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S3 Episode 36

Episode 36: NEU - What's on the research horizon

Just in time for World MS Day, we take you to the forefront of research into lifestyle modification and its impact on MS health outcomes by welcoming Dr Sandra Neate, Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Dr Neate and her team are undertaking some of the most forward-facing work in this field of MS research, so unfasten your scientific curiosity and tune into this episode.  

 

Sandra is a clinician researcher who is the Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia.  The NEU researches lifestyle related risk factors in MS and health outcomes and the experiences of people who adopt lifestyle modification. The NEU is also developing and researching novel ways to deliver evidence-based information about lifestyle modification to people with MS, including online modalities. Sandra’s personal research interest is in talking with people with MS and their families regarding the experiences of lifestyle modification. 

Questions 

  • Welcome to the program Dr Neate, or may I call you Sandra? 

  • You’re presently the head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne, aka the NEU. Can you tell what the NEU actually is? 

  • Is the NEU carrying on the research studies begun by Professor George Jelinek, such as HOLISM and STOP-MS? 

  • What is the overarching aim of the NEU as a research body? 

  • Who are the researchers that work for the NEU? 

  • What kind of research projects is the NEU presently working on? 

  • The MS Online Course sounds fascinating… what do you think its future impact will be? 

  • The collaboration with the UK MS Registry sounds extremely promising too. What are your expectations for this relationship and how can it advance the cause of elevating lifestyle intervention or modification approaches? 

  • What’s on the horizon for the NEU? What kind of projects and collaborations are you shaping for the future? 

  • How does the NEU engage with OMS? 

  • What can the next generation realistically expect for MS treatment? 

Links 

Episode Disclaimer 

Please note that the online course Dr Neate refers to in this episode is funded by OMS. OMS is excited to work with the NEU once the course is ready to be made more widely available. 

Coming up on our next episode 

Up next, we invite you to join us on May 31 (and anytime thereafter on your favorite podcast platform or the OMS website) for Living Well with MS Coffee Break #17. There and then, you’ll get inspired by Debbie Emick, a Colorado-based author and podcaster who have overcome multiple chronic illnesses by tapping into the mind-body connection. 

Don’t miss out: 

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favorite podcast listening app. Don’t be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing [email protected]