Episode 472: ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Patient Community Day Preview with Brett Drummond and Dr. Jennifer Graves

We are less than 40 days away from MSToronto2026—the joint ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS Scientific Congress. While the congress brings together the world's leading MS researchers and clinicians, Patient Community Day —in person and online—is designed specifically for people affected by multiple sclerosis. This week, Dr. Jennifer Graves and Brett Drummond join me to preview what to expect from Patient Community Day 2026. With less than 50 days until the midterm elections in the United States, the National MS Society is hosting a webinar you can't afford to miss, titled MS Advocacy in Action: What the 2026 Elections Could Mean for Healthcare Policy and Access to Care. We'll tell you how to register (And we'll remind you why you should!). A 22-country survey of over 17,000 people with MS revealed that the invisible symptoms of MS remain critically unaddressed. We're sharing the details of this landmark survey. We're sharing early trial results of a precision red blood cell therapy designed to halt myelin attacks without shutting down the immune system. We'll tell you about the German research team that's repurposing a common, low-cost medication into a skin patch designed to jumpstart natural remyelination. And we'll share a study showing how simple, short voice recordings can predict long-term cognitive changes and brain volume loss in people living with MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week:  A preview of Patient Community Day 2026  :22 The National MS Society is hosting a webinar you shouldn't miss   1:32 Results of a landmark survey reveal critical unmet needs among people living with MS   5:27 A new approach to preventing MS inflammatory attacks while keeping the rest of the immune system intact   8:27 Could a skin patch successfully promote myelin repair?  11:42 Can analyzing regular speech predict future brain atrophy in people with MS?  14:34 Dr. Jennifer Graves and Brett Drummond give us a preview of Patient Community Day 2026  18:53 Share this episode  33:01 Next week  33:20 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/472 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026 https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu WEBINAR: Advocacy In Action: What the 2026 Elections Could Mean for Healthcare Policy and Access to Care https://nmss.quorum.us/event/37051 S