May 27, 09.00–16.00. Novum Forskningspark, Blickagången 6.

Life Science Fair Flemingsberg – Multiple Sclerosis Day

Welcome to Life Science Fair Flemingsberg – a dynamic meeting place where the ecosystem comes together to share knowledge, connect, and inspire. Here, you can gain knowledge on the latest innovations and research, listen to inspiring talks, network and take part of dynamic exhibitions.

This time we gather for a full day focused on Multiple Sclerosis, in support with the European MS Foundation and in connection to World MS Day. Open to healthcare professionals, companies, researchers and everyone with an interest in Multiple Sclerosis, the day’s programme brings updated knowledge on MS, new therapy possibilities, and patient perspectives, with participation from companies active in the field.

We look forward to welcoming you for a full day of presentations, panel discussions, and exhibitions raising awareness of Multiple Sclerosis through knowledge-sharing and dialogue around current advances in research and treatment.

Programme

Moderator: 

Natasha Bank, Cluster Manager at Flemingsberg Science Foundation.

09. 15 – Welcome and introduction to the day

09.35 – Introduction to the European MS Foundation

Anna Cunningham, board member at European MS Foundation, MS nurse, member of the steering committee of the Swedish Society’s nursing committee

09.55 – The MS Registry – evaluating MS care in Sweden

Anna Cunningham, board member at European MS Foundation, MS nurse, member of the steering committee of the Swedish Society’s nursing committee

The Swedish MS Register is a national quality register used to monitor disease progression, treatments, and quality of care for people with multiple sclerosis in Sweden. It also serves as an important platform for clinical research and knowledge development. This presentation provides an overview of developments in Swedish MS care based on data from the register. The focus is on national trends and comparisons between regions regarding treatment practices, follow-up, and care outcomes.

10.10 – Pause with coffee & refreshments

10.40 – Neuroförbundet – The Swedish Neuro Association

Eva Helmersson, President of the Swedish Neuro Association

Eva Helmersson is the President of the Swedish Neuro Association (Neuroförbundet) and a dedicated advocate for people living with neurological conditions. With more than 30 years of personal experience living with MS, she brings both lived insight and strong commitment to her leadership. Eva works actively to strengthen rights, raise awareness, and improve the quality of life for people with neurological diseases. She is a highly regarded speaker who combines experience, credibility, and a forward-looking perspective.

11.00 – Effectiveness of Fewer Falls, an online self-management group-based fall prevention intervention for people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial

Johanna Bylinder, Phd Student and physiotherapist, Karolinska Institutet

Falls are common in MS and can have severe consequences. This presentation will report results from the Fewer Falls study, an online group‑based self‑management fall-prevention programme where people with MS learn how to use action plans to reduce their individual fall risks and thereby, the number of falls.

11.20 – Personalized treatment strategies with rituximab in multiple sclerosis

Anders Svenningson, Professor & Senior Physician, Karolinska Institutet Danderyds Sjukhus

This session will focus on how anti-B-cell therapies are among the most effective treatments for relapsing-remising MS today but involves a risk of both mild and severe infections. Anders Svenningson will describe how Danderyd Hospital practice an individualized treatment algorithm based on memory B-cell repopulation to minimize these risks while still maintaining high efficacy on MS inflammatory activity. A first promising attempt to achieve a purely personalized treatment approach in MS based on firm immunological scientific data.

11.40 – Novel immunotherapies that target the cells driving MS pathogenesis

Robert Harris, Professor of Immunotherapy in Neurological Diseases at Karolinska Institutet

Robert Harris leads research into novel immunotherapies for incurable CNS diseases. In this session he will present how they target myeloid immune cells that they believe are central to disease development, aiming to change their behavior from harmful to helpful, as well as their immunotherapeutic approaches that include treatment with drug-loaded nanoparticles and with cell therapies.

12.00 – Lunch & Mingle

13.00 – Panel Discussion: What Do People with MS Need Today? Care, Rehabilitation, Assistive Support and New Therapies

Eva Helmersson, Anna Cunningham, Anders Svenningsson

13.35 – Life Science and Multiple Sclerosis: Positioning MS in the Healthcare Ecosystem

Bengt-Ivar Fransson, Public Affairs Manager, Sanofi

Multiple sclerosis is not only a clinical challenge but a system-wide opportunity for innovation. This presentation highlights how Life Science, policy, and healthcare can work together to improve coordination, access, and outcomes for people with MS.

13.55 – Precision Monitoring of T-Cell Autoreactivity in Multiple Sclerosis

Annica Önell, Senior Project Manager, NEOGAP Therapeutics

There are over 100 autoimmune diseases, yet curative treatments are still lacking for all of them. Immune tolerance therapies offer a promise, but success depends on monitoring whether tolerance is effectively induced. A major challenge for pharma companies and researchers is the lack of precise tools to track immune responses. This talk presents a highly sensitive method for detecting antigen-specific autoreactive T cells in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

14.10 – Pause with coffee & refreshments

14. 40 – Resolving Multiple Sclerosis: A Perspective of space, time, complexity and precision

Leslie Kirby, Postdoctoral Fellow at Karolinska Institutet

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord, leading to progressive disability. Using cutting-edge spatial technologies, we can now study how immune and brain cells interact directly within intact tissue. In this project, we apply advanced “tri-omic” sequencing to create detailed maps showing how inflammation spreads after lesions form, revealing the biological processes that drive disease progression.

15.00 – Multiple Sclerosis Beyond the Brain: The Gut-Brain-Immune Connection

Shahram Lavasani, Immunologist and Translational Researcher, Lund University, Founder & CEO, ImmuneBiotech, Board Member, International Probiotics Association

Emerging translational research highlights a compelling new dimension in neuroinflammatory disease: the influence of the gut, microbiome, and intestinal barrier on immune and neurological function. This talk shares pioneering discoveries in the gut-brain-immune axis, from early evidence of gut barrier dysfunction in MS patients to microbiome-based therapeutic innovation, opening new perspectives for future treatment strategies.

15.20 – Scalable, Validated Cognitive Measurement to Support MS Clinicians and Researchers

Sara Wallén, Psychologist, Founder and Chief Product Officer, Mindmore

Cognitive symptoms affect up to 70% of people living with MS and are among the most disabling yet frequently overlooked aspects of the disease. In this presentation, Sara will introduce Mindmore, a digital cognitive assessment platform including the Symbol Digit Processing Test (SDPT) and PASAT, the two most established tools for tracking processing speed in MS, and explain how its design enables reliable repeated monitoring of cognitive change over time. Mindmore is currently in active use in MS research at Karolinska Institutet and Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

15.35 – Closing remarks & mingle

Practical details

The event is open to everyone, and lunch and refreshments are served for registered participants throughout the day.

Participation is free. A 300 SEK no-show fee is applied if you’re unable to attend and registration is not cancelled 48 hours in advance to angela.hoyer@flemingsbergscience.se.

​Please note that photographs and video footage will be taken during the event. If you prefer not to appear in any photographs or video material, please contact ellen.makipiha@flemingsbergscience.se.

Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities

Is your company related to the field of Multiple Sclerosis and would want to participate? Contact angela.hoyer@flemingsbergscience.se

Gold sponsor