About

As part of the Our Health in Our Hands (OHIOH) project, researchers at the Australian National University and Sydney Adventist Hospital (the SAN) are working together to improve the clinical management and overall health and wellbeing of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

In the ACT-Sydney MS Cohort study, we are recruiting people with MS as well as people who do not have MS. We aim to have a similar distribution of age and sex across the two groups and collect new data each year to see changes over time. By collecting data over time in people with MS and people who do not have MS, we will be able to compare the two groups to answer questions about health and wellbeing, how that changes over time, and whether and how having MS affects health and how this changes over time.

What does participation involve?

You must be at least 18 years old, either with MS or without a diagnosis or any known signs of MS. We will ask you to:

• Complete online questionnaires on your background, medical history, psychological health and wellbeing and diet
• Complete measures of current health, including blood pressure, height, weight and functioning (for MS only; e.g., rating muscle weakness, limb mobility, balance, speech, body sensations and visual function)
• Provide a blood sample

Expression of Interest Form

Project Team

Our Health in Our Hands (OHIOH)

The ACT-Sydney MS Cohort study is part of a program of work at the Australian National University called OHIOH. The Australian National University (ANU) launched the Grand Challenge funding scheme in 2017 and OHIOH was awarded the inaugural grant which aims to transform health care by developing new personalised health technologies and solutions in collaboration with people living with MS, clinicians and health care providers.

With a focus on multiple sclerosis and diabetes, there are four integrated, multi-disciplinary research programs within OHIOH involving researchers from across the ANU and ACT Health: Genomics and Bioinformatics, Big Data, Biomarker Discovery and Monitoring Devices, and Patient Experience. A collaboration with the Sydney Adventist Hospital (also known as the SAN) to extend this study to a larger region commenced in 2021.

Learn more about Our Health in Our Hands - ANU