Terms of Reference - Scientific Expert Working Group
Background
The Scientific Expert Working Group was established in response to recommendations made by an expert panel that met on August 26, 2010 in Ottawa, Canada. The meeting was convened by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in collaboration with the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Canada, to identify priorities for accelerating research and innovation on MS focusing, in particular, on links between neurovascular issues and MS.
Mandate
The mandate of the Scientific Expert Working Group is to monitor and analyze interim and final results from seven US and Canadian MS Societies funded studies, as well as from other related studies from around the world related to venous anatomy and MS. The first meeting of this expert working group will take place before the end of the 2010 calendar year. Based on the results, the scientific expert working group will reach conclusions regarding: (1) a common standard for reliably diagnosing the proposed CCSVI condition using imaging or other techniques; and (2) a potential association between impaired cerebral venous drainage and MS.
The scientific expert working group will make recommendations on further studies including, if appropriate, a pan-Canadian interventional clinical trial that would evaluate the safety and efficacy of venous angioplasty in patients with MS, and will provide advice on the protocols to expedite such a trial (e.g. inclusion/exclusion criteria).
Meetings
The Working Group will meet before the end of the 2010 calendar year. At that meeting the Working Group will determine appropriate frequency for meetings.
Terms
Members are appointed to serve for a period of 2 years.
Support
The Working Group will be supported by a joint team from the MS Society of Canada and the CIHR. All travel and accommodation related to the attendance will be reimbursed by the MS Society of Canada with support from CIHR.
Chair(s) and membership
The President of CIHR will Chair the Scientific Expert Working Group. The Membership follows.
Dr. Alain Beaudet (Chair)
President
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Dr. Mario A. Battaglia
President
Italian MS Foundation,
Genoa, Italy
Dr. Brenda Banwell
Paediatric Multiple Sclerosis Clinic
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON, Canada
Dr. Miguel Bussiere
Division of Neurology
Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Dr. Fiona Costello
Division of Neurology
University of Calgary
Calgary, AB, Canada
Dr. Aaron S. Field
Diagnostic Neuroradiology
University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health
Clinical Sciences Center
Madison, WI, USA
Dr. Robert Fox
Department of Neurology
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH, USA
Dr. Michael Hill
Department of Clinical Neurosciences/Faculty of Medicine and Community Health Sciences
University of Calgary
Calgary, AB, Canada
Dr. Soo Hyun (Esther) Kim
Vascular Medicine
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH, USA
Dr. Bartha Knoppers
Center of Genetics and Policy
McGill University
Montreal, QC, Canada
Dr. Katherine Knox
Department of Neurology
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Dr. Larry Kramer
Diagnostic & Interventional Imaging
University of Texas
Houston, TX, USA
Dr. Christopher Macgowan
Department of Medical Imaging
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON, Canada
Dr. Lindsay Machan
Department of Radiology
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Dr. Aaron Miller
Department of Neurology
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, NY, USA
Dr. Paul O'Connor
Division of Neurology
St. Michael's Hospital
Toronto, ON, Canada
Dr. Anthony Phillips
Scientific Director
Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Dr. Daryl Pullman
Division of Community Health and Humanities
Medical Ethics
Memorial University
St Johns, NFLD, Canada
Dr. Barry Rubin
Division of Vascular Surgery
University Health Network and Peter Munk Cardiac Center
Toronto, ON, Canada
Dr. Carlos Torres
Division of Neuroradiology
Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Dr. Anthony Traboulsee
Department of Neurology
UBC Hospital
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Dr. Oliver Wieben
Department of Radiology
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI, USA
Dr. Jerry Wolinsky
Department of Neurology
University of Texas
Houston, TX, USA
Observer:
Mr. Milton Sussman
Deputy Minister of Health
Manitoba Government
Winnipeg, MB, Canada