Examining intersections of biographies & biologies: diversity & outcomes of people with multiple sclerosis in Canada (iBio2Div-MS)

Project Summary

Each person’s experience with multiple sclerosis (MS) differs and is likely due to a mix of factors like gender, age, and ethnicity. Together, these add to a person’s diversity. Past MS research has not included people who are very diverse even though some diversity factors can put a person with MS at a health disadvantage. Currently, we are unsure which diversity factors put people at the biggest health disadvantage. This limits access to the right types of care. Our goal is to improve health in MS who have not been included in past research. Using CLSA data, we will create ways to test how biological factors including genetics, affect health, such as having depression in MS. Then we will join data from the CLSA with data from 500 diverse people with MS to see at how a person’s biology, experiences, and environment impact their health outcomes.