b"across various demographic groups, potentiallystakeholders, including advocacy partners, identifying important variations in treatmentclinicians, researchers, industry representatives, responses based on factors such as age,and people with MS from minority communities. ethnicity, and gender. This inclusive approachIts members share what has been learned may lead to the development of more effectiveabout the barriers to research participation andtargetedtherapies,addressinghealthanddevelopsolutionstoovercomethem. disparities and promoting equity in medicalAmong other initiatives, theyve developed advancements. toolkits for healthcare providers and researchers Researchers need to carefully weigh theirto guide them on how to engage people inclusion or exclusion criteria for clinicalaffected by MS from historically marginalized trials. For example, a clinical trial excludingpopulations in research. participants with high blood pressure or otherACP also leads the Research Inclusion comorbidities may end up excluding manyDiversity and Equity Council, comprising people older than the age of 65, who are moreof 30 members with MS from traditionally likely to have these conditions. The trial mayunderrepresented groups, including Black/ thenunderrepresentthesegroupsintheAfrican American, Hispanic/Latinx, indigenous study and make the results less applicable topeoples, the LGBTQ+ community, Southeast those who may benet most from the ndings.Asian people, people with disabilities, rural Addressing the challenge communities, and veterans. RIDE Council One group addressing the challenge ofmembers guide ACP on increasing the diversity of the iConquerMS network and provide diversity in clinical trials is the Accelerated Cureresources to other research initiatives seeking Project, a nonprot organization focused onto diversify their study participation. improving the health, healthcare, and qualityClinical trials must include people with a of life for all affected by MS. ACP also focusesvarietyoflivedexperiencesandliving on inclusive engagement in research, workingconditions. Trials with diversity can generate collaborativelytounderstandandaddressnovel scientic insights, improve the quality the barriers to participation for members ofof clinical data, and increase public condence these groups. in new treatmentsparticularly among The organization founded the MS Minorityunderrepresented communities. To create Research Engagement Partnership Networkdiverse, equitable, and inclusive clinical trial in 2016 to bring together a wide range ofresearch, more work is essential. How you can contributeWhether you're living with MS, care for someone who does, or simply want to contribute to scientic progress, your participation in iConquerMS enables you to shape MS research. Join the initiative and after completing your baseline surveys, ACP will let you know about research opportunities and other initiatives you might be eligible for. A diverse iConquerMS community contributing their unique experiences will have the greatest effect on MS research. To learn more, visit iconquerms.org. 17 msfocusmagazine.org"