Hackensack, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/15/2016 --An international authority on the clinical and scientific aspects of multiple sclerosis, Dr. Fred D. Lublin of the Mount Sinai Medical Center will open the 30th Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting with a lecture on "Do Relapses Really Matter?" His John F. Kurtzke Memorial Lecture, on June 1st, will offer a fresh examination employing the most recent evidence and expert opinion about how relapses affect clinical outcomes in MS. The CMSC Annual Meeting, taking place June 1-4, 2016, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, is the only event in North America that provides health care professionals, from a wide range of disciplines, with the latest information, treatment advancements, and research in multiple sclerosis.

Acute MS relapses are disturbing and disruptive events to patient with MS, often requiring hospitalization. The disease can also be active during times of remission, and the clinical manifestation of MS relapses are probably the "tip of the iceberg".

"How relapses influence disease worsening and clinical outcomes in MS over the long term continues to be debated and accurate ways to determine what constitutes a relapse in MS and the severity of relapses have been lacking," said Dr. Lublin. "My opening lecture at the CMSC Annual Meeting will provide insight on how with emerging efficacy data, MS care professionals can begin to re-evaluate what is an "acceptable" relapse rate. "

About Dr. Lublin
Dr. Lublin is a Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai, and he is the Saunders Family Professor of Neurology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. As a neuroimmunologist, Dr. Lublin has a special interest in immune functions and abnormalities affecting the nervous system. He is currently involved in several new clinical research protocols on promising agents for the treatment of MS, and he was the national coordinating investigator for the NIH-funded multi-center trial of combination therapy in MS. He is a Co-Chief Editor of the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

Dr. Lublin's lecture opens four days of a diverse and intense agenda that includes lectures, workshops, symposia, roundtables, panel discussions and poster and platform presentations. Nine learning tracks were named by the Professional Education committee covering basic science/environmental factors; psychosocial: cognition, depression; disease management; symptom management; nursing; rehabilitation; comprehensive care; research; and professional skills development.

The CMSC Annual Meeting offers conference delegates continuing education credits for physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, and social workers. Credits for physical therapists are pending. Several independently supported satellite programs will also offer additional accredited learning opportunities in multiple sclerosis.

The all-inclusive registration fee for the CMSC Annual Meeting includes access to the entire conference program, exhibits, organized meals, networking forums and most social events. There is a discounted rate for CMSC and IOMSN Members and an early online registration discount. Medical students and professionals in training including neurology residents, fellows, and full-time students can receive a special student rate. For more information and to register (including select scholarship opportunities) visit: http://www.mscare.org/2016 or call 201-487-1050.

About Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)
CMSC, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, is the leading educational, training, and networking organization for MS healthcare professionals and researchers. The CMSC mission is to promote high quality MS care through educational programming and accreditation including live and online events, research grants, technical journals and papers, and targeted advocacy efforts. The CMSC member network includes more than 11,000 international healthcare clinicians and scientists committed to MS care as well as more than 60 Veterans Administration MS Programs and 225 MS Centers in the US, Canada, and Europe. The 30th CMSC Annual Meeting, the largest gathering of MS professionals in North America, will take place June 1-4, 2016, in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC.
For more information go to http://www.mscare.org.

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