Community Meets Clinic 301. Dr. Elizabeth Wilson

The "Community Meets Clinic" podcast series introduces clinicians and healthcare personnel specializing in rare neuroimmune disorders. In this episode hosted by Krissy Dilger of SRNA, we meet Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, a neurologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Director of its Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center, a designated Center of Excellence in Rare Neuroimmune Disorders. Dr. Wilson described her interest in individualized, longitudinal neuroimmunology care and the rapid evolution of treatments [01:47]. She highlighted her research on social determinants of health, including environmental stressors, caregiver impacts, and the roles of race and ethnicity in pediatric neuroinflammatory outcomes [05:21]. Dr. Wilson outlined how patients can self-refer or be referred, and described the center’s multidisciplinary model involving neuroimmunology, rheumatology, neuro-ophthalmology, neuropsychology, mental health, school support, social work, rehabilitation, and research resources [07:49]. She shared self-care strategies and expressed hope for faster diagnosis, earlier treatment, and biomarkers to better track disease activity and prevent attacks [13:31]. You can view Dr. Wilson's medical profile here: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/bio/w/elizabeth-wilsonElizabeth Wilson, MD is a pediatric neurologist at Cincinnati Children’s hospital with specialized training in neurology and neuroimmunology. She received a Bachelor of Science in Neurosicence from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. She then completed medical school at Boston University, Pediatric residency at Boston Children’s Hospital/Boston Medical Center, and Pediatric neurology residency at Boston Medical Center. She went on to pursue a fellowship in Neuroimmunology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Boston Children’s Hospital. She recently became the director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center (MS-NIC) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Through her research she aims to understand how a patient’s environment, including life stressors, interacts with their body and genetics in inflammatory neurologic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis. She believes that by studying this relationship we can better manage these disorders and advocate for changes that will improve patient outcomes. 00:00 Introduction01:47 Why Pediatric Neurology03:27 Choosing Neuroimmunology05:21 Research And Health Equity07:49 Inside Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center11:07 Multidisciplinary Team Support13:31 Clinician Self Care15:14 Considering The Clinic17:29 Hope For The Future18:50 Closing