Programme 2025
Northern Connections MS Annual Meeting
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Schedule and timings
We always aim to have a diverse programme, led by a range of clinical and academic speakers and mixed with plenty of opportunities to network with colleagues.
Optional Breakfast Session – 8am, Friday 13th June 2025, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
8:00am – 9:00am
Breakfast Session – Complex Patient Cases
Dr. Stella Hughes, Belfast HSC Trust
Main Meeting – 9am, Friday 13th June 2025, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
Morning Session 1- Chair: Dr. Martin Duddy
9.15am - 9.25am
Welcome & Meeting Aspirations
9.25am - 09.55am
Population genetics and disease – how the past continues to shape our health today
Prof. Astrid Iversen, University of Oxford
09.55am - 10.25am
Biomarkers of EBV activity in early RRMS
Dr. Patrick Kearns, University of Edinburgh
10.25am - 10.45am
Coffee & networking
Morning Session 2 – Chair: Dr. Kate Petheram
10.45am - 11.15am
3 x Short Research Presentations
Dr. Georgia Andreopoulou, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Lajos Csincsik, Queen’s University Belfast
Prof. David Lyons, University of Edinburgh
11.15am - 12.05pm
McDonald 2024 criteria: implications for clinical practice
Dr. Wallace Brownlee, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
12.05pm - 12.30pm
BTK Inhibitors in Multiple Sclerosis: Current Evidence and Future Directions
Prof. Celia Oreja-Guevara, University Hospital San Carlos, Madrid
12.30pm - 13.20pm
Lunch
Afternoon Session 1 – Chair: Dr Joe Guadagno
13.20pm - 13.50pm
Diagnosis and managing NMOSD / MOG-AD: A clinician’s approach
Dr. Katy Murray, NHS Forth Valley & University of Edinburgh
13.50pm - 14.20pm
The evolving landscape of MOG antibody disease
Dr. Saif Huda, Walton Centre Foundation Trust, Liverpool
14.20pm - 14.50pm
Coffee & networking
Afternoon Session 2 – Chair: Prof. Siddharthan Chandran
14.50pm - 15.15pm
Exercise in MS – MS Doctoral Training Centre
Prof. Lorna Paul, Glasgow Caledonian University
15.15pm - 15.40pm
Health equity in MS
Prof. Helen Ford, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
15.40pm - 16.25pm
Debate: A basic science doctorate is a waste of time for aspiring MS clinicians
Prof. Julia Edgar, University of Glasgow & Prof. Robert Gray, University of Glasgow
vs.
Dr. Amy Davidson, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital & Dr. Niall MacDougall, University of Glasgow
16.25pm - 16.30pm
Closing Remarks
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OTHER EVENTS
Past Programmes
Have a look at the programmes from other meetings to get a feel for some of our other speakers and topics.