Phase II of the Sonya Slifka Study is currently underway. We will continue to track the original cohort of people, as well as expand the study with 2,500 additional participants. Some of these new participants will come from three particular groups that were underrepresented in our original cohort: people who are Hispanic, recently diagnosed (within the past 12 months), and 18-24 years old. Earlier in the study period we were also recruiting African Americans with MS, but we have reached our target number for this group.

In Phase I, local NMSS chapters provided invaluable assistance with recruitment, and we are asking for your help again, particularly in recruiting people who are Hispanic, recently diagnosed, or 18-24 years old.

In the box on the right of this page are sample recruitment materials that you can use for flyers, press releases (for your NMSS publications and for local media), public service announcements (PSAs), and letters to colleagues and local healthcare professionals.  We hope you will help us distribute them widely throughout the communities you serve. Also in the box is a brief study description and answers to some frequently asked questions that might come up as you talk about the study. Please visit Using the Materials for suggestions about how to use these documents. 

Please continue to recruit until we let you know that it is time to discontinue your efforts.

If you have any questions, please call Lisa Seidel, Slifka Study Recruitment Coordinator, at 617-349-2672 or email slifka_study@abtassoc.com. 

We are very grateful for your assistance in recruiting subjects for the Sonya Slifka Study. Your efforts will let us continue to provide important information on the impact of MS on patients and their families and help the NMSS continue to use the study’s data to advocate for all people with MS.

Thank You!

Study Description

Frequently Asked Questions