Meet the team
The study team includes clinicians, people with MS, qualitative and design-led researchers across multiple research sites.
Dr. Alison Thomson
Principal Investigator
Dr Alison Thomson, is a designer and research based at Queen Mary University of London. She is leading this study, managing its daily progress and impact delivery. She will lead the study team drawing on her extensive background in patient engagement and health service co-design within MS research.
Professor Ruth Dobson is a Consultant Neurologist at Barts Health NHS Trust and leads the Centre for Preventive Neurology at QMUL. Her research focuses on the early detection and epidemiology of MS, particularly examining genetic and environmental risk factors. As a clinical co-investigator, she will invite participants from east London to participate in the study.
Prof. Ruth Dobson
Co-Investigator
Prof. Helen Ford
Co-Investigator
Professor Helen Ford, a Consultant Neurologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Professor of Neurology at the University of Leeds, specialises in MS research covering patient outcomes, treatment decision-making, employment, gender and intersectionality. She will involve participants from Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust.
Prof. Eli Silber
Co-Investigator
Professor Eli Silber is a Consultant Neurologist and Clinical Co-Investigator, playing a key role in involving participants from King’s College Hospital. His expertise includes developing care for MS patients, with a focus on mental health, palliative care, and addressing MS in ethnic minority communities.
Francine Parker
Peer researcher
Francine Parker is a child of Trinidadian parents. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on the 15th of November 1997 at the age of 27. She is married with 2 children in the ages of 25 and 21. Francine has a degree in sociology, and she first started working as a court welfare officer in the civil service until her diagnosis with MS . She had a career break to start a family. She started working for the NHS. Kings College NHS Foundation Trust in the neurology radiology department from 2005 until 2021. Due to her MS, Francine took early retirement in 2021. She decided to become a peer researcher to help provide a deep understanding of the journey of people with MS from their first diagnosis to care.
Dr. Cord Spilker
Co-Investigator
Dr Cord Spilker, a clinical co-investigator, will invite peer researchers and study participants from the Bradford Teaching Hospital area, building on his previous research with minority ethnic groups. His role is integral to engaging diverse perspectives in the study.
Ms. Trishna Bharadia
Patient Co-Investigator
Trishna Bharadia is an experienced and multi-award winning patient engagement consultant and advocate, who also lives with multiple sclerosis (diagnosed 2008). Her interests lie in good patient engagement practices; diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare and clinical research; and patient involvement in health information and scientific publications. She is a visiting lecturer in patient engagement at King's College London, is a long-standing committee member for Asian MS (one of the MS Society's national support groups), and is an Ambassador for the MS Society.
Dr. Sharifa Battashi
Snr Research Assistant
Sharifa is a senior research assistant based in Queen Mary University London. She is a qualitative researcher and will work with the study team to design and manage the progress of the study. Sharifa is interested in researching the experiences and racialisation of ethnically minoritised people in healthcare settings.
Karen Chong
Peer researcher
Karen Chong, is a member of the study as a Peer Researcher.
She is a long serving retried Senior Civil Servant who spent the majority of her career working in Central Government. Karen worked for three consecutive Prime Ministers in Downing Street, in the House of Parliament in the Chief Whips Office in House of Commons; in the Private Office of the Cabinet Secretary; and in the Diversity Team in the Cabinet Office.
Karen has volunteered with the MS Society as a member of the Grants Board, the Research Network and other ad hoc groups. She has also been a committee member of the Greenwich MS Society Support Group; and for a number of years has been a speaker at the Newly Diagnosed Event, organised by Queen Elizabeth Hospital.