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MSWA Bulletin Summer 16

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THE NDIS GOES FROM

THE NDIS GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH! NIGEL CAREY, MANAGER MSWA NDIS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIT The past couple of months have been extremely exciting and memorable ones. 1 October saw the launch of the new WA NDIS Trial Sites in Armadale, Serpentine Jarrahdale and Murray! This has provided a great opportunity for our NDIS team to visit the area and connect with MSWA Members living there. We have especially enjoyed meeting a wide range of Clients at our various local expos, farmer’s markets, fairs and information sessions. The Team were also able to help many people successfully begin the application process for the WA NDIS. Overall this initiative is part of a longer-term strategy to embed MSWA as part of the local community. This is particularly important as we are then better equipped to understand the key issues facing our Clients and the services and supports required, especially in the more rural NDIS areas. With this latest launch, we currently have four trial sites in the following areas: • Lower South West (Busselton and surrounds) (WA NDIS) • Cockburn and Kwinana (WA NDIS) • Perth Hills (NDIS) • Armadale, Serpentine Jarrahdale and Murray (WA NDIS) Please note that these four sites will be joined by a new additional NDIS Trial Site in January 2017. This new trial site will cover: • Bayswater • Bassendean • Chittering • Toodyay • York • Northam Please contact the MSWA NDIS Team now if you want to confirm whether your address is in these areas and how the Scheme may benefit you. Overall, MSWA continues to expand the number of new Clients we have enrolled in the NDIS, most whom have chosen us as their provider. The number of new Clients has grown by some 30% since April 2016. Most of these cases are Members who have MS, but we are also working with an increased number of Clients with other neurological conditions. Much of this success is down to the very smooth and easy customer journey that our NDIS Team offers our MSWA Members and Clients. The NDIS Team is always available to take you through the entire application process and then help you develop plans which maximise the supports and services you can receive. Please contact any of the following MSWA NDIS Team Members to see how we can assist you: Mark Douglas: Operations Manager Email: mark.douglas@mswa.org.au Phone: 9365 4824 Christine Richards: Client Relationship Coordinator Email: christine.richards@mswa.org.au Phone: 9365 4867 Pranjal Pawar: Client Relationship Coordinator Email: pranjal.pawar@mswa.org.au Phone: 9365 4810 The NDIS Team looks forward to a great 2017 and the further opportunities it will present for all our Members! 12 | MSWA BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

AN UPDATE ON THE MSWA FUNDED WA RESEARCH PROJECTS SUE SHAPLAND RN, BN In 2015 MSWA allocated approximately 0,000 of our million+ research funding commitment, specifically for WA projects. We committed to support three Postdoctoral research fellowships and two Social and Applied projects in WA for a two-year period. Here we provide an update from two of the researchers. Dr Anderson Jones (PhD) MSWA Postdoctoral Research Fellow Telethon Research Institute Expanding on the PhoCIS (using UV light to increase vitamin D to try and prevent conversion to MS) project looking at the mechanisms by which UV affects the immune system and contributes towards finding a way to stop progression of MS. Blood samples have been collected from 18 more patients with Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) as well as 14 patients with other acute/active demyelinating conditions and healthy controls. Having immune cell samples from these three different populations helps identify what changes are specific to CIS/MS. In addition to immune cells, we have recently also analysed patient serum samples for Epstein-Barr virus and vitamin D – two strong risk factors for MS. Anderson has run approximately two thirds of the samples, with strong hints of significant and new findings. Once the remaining samples are analysed the results will be written up in a paper and submitted for publication. Anderson has also presented at the annual MSWA Members MS Awareness Week Forum in June and at an International Conference. Dr Lucinda Black (PhD) MSWA Postdoctoral Research Fellow; School of Public Health, Curtin University Investigating dietary factors and the risk of multiple sclerosis. Exploring patterns of food intake, intake of specific foods and nutrients and whether they contribute to the risk of MS. Lucinda travelled to the US and undertook training in analysis of data from the MS Sunshine Study and began conducting statistical analysis of the dietary intake data. Lucinda is working with students to analyse data from the Ausimmune Study and the MS Sunshine Study in relation to the following topics: dietary patterns and risk of MS, meat consumption and risk of MS, antioxidant intake and risk of MS, common dietary changes made by people with MS. Lucinda has also received detailed and tailored advice from international experts in how to address her research questions using the most up-to-date statistical methods. The skills she developed will be invaluable for high-quality analysis of dietary data from the Ausimmune Study and the MS Sunshine Study. Lucinda presented at the annual MSWA Members MS Awareness Week Forum and has attended national and international conferences. MSWA BULLETIN SUMMER 2016 | 13

Bulletin