Congratulations to SPRINT alumna Rochelle Benoit on successfully defending her PhD at Memorial University!
Congratulations to Dr. Wolfson, director of the endMS National Training Program, on her induction into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), as a Fellow, one of the highest honours in Canadian health sciences.This prestigious recognition celebrates her outstanding leadership and contributions to health research, including her work advancing our understanding of MS and her dedication to mentoring generations of emerging MS researchers.
The 2025-2026 SPRINT teams' lay summaries can be viewed HERE Here are the titles of their year long interdisciplinary projects: 1. What Else Accompanies MOGAD? A Review of Co-Occurring Health Condition 2. Effects of Lifestyle Choices on Shaping Immune Function in Multiple Sclerosis 3. How people with MS, care partners, and healthcare providers experience cognitive symptoms in healthcare encounters: A systematic review and meta-aggregation of qualitative research findings.
Congratulations to SPRINT alumnus Kaihim Wong on successfully defending his PhD at the University of Manitoba!
Congratulations SPRINT team! Mohamed Reda Fazazi; Kevin Champagne-Jorgensen; Tamanna Islam; Karen Tweed; Marc S. Horwitz. (2026). Epstein–Barr virus and multiple sclerosis: Mechanisms, therapeutic implications, and emerging interventions.Journal of Neuroimmunology, 420, 579043.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2026.579043 Congratulations to Mira Safa on the publication of her first paper, alongside SPRINT alumnae Mona Hejazi, Megan Krysak, and Katherine Cardwell! Led by Dr. Kaarina Kowalec’s team at the University of Manitoba, the study explored the mechanisms linking MS and its comorbidities. The project grew from foundational work by the SPRINT trainees and is a wonderful example of how SPRINT collaboration can contribute to ongoing MS research and future publications. Congratulations to the entire team! https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2026.107382
endMS Bits and Pieces Newsletter
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endMS SPRINT Spotlight & Celebrations
Congratulations to Dr. Christina Wolfson!
Sharing opportunities to learn about multiple sclerosis (MS) research, to network, to attract and retain trainees in the field of MS related research.
September 2026 Issue #42
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2027–2028 MS Canada Annual Research Competition Now Open MS Canada’s Annual Research Competition is now open, with funding opportunities available through Discovery Research Grants, Catalyst Research Grants, and endMS Personnel Awards (Doctoral Studentships and Postdoctoral Fellowships). New this year is the inaugural Michelle Ploughman Award, which will recognize the highest-ranked Doctoral or Postdoctoral trainee conducting MS rehabilitation research. Applicants must submit an endMS Personnel Award application to be eligible. To learn more, register for our upcoming virtual information sessions: 1.endMS Personnel Award information session on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 1-2:30 pm EST. 2. Discovery & Catalyst Grants information session on Friday, Sept,11 from 1-2:30 pm EST. Deadline for new applications is October 1, 2026 at 4pm EST, and the deadline for Personnel renewal applications is November 2, 2026 at 4pm EST. Please direct all inquiries to ms.grants@mscanada.ca.
Funding/Award Opportunities:
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Share Your Research at the 2026 endMS Conference Trainees are invited to submit an abstract for a poster presentation at the conference, taking place November 29–December 2, 2026, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your research and connect with researchers, clinicians, trainees, and members of the MS community from across Canada. Poster abstract submission deadline: October 23, 2026. Submit your abstract and learn more
Research funding opportunities: NSERC offers scholarships and awards for every stage of study from undergraduate to postdoctoral. See full details HERE
MS Canada Updates:
MS Xchange SP Conference - Closing the Gap: MS and Related Disorders Save the Date - Friday, November 6, 2026 in Montreal, QC. Contact: katalin.endrodi@mcgill.ca
Building health equity capacity in MS Research: iBio2Div-MS Trainee Training Curriculum iBio2Div-MS is a research study examining how biological factors and lived experiences interact to shape health outcomes for people with MS, with a focus on populations historically underrepresented in MS research. The iBio2Div-MS Trainee Training Curriculum offers trainees an opportunity to build knowledge and skills for equity-oriented, interdisciplinary MS research. The curriculum focuses on four core areas: understanding how diversity factors shape MS outcomes; engaging diverse participants through inclusive research methods; examining biological and biographical factors together; and developing effective knowledge mobilization strategies. The curriculum is open to trainees from diverse disciplines interested in equity-oriented MS research. Through self-paced learning, facilitated sessions, peer exchange, networking, and mentorship, trainees can apply health equity and interdisciplinary approaches directly to their own research. Contact: ibio2divms@queensu.ca. Through self-paced learning, facilitated sessions, peer exchange, networking, and mentorship, trainees will build skills in inclusive research methods, interdisciplinary approaches, and effective knowledge mobilization that can be applied directly to their own research. Interested in participating? Contact ibio2divms@queensu.ca for more information.
