Opportunities in Multiple Sclerosis Care Partner Research: An Interview

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Guest editor Marcia Finlayson, PhD, OT Reg (Ont), OTR, is a professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. She began her career as a clinical occupational therapist and shifted to a research career focused on generating and sharing knowledge to help people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) lead healthy, meaningful lives with control over their participation in daily activities, at home and in the community, particularly as they age. For this special issue on caregiving in MS, she chose to interview Kenneth Pakenham, PhD, emeritus professor of clinical and health psychology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. For more than 4 decades, he has investigated the psychological well-being welle-eing of caregivers, including coping mechanisms and innovative interventions to improve their quality of life. His work is dedicated to applying positive health frameworks to chronic illnesses and to empowering caregivers and individuals with MS. Together, their expertise illuminates the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in MS caregiving research and understanding.