Research at the Weill Cornell MS Center is supported by sophisticated clinical and MRI databases, novel study designs, and dedicated physician-scientists. Underlying much of this research is a commitment to combining clinical and imaging data to further our understanding of the disease course, validate novel MRI biomarkers and create treatment algorithms based upon predictive modeling.
One aspect that makes our research program especially distinct is the Weill Cornell MS Database. In a collaborative effort with a team consisting of neuroradiologists, computer scientists, physicists and clinicians from the MS Center, this platform manages longitudinal data on over 1,500 patients on an ongoing basis. The platform’s multi-modality imaging program, led by Dr. Susan Gauthier, incorporates both animal and human imaging, utilizing both MRI and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). With the infrastructure, platform and relationships in place, we are focused specifically on applying markers to the quantification of myelin and inflammation. By researching and validating novel imaging MS biomarkers and utilizing these imaging modalities to make discoveries regarding the ongoing pathological processes, we can further enhance our understanding of potential therapeutic targets.
New research projects focus on the mechanisms of cognitive impairment and novel imaging techniques. As novel therapeutics focused on repair and neuroprotection are developed for multiple sclerosis, the need for accurate markers to measure the disease is essential in order to translate these agents from the lab to clinical trials in patients with MS. Our imaging program is a novel multi-modality program for MS, which includes both MRI and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). We focus our efforts on developing new methods to measure ongoing myelin and nerve damage in patients with MS.
Weill Cornell MS Center Database
The Weill Cornell Demyelinating Disorders Database is an over 15-year study to help researchers and physicians learn more about how MS changes throughout a person’s life. The database includes demographic information (such as age, sex, and race), clinical information (such as MS medication type, disability status, and relapse information), and finally imaging information (specifically annual or semi-annual standard-of-care MRIs). Collecting this data allows the WCM MS researchers to study how factors like lesion type, lesion location, or various treatments affect the progression of MS across a diverse population. This knowledge supports the development of new imaging modalities, new treatments, and provides more clarity about this unpredictable disease.
The Weill Cornell Demyelinating Disorders Database is supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) at Weill Cornell Medical College. A secure online application (REDCap) designed exclusively to support data capture for research studies allows investigators to correlate clinical and epidemiological variables to specific MRI features of the disease.
If you are interested in joining the Weill Cornell MS Database, talk to your physician at your next appointment or give us a call at (646) 962-3515 and the research team will give you more information about the study and help you enroll.
Current Studies
Multiscale Multimodal Imaging and Cognition
This 5-year study, funded by the NIH, aims to learn more about the mechanisms underlying cognitive decline in Multiple Sclerosis. Multi-scale and multi-modal refer to our different imaging approaches from MRI to fMRI to PET scan. The MRI and fMRI allow the researchers to see how lesions are impacting the structure and function of the brain, while the PET scan allows them to look at the connectivity at a receptor-level. As part of this study, participants will undergo an fMRI and cognitive test each year, with a subset of participants also completing 3 PET scans over the 5 years. Ultimately, we hope this study will help highlight how cognitive dysfunction occurs in MS and what we can do to help prevent or treat it.
This study is open to MS patients and people without MS ages 18-60. If you or someone you know are interested in learning more or joining the study, please give us a call at (646) 962-3515 or email Noel George at ntg4002@med.cornell.edu and ask about the cognition study!