Advanced MS MasterClass 2020 project winner announced!

This week our Advanced MS MasterClass took place and nine delegates gave virtual presentations of their projects.

The winning project was presented by Chandni Radia, a lead neuroscience pharmacist based at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Her work focussed on prevention of risk in ocrelizumab through early B-cell monitoring.

Her review of 170 people with MS infused with ocrelizumab over an 18 month period found that low B-cell counts may indicate an increased risk of infection. She suggested that these findings support regular monitoring of B-cell count, rather than absolute lymphocyte count, might be a method of identifying at-risk patients.

The two runners up were Dr Iulia Danciut, an associate specialist from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and MS Advanced Nurse Practitioner Shannon Gaughan from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Iulia presented her project evaluating the impact that COVID-19 had on the MS service in Hull, including how guidance was implemented and what improvements could be made.

Shannon shared her findings on the use of vitamin D in MS. Her pilot study assessing 50 newly diagnosed patients highlighted the variance in practice and the lack of national guidance around it, leading to recommendations for a consensus guideline to be produced.

More information

• View all of the posters produced by the Advanced MS MasterClass delegates this year.
• Interested in attending a course yourself? Find out more about our various MS MasterClass courses.