Your experience matters to research
Join iConquerMS to participate in and help shape studies, bringing lived experience directly into MS research through communities for adults, kids and teens, and caregivers.
How iConquerMS moves research forward
iConquerMS is a research network built with and around the MS community. More than 10,000 people across our communities for adults, caregivers, and kids and teens take part in research in different ways, from sharing their experiences and participating in studies to helping identify priorities and shape new research.
Identify research priorities
Help researchers understand which questions matter most to people affected by MS.
See the latest community prioritiesShape new studies
Work directly with research teams to review study ideas, surveys, and participant materials before studies begin.
View current studiesParticipate in research
Choose from surveys, focus groups, longitudinal studies, clinical trials, and other research opportunities. Most can be completed from home, on your own schedule.
FAQSee the impact of your participation
Receive updates on research findings and learn how your contributions are helping advance MS research.
View recent study resultsFind your community
Whether you're an adult living with MS, a child or teen with MS, or a caregiver, there's a community designed for you.
iConquerMS
iConquerMS is a research community for adults living with MS. Share your experience, take part in studies, and help shape the questions researchers explore and how studies are designed.
iConquerMS Kids & Teens
iConquerMS Kids & Teens connects young people living with MS and their families with researchers to share their experiences, take part in studies, and help shape research that reflects their needs.
iConquerMS Caregivers
Caregivers offer perspectives that are essential to MS research. Share your observations as a trusted partner in MS research while also helping shape research focused on the caregiver experience.
Hear the story behind iConquerMS
Want to learn more about the community and the research it makes possible? In this episode of RealTalk MS, ACP CEO Sara Loud, Chief Scientific Officer Stephanie Buxhoeveden, and Vice President of Scientific Operations Hollie Schmidt discuss how iConquerMS is changing the way MS research is done—and why people affected by MS are essential partners in that work.
Listen to the RealTalk MS episodeI am not just a number. I am a resilient person who happens to have a chronic disease.
How you can help shape research
Research begins long before the first participant enrolls. As an iConquerMS member, you can help identify research priorities, improve study design, and participate in research that reflects the real-world experiences of people living with MS.
As an iConquerMS member, you can:
- Help identify research priorities. Share the questions and challenges you think researchers should be studying through iConquerMS’s “Our Questions Have Power” program.
- Take part in REAL MS. Twice a year, members are invited to complete surveys that help researchers understand how MS symptoms, treatments, and daily life change over time.
- See your MS experience in context. Follow your own results over time, compare them with other iConquerMS members, and see how your symptoms and experiences fit within the broader community.
- Discover new research opportunities. Hear about surveys, focus groups, biosample studies, clinical trials, and other opportunities that match your specific profile and interests.
- Join iConquerMS Research Summits. Members who want to be more involved can take part in conversations with researchers about emerging findings, unanswered questions, and future research priorities.
- See your data put to work. Researchers around the world use iConquerMS data to advance MS research, including through ACP’s Data Challenge, which invites research teams to apply AI, machine learning, and other advanced methods to uncover new insights.
- Take on a leadership role. Serve on advisory groups or governance committees, and help guide community initiatives.
Your perspective and insights are needed in research
iConquerMS Caregivers gives you opportunities to help improve research for people living with MS and for caregivers themselves. Whether you’re sharing your observations, helping shape future studies, or participating in caregiver-focused research, your experiences can help researchers better understand the full impact of MS.
As an iConquerMS Caregiver, you can:
- Bring a caregiver’s perspective to MS research. Share observations that help researchers better understand the day-to-day impact of MS.
- Help shape caregiver-focused research. Identify priorities, propose research questions, review study ideas, and participate in studies designed specifically for caregivers.
- Contribute to MS research. Participate in surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other research opportunities—including sharing observations through surveys or journals.
- Take on a leadership role. Serve on advisory or governance committees, help guide community projects, and share your story to support other caregivers.
- Connect with a community that understands. Meet other caregivers, stay informed about research, and learn about opportunities to get involved.
Young people belong in MS research
Pediatric MS is significantly underrepresented in research. iConquerMS Kids & Teens gives young people living with MS—and their families—a meaningful way to help shape the future of pediatric MS research while connecting with trusted resources and programs through our partnership with Mr. Oscar Monkey. Most opportunities can be completed from home, on their own schedule.
As an iConquerMS Kids & Teens member, you can:
- Build community through our partnership with Mr. Oscar Monkey. Meet other young people living with MS and explore resources created just for kids, teens, and families.
- Help researchers understand pediatric MS. Participate in surveys and other research designed around the experiences of children and teens living with MS.
- Help shape future research. Share the questions that matter most to young people and help researchers design studies that better reflect growing up with MS.
- Grow as a leader. Join youth advisory opportunities, share your story, and help other kids and teens feel seen, supported, and connected.
- Learn alongside your community. Explore age-appropriate resources and stay connected to the latest pediatric MS research.
- Take on a leadership role. Serve on advisory groups or governance committees, and help guide community initiatives.
Frequently asked questions
No. iConquerMS is open to anyone affected by MS, anywhere in the country. You participate entirely online, from home.
As much or as little as you’d like. There’s no minimum commitment. Some members complete one survey a year. Others participate more regularly. It’s entirely up to you.
Yes. iConquerMS takes data privacy and security seriously. Your information is kept confidential and is never sold. You can review the full privacy policy before joining.
People with MS, caregivers, and family members of those with MS are all welcome. You do not need a formal diagnosis to participate as a caregiver or family member.
Most members participate by completing online surveys about their health, symptoms, and daily experiences. Depending on your interests, you may also be invited to join interviews, focus groups, or other research studies. Some studies include optional biosample collection, but you can always choose which opportunities are right for you.
Yes. We make every effort to ensure that research findings are shared back with the community, because the people who make the research possible deserve to see the results.
iConquerMS is a research network built with and around the MS community, connecting people affected by MS with opportunities to participate in and help shape research. Visit our extensive list of FAQs on the iConquerMS website here: https://www.iconquerms.org/m-faq
New to MS?
You're not alone. Here are some places to start.
Newly diagnosed?
If you're just starting to learn about MS, our Understanding MS page covers the basics, including what the disease is, how it's treated, and where research stands today.
Looking for support?
Living with MS involves so much more than research. These organizations offer community, information, and support for every part of the journey. When you're ready to make an impact on the future of MS, we'll be here.
Partner organizations
Your gift puts the MS community at the center of research
People contribute to iConquerMS in different ways. For those who want to go further, donations help keep the network running, the studies moving, and the community growing.