The Multiple Sclerosis in the Northern Isles of Scotland Study (PI Professor Jim Wilson)
The NIMS investigates the reasons why Orkney in particular (and to a lesser degree Shetland), has the highest prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in the world, using state-of-the-art genomic methods
Research team
Professor Jim Wilson
Funder
Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government
Royal Society University Research Fellowship to Jim F. Wilson
The Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Volant Trust
The Shetland and Orkney Multiple Sclerosis Research Project
More information
Recent prevalence study showed that Orkney has the highest prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in the world, with Shetland Isles following closely. Work in Orkney and Shetland in the 1970s suggested that consanguinity was a risk factor, which would implicate recessive genetic variants in the aetiology of MS.