New $2M national study to uncover how biology, social factors shape MS outcomes
First published in DalNews by Alison Auld - November 19, 2025
A national study led by a Dalhousie researcher (and BRC member) aims to better understand how biological and social factors can influence health outcomes for Canadians living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The disease affects more than 90,000 people in the country, making it one of the highest rates in the world. MS causes breakdown of the protective covering of nerves in the body, which can lead to numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, and other symptoms.
Each person's experience with MS is different, due in large part to factors like their gender, age, ethnicity and if they live in a city or not. Together, these factors contribute to a person's diversity, yet researchers are unsure which of these put people at the greatest health disadvantage.
“Our goal is for everyone with multiple sclerosis to experience the best quality of life possible” says Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie, the Multiple Sclerosis Research Chair in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie and lead on the study. “Understanding diverse life stories and biological differences can help ensure that care and support are accessible and effective for everyone living with MS.”
The researchers will work closely with people living with MS, health-care providers, advocacy groups and health policy decision-makers — an inclusive approach ensuring that research findings are meaningful, equitable and actionable.
With nearly $2 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the interdisciplinary team at Dalhousie, the University of Manitoba, Queen's University and the University of Waterloo will examine that relationship to improve the health of people with MS who have historically not been part of past studies.
The team will develop ways to test how biological factors, like genetics, age and sex, contribute to health outcomes in people with MS. That will involve recruiting 500 diverse people with MS to look at how a person's biology, lifetime experiences and environment affect their health.
The research will also test ways to best support people with MS who experience health disadvantages because of their experiences and environments.
The researchers are particularly interested in hearing from men, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, diverse racial and ethnic groups, people from rural areas with less than 10,000 residents, immigrants to Canada within the last 10 years and people living with a disability that affects their daily life.
“We need to understand why MS differs so much from person to person,” says Dr. Kaarina Kowalec of the University of Manitoba.
“If we can understand some of the key characteristics, like DNA or ethnic backgrounds, we hope to improve the lives of people with MS.”
Participants would be expected to provide a saliva sample and share their lived experience in four telephone interviews over three years, with each interview taking about 60 minutes. People with MS who want to participate would be required to live in Canada, be at least 18 years old and speak English. The work has been approved by the Nova Scotia Health Ethics Research Board.
If interested in participating, please visit the study site or contact: msepidemiology@nshealth.ca