November 22, 2010 Rob PetrolliniLisez en Francais
It’s been a few months since the second annual endMS Summer School took place, and I wanted to share with you a summary of what took place and what some participants had to say.
The venue for the 2010 endMS Summer School (sponsored by Deloitte) was Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The week of May 17-22 saw forty graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who are currently pursuing or interested in research or clinical training in multiple sclerosis come together to work to better understand the clinical and behavioral science of MS.
The goals set for participants were:
- Develop greater breadth and depth in: the understanding of MS as experienced by the clinical practitioner and by persons living with MS, applied clinical and research methods in MS, and the integration of applied research and clinical practice
- Increase capacity for inter-disciplinary research
- Establish a peer network among MS research trainees
Instructors and program facilitators traveled to Dalhousie from across Canada to offer their research expertise on a variety of topics, ranging from MS diagnosis and treatment to epidemiology and genetics.
The impact the program had on participants was positive, and for some individuals the experience reaffirmed their commitment to continue research in the field of MS.
“I feel more solidified in my decision to do MS research. I have a network of experts to draw upon. I feel this is an emerging area that can make great strides” referenced an attendee. Patient and family perspectives were shared, and panel discussions on “hot topics” in MS were discussed throughout the course of the program.
“The MS patient portion was absolutely invaluable. They were so kind to share their stories and to put a face to a disease we are researching” mentioned one participant when asked about the patient and family perspective.
Programs like the endMS summer school are made possible by generous donations to the endMS campaign. And thanks to the financial support of donors from across Canada, the 2011 endMS summer school is set for the month of May. I’ll keep you updated on next year’s event as the program develops.
Watch this video from the 2010 session for more perspectives on the endMS summer school.
What are your thoughts on initiatives such as the endMS Summer School? Do you feel programs like this will help accelerate the pace of discovery in the field of MS?
Technorati tags: endMS, multiple sclerosis, summer school