CMSC 2026: MS experts gather at meeting to help shape future of care
'Driven by Legacy, Racing Toward the Future' is theme of 40th annual event
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A couple of dozen people network at a conference. (Photo by iStock)
The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2026 annual meeting kicks off today in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing together clinicians, researchers, rehabilitation specialists, and patient advocates for three days of discussions on the latest advances in multiple sclerosis (MS) care and research.
At this year’s meeting, CMSC is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the slogan, “Driven by Legacy, Racing Toward the Future” — a nod to its host city, which has long served as an epicenter of NASCAR racing, and a reflection on how MS care has evolved over the past four decades.
As in previous years, the meeting brings together healthcare professionals across disciplines — including neurologists, pharmacists, nurses, rehabilitation professionals, mental health professionals, and dietitians — to advance multidisciplinary care models for people living with the neurodegenerative disease.
Multiple Sclerosis News Today is on site to provide our readers with the latest updates from the conference.
Role of patient perspectives in treatment development among topics
The meeting opens with a session, titled “Shaping Tomorrow Together: Incorporating the Patient Voice into MS Clinical Care and Treatment Innovation,” focused on integrating patient perspectives into treatment development and clinical decision-making.
After opening remarks from Karin Mariner, chief community engagement officer at the National MS Society, and Kathleen Costello, CEO of CMSC, the session will include a discussion of highlights from the Shaping Tomorrow Together survey. An initiative of the National MS Society, the survey aims to gather patient perspectives on life with MS and what matters most to them regarding their treatments.
Another major event on the opening day is the June Halper Memorial Lecture, which this year will be delivered by Anthony Feinstein, PhD, a neuropsychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, in Canada.
In his lecture, “The Journey is the Destination: 40 Years of CMSC, 40 Years of MS Neuropsychiatry,” Feinstein will discuss how understanding of cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in MS has changed over the past four decades, as well as ongoing challenges in recognizing and managing these complications.
Over the next three days, the program is packed with sessions covering many topics relevant to MS care. Topics include choosing and switching disease-modifying therapies, wearable devices, invisible symptoms, diagnostic challenges, diet, and emerging experimental therapies. Psychosocial well-being, cognitive function, community wellness programs, women’s health, and quality of life will also be addressed.
New Giants of Multiple Sclerosis to be inducted
The conference program also includes poster presentations highlighting new research across the MS field, along with networking events and an exhibit hall where conference attendees can speak with pharmaceutical companies, advocacy organizations, and healthcare groups.
On Thursday, May 28, the meeting will recognize leaders in the MS community during the Giants of Multiple Sclerosis ceremony, during which seven individuals will be inducted for their outstanding contributions to research and patient care. Additionally, Patricia Coyle, MD, of Stony Brook Medicine, will be granted the 2026 Giants of Multiple Sclerosis June Halper Visionary Award for her decades of contributions to MS research and care.
On Friday, May 29, the John Whitaker Lecture, titled “The Illusion of Equivalence? Generic and Biosimilar Disease-Modifying Therapies in MS,” will be presented by Darin Okuda, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Okuda will discuss U.S. regulatory standards for generic and biosimilar medications, which have the same active ingredient and are expected to work the same way as a brand-name therapy, but typically cost less. He is also expected to discuss the evidence on their safety and efficacy, and how variations in generic drug quality may influence disease control.
The annual meeting concludes Friday evening with a closing ceremony and awards reception.
Note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing live coverage of the Consortium of MS Centers annual meeting, May 27-29. Go here to see the latest stories from the meeting.
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