THE Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland is the largest charity for people affected by MS in Scotland.
One of our key strategic aims is to fund and promote research into finding the cause of and a cure for MS. As Scotland has the highest rate of MS in the world, we believe it is vital that we make a powerful contribution to international efforts to u
nderstand and treat the condition.
At the heart of this research programme is the new MS Society and Edinburgh University Centre for Translational Research. We were delighted to receive the financial support from our patron, JK Rowling, to be able to fund the establishment of the new centre with a grant of £2,033,162.
The project will be funded for six years initially and will build on the university's track record in translational research and relevant disciplines, for example neuroscience, inflammation and stem cells.
Another important piece of the research puzzle about to be put in place is the establishment of a National Clinical Audit or register of MS in Scotland. This development has come about after years of campaigning by the MS Society Scotland. The Scottish Government recently announced a grant of £70,000 to support the set-up costs and pilot the national audit in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. It will enable us to accurately "map" MS for the first time by establishing the incidence of the condition and providing answers to many of the other unknowns about MS.
There is no doubt that, encouraged by the MS Society, Scotland has been playing catch up on research into MS over the last few years. But it is equally clear that the next few years will be an exciting time for everyone involved in research into the cause and treatment of MS.
The infrastructure is being put in place to support the high quality research that is required to deliver breakthroughs and services. We are confident that over the next few years Scotland will be well placed to start making the major contribution to beating MS that we desire.
• Mark Hazelwood, director, MS Society Scotland