focus area: Better treatments
funding type: Fellowship
project type: Investigator Led Research
Despite substantial improvements in treatments that prevent relapses and lesion formation, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are still unable to predict how their disease will progress and the level of disability they will face in the future.
Dr Oun Al-iedani and his team aim to develop a computational model that predicts the progression of MS, using artificial intelligence (AI)-based computational model that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and clinical measures of MS symptoms from 153 people with MS to better predict disease progression and identify the most informative MRI methods. The resulting tool will support clinicians and people with MS in making informed decisions about future care, with the potential to improve treatment effectiveness and disease management.
Dr Al-iedani and his team have been using advanced brain scanning technology and computer analysis to develop a new tool that can help predict how MS will progress for each individual. This is a unique model that can compare normal ageing with neurodegeneration in MS over 10 years.
The research team is following a large group of people with MS over 10 years, collecting detailed brain scans and clinical assessments at regular intervals. The brain scans include three different types of MRI:
Together, these scans provide a comprehensive picture of how MS is affecting the brain at multiple levels simultaneously.
Since the project began, the team has designed the study protocol, obtained all necessary ethics approvals, and successfully recruited and scanned 80 people with MS and 19 people without MS. Each participant has undergone a full multi-modal MRI scanning session and completed a range of tests measuring thinking ability, memory, disability, fatigue, and mood.
Over the next year, Dr Al-iedani and his team will analyse the data collected from study participants, comparing the MRI scans of people with MS to those without MS. They will also recruit an additional 20 participants without MS to the project.
Developing a tool that can predict MS progression for individuals will help clinicians identify who is at greatest risk of cognitive decline and disability progression, allowing for earlier, personalised treatment plans. It will also assist people with MS and their families to make more informed and proactive decisions about employment, housing, family planning and long-term care.
Updated 31 March 2026Â
MSWA
$225,000
2025
3 years
Current project
