Partner with the RIDE Council
Bring more perspectives into your research with the Research Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Council, from shaping research questions and study design to recruitment and sharing results.
About the RIDE Council
Research should improve the lives of everyone affected by MS. The RIDE Council brings together people living with MS whose perspectives have historically been underrepresented in research, including people from rural, racially and ethnically diverse communities, people with disabilities, and older adults.
Nearly 30 people living with MS
Representing a wide range of communities, backgrounds, disease courses, and regions, with deep trusted roots in the communities they represent.
Meet the RIDE CouncilThree sub-councils
Black, Hispanic, and Emerging Voices — so researchers can engage the community most relevant to their work or the full Council for a broader perspective.
Advocates and community leaders
Many members are support group leaders with reach and credibility that traditional research channels can't replicate.
Available at every stage
From recruitment planning and materials review to study design and dissemination planning.
Start a conversationResources by the RIDE Council
Created by people living with MS, these practical fact sheets help individuals and families navigate healthcare, advocate for themselves, and access support.
Explore resourcesRIDE Council collaborations and recognitions
The RIDE Council received the inaugural Made With Patients Jury Special Award from the Patient Focused Medicines Development (PFMD), a global coalition advancing community engagement in healthcare. Selected from 92 nominations worldwide, the Council was recognized as a leading example of meaningful, people-powered engagement in MS research.
The RIDE Council was featured at the annual Chan Zuckerberg Initiative conference, where ACP joined a panel alongside leading advocacy organizations to discuss the role of community partnership in advancing more representative research. The Council’s model for sustained, meaningful engagement was highlighted as a standard for the field.
The RIDE Council partnered with Shepherd Center, a leading MS care and research institution in Atlanta, to review and test a health disparities study survey. Council members assessed the materials for cultural appropriateness and accessibility, ensuring the survey would effectively reach the communities it was designed to serve.
Dr. Terry Wahls, a renowned MS researcher and clinical professor at the University of Iowa, engaged the RIDE Council to strengthen the inclusivity of her current studies. Council members provided concrete recommendations on recruitment strategies to make her research more accessible to people from underrepresented communities.
Partner with the RIDE Council
The RIDE Council brings something no general consulting firm or in-house team can offer: a team made up entirely of people affected by MS. Their work isn't just about improving individual studies. It's about building a more equitable foundation for MS research, one that benefits everyone it's meant to serve.