Accelerated Cure Project Welcomes New Chief Scientific Officer

Stephanie Buxhoeveden Will Lead iConquerMS™ People-Powered Research Network and Other Research

WALTHAM, Mass., July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) announced today that it has named Stephanie Buxhoeveden, Ph.D., M.S.N., FNP-BC, MCSN, as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). She will be taking over the position from Robert McBurney, Ph.D., former CEO and Chief Research Officer, who will be retiring after 13 years.

"In my various roles as a patient, advocate, clinician, and researcher, I strive to better understand the molecular drivers of disease, deliver personalized care, and educate diverse stakeholders with the goal of bettering the lives of people living with MS," Dr. Buxhoeveden says.

Dr. Buxhoeveden, who has MS, has spent her career as an MS provider, patient advocate, and researcher. She began her career as a neurosurgical ICU nurse and was later diagnosed with MS at the age of 25. This inspired her to complete a master's in nursing. As an MS-specialized Nurse Practitioner, she oversaw the care of over a thousand patients with MS, and eventually established an MS comprehensive care center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. As a passionate champion for people with MS, Dr. Buxhoeveden also served as the Chair of Government Relations Committee (GRC) for the National MS Society. In this role, Dr. Buxhoeveden has helped set legislative priorities for the organization, write policies, and testified for several bills at House and Senate committee, including the 21st Century Cures Act which established the first database to track the incidence and prevalence of MS in the United States.

In addition to clinical work, Dr. Buxhoeveden has been involved in clinical research for many years, as a MS nurse, research coordinator, and as a participant. She joined ACP as a research consultant to establish and build iConquerMS, the first patient-powered research network (PPRN) dedicated to MS. This transformative experience inspired her to pursue a Ph.D. in Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was awarded a NIH National Research Service Award pre-doctoral fellowship on the tenth anniversary of her MS diagnosis. Her research focuses on epigenetic drivers of sex-based disparities in MS.

"ACP and iConquerMS have established a premier program in patient-powered research and are making significant contributions to the field and to improving the lives of people with MS. I am very pleased to be leaving the program in such capable hands and look forward to seeing the new paths forged under Stephanie's leadership," says Dr. McBurney.

Founded in 2001, ACP is a non-profit organization dedicated to speeding research efforts to improve diagnosis, optimize treatments, and eventually cure MS, guided first and foremost by the needs and priorities of those affected by the disease. ACP partners with researchers around the world and provides them with access to the biospecimens, data, and people they need to conduct their work. ACP's research resources include the ACP Repository, a collection of highly characterized biosamples and data from more than 3,200 subjects, as well as iConquerMS, a network of more than 8,500 people affected by MS who share information, insights, and lived experience to accelerate research and innovation. In addition, ACP convenes the MS Minority Research Engagement Partnership Network and the Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Council, which provide insights into motivators and barriers to participation in research for those from historically underrepresented populations.

"Stephanie's appointment is a rare opportunity to bring together research, clinical and lived experience in MS," says Sara Loud, CEO of ACP. "Our years of partnership with Stephanie assure us that she will be an enthusiastic and skilled addition to our team. I'm looking forward to partnering with Stephanie to guide ACP and iConquerMS even further along the path of improving the lives of all affected by MS."

CONTACT

Melissa Glim

Ogilvy Health

[email protected]

About Accelerated Cure Project
ACP (www.acceleratedcure.org) is a patient-founded non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating research efforts to improve the health, healthcare and quality of life of people affected by MS. The organization promotes scientific collaboration and accelerates research by rapidly and cost-effectively providing researchers worldwide with people, data and biosample resources they need to explore novel research ideas that can lead to cures and better care for people living with MS. The major programs of Accelerated Cure Project are the ACP Repository, the iConquerMS™ People-Powered Research Network and the MS Minority Research Engagement Partnership Network.

About the iConquerMS People-Powered Research Network
iConquerMS™ (www.iConquerMS.org) is a research initiative by and for individuals living with MS who contribute their ideas and their health data. iConquerMS™ was established in 2014 by the Accelerated Cure Project for MS, in partnership with Feinstein Kean Healthcare and Arizona State University. Initial funding for iConquerMS™ was provided by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) (www.PCORI.org). Over 8,000 individuals living with MS are currently registered as iConquerMS™ research participants, constituting a large and growing cohort for data-driven research into topics that matter most to people affected by MS. iConquerMS™ achieves its purpose, to improve the health, healthcare and quality of life of people affected by MS, through collaborations with U.S. and international academic, government, and industry organizations.

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SOURCE Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis