Northern Ireland MS Research Hub

Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with more than 5,000 people living with the condition. Despite this, MS research has lacked funding in Northern Ireland in recent decades.

Researchers in Northern Ireland have expertise in eye research, immunology and MS clinical trials. These strengths will form the basis of their work.

About the project

The team have 3 specific objectives:  

Objective 1: Team formation   

The first objective of the project is to establish a collaborative team of scientists, clinicians and people affected by MS. This will bring together experts in MS research in Northern Ireland to drive the research forward. Co-production will form a core part of the research programme, with people with MS invited to take part in regular focus groups and other partnership activities with researchers.  

Objective 2: Retinal imaging and biomarker profiling  

Previous research has shown that in MS, the retina (the back of the eye) can become inflamed and lose nerve cells. Researchers are now able to use new technology to scan the retina in more detail than is possible with MRI. They will build on their findings from previous studies to understand more about the changes that happen in the eye in MS over time. This would help us to understand more about how MS progresses over time and may provide a better way to monitor treatment.  

The team will also gather tears, saliva and blood samples from people with MS to understand which substances are present. And whether they relate to the changes in the eye scans.  

Objective 3: Professional development and growth  

The final objective is to create career development opportunities for those interested in MS research. This includes hosting school and undergraduate students in the lab and clinic, providing PhD and postdoctoral research opportunities and giving clinicians the time and resources to be involved in research activity. This support will help to train the current and next generation of MS researchers.  

How will it help people with MS?  

This project will give us a better understanding of the changes that happen to the retina in MS, and help to identify biomarkers. These could be used to track MS progression and could lead to faster, cheaper and easier ways to monitor MS in the clinic and in clinical trials to see if treatments are working.  

This project will also support researchers to develop the research infrastructure and expertise in Northern Ireland. This could lay the foundations for the development of a large-scale programme of MS research in Northern Ireland, which could benefit people affected by MS both locally and globally.