By Invititation Only: A Research Update Conference Call

We would like to invite all registered Capital Challenge Walk MS participants to join a national conference call about Vitamin D and Other Risk Factors in MS and MS Progression on Tuesday, September 14 from 3-4 p.m.

Would you like to know what the latest research says about MS risk and Vitamin D levels? Are you curious about whether smoking or exposure to Epstein-Barr virus contribute to MS susceptibility or disease progression? How does the hormone estrogen relate to MS risk?

We will address the questions above, as well as many others in a 60-minute interview with Dr. Alberto Ascherio, Dr. Colleen Hayes and Dr. Nicholas LaRocca. Dr. LaRocca will serve as interviewer during this call and will moderate the lively discussion, which is sure to raise questions that you will have the opportunity to have answered by any of the experts during two Q&A segments.

featuring

Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH is a Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ascherio is an internationally recognized expert in the epidemiology of neurodegenerative diseases and his findings have provided new insight into the role of Epstein-Barr virus, vitamin D levels and smoking in MS risk. Building upon his past work, Dr. Ascherio currently has a Society-recommended research grant that will explore MS risk and progression in a group of 1600 individuals.

Dr. Colleen Hayes, PhD is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She and her collaborators have laid the foundation for much research into the role of Vitamin D and risk for developing MS. Dr. Hayes is the lead author of a forthcoming book chapter entitled "Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis." In a research grant recently recommended for funding by the Society, she and her team will further explore the role of Vitamin D levels and their interaction with the sex hormone estrogen in risk for developing MS.

Dr. Nicholas LaRocca is the National MS Society's Vice President of Health Care Delivery and Policy Research. He served on the Scientific Planning Committee for an International Workshop on MS Risk Factors and Frequency held in February 2010.

You can join the call by dialing 877.860.4996 and entering conference ID 98069074. No advance registration is necessary.