Upcoming Events, Announcements and Educational Opportunities:
Richard Steacie Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis Research The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is accepting applications for the Richard Steacie Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis Research, supporting postdoctoral research in basic, translational and/or clinical MS research within OHRI’s Neuroscience Program. The fellowship is expected to begin in July 2027, with applications due Sept. 30, 2026. Postdoctoral Research Fellow – MS Research | Quandt Laboratory | Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine | University of British Columbia Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Human Neuroimmunology, Brain Organoids & Multi-omics University of British Columbia Neuroscience Positions: https://can-acn.org/neuro-jobs/
ECTRIMS Winter School 2027 – Applications Open Applications are now open for the 5th ECTRIMS Winter School, taking place Feb. 10–12, 2027, in Brussels, Belgium. Designed for clinician-scientists, senior PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers. Applications are due September 7, 2026. Learn more and apply here
Career Opportunities:
The next endMS Bits and Pieces newsletter will be available October 2026. In the meantime, follow us on LinkedIN, X, and Bluesky for the latest announcements, news and opportunities! For more info on the endMS Training Program: https://endmstrainingprogram.ca
To share announcements or to be added/removed from the endMS Training Program's distribution list, email anik.schoenfeldt@affiliate.mcgill.ca
Publications (trainees/alumnae are in bold)
Tuba S. Chaudhry; Nabeela Nathoo; Bianca Albites Coen; Purnashree Chowdhury; Rowaid Ahmad; Caitlin S. Jackson-Tarlton; Eoin P. Flanagan; Claudia Lucchinetti; Sean J. Pittock; W. Oliver Tobin; Michel Toledano; Brian Weinshenker; Steven A. Messina; Orhun H. Kantarci; B. Mark Keegan. (2026). Clinical course of critical demyelinating lesion-associated progressive multiple sclerosis.Journal of Neurology, 273(8), 456.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-026-13988-7 Mira Safa; Hayley Riel; Megan A. Krysak; Mona Hejazi; Katherine L. Cardwell; Ruth Ann Marrie; Kaarina Kowalec. (2026). A scoping review of comorbidity aetiology in multiple sclerosis.Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 113, 107382.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2026.107382 Hamidreza Barzegarpoor; Jenna Hu; Oleksandr Fesenko; Mykyta Rybkin; Caitlin Newell; Sarah Ashcroft; Abby Blaney; Saman Anvar; Duane Button; Michelle Ploughman. (2026). Reliability and validity of the psychomotor vigilance task to quantify cognitive fatigability in multiple sclerosis.Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 113, 107400.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2026.107400 Kaarina Kowalec; Ali Manouchehrinia; Elaine Kingwell; Robert Carruthers; Ruth Ann Marrie; Charity Evans; Dalia Rotstein; Annie J. Kuan; Wenzhuo Luo; Daniel Luo; Brianne Desrochers; Vilija G. Jokubaitis; Jeannette Lechner-Scott; Vicki E. Maltby; Kira Groen; Galen E. B. Wright; Britt I. Drögemöller; Sasha Bernatsky; Michael C. Levin; Katherine Knox; Abdullah Al Maruf; Michael Zhong; Lars Alfredsson; Jan Hillert; Ingrid Kockum; Tomas Olsson; Pernilla Stridh; Klementy Shchetynsky; Kristy Dever; Julie MacIsaac; Michael S. Kobor; Helen Tremlett. (2026). Lymphocyte count polygenicity underlies dimethyl fumarate–associated lymphopenia in multiple sclerosis.Multiple Sclerosis Journal. Advance online publication.https://doi.org/10.1177/13524585261471335
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