted by the National MS Society Upstate New York Chapter. The Clarion is located at 8250 Park Road.
Researcher Fraser Sim, Ph.D, assistant professor at the University at Buffalo, will be presenting. Dr. Sim specializes in neurodegenerative disorders. He was recently awarded a three year, $554,973 grant from The National MS Society to study myelin-forming cells. Dr. Sim and his fellow University of Buffalo researchers are investigating the ability of an FDA-approved drug to improve myelin synthesis and repair in mice.
Also presenting is Brandon Yehl, Pa., who has lived half of his life with MS. He graduated from the RIT physician’s assistant program in 2006. For four years he worked in a neuro-ophthalmology clinic playing a role in the care of more than 750 patients with MS. He now works in a private neurology clinic.
The National MS Society has already invested more than $50 million in 2014 to support 380 new and ongoing studies around the world. The 83 new projects are part of a comprehensive research strategy aimed at stopping MS, restoring function that has been lost, and ending the disease forever ̶ for every single person with MS.
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. The rate of diagnosis in Upstate New York is about double the national average. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide and more than 12,800 people in the 50-county region served by the Upstate New York Chapter. For more information, visit <http://www.MSupstateny.org>
“MS research is a priority, and we strive to pursue all promising research paths and collaborate worldwide to drive progress toward a cure,” says Stephanie Kunes-Mincer, president and CEO of the National MS Society Upstate New York Chapter. “The Society has fueled many advances in understanding and managing MS, and we will keep moving forward until we can say goodbye to MS forever."
