Meet the Team

Foundation Governance

The Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers is committed to operating under the principles of and in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including the guidelines and standards set forth by accrediting continuing education providers.

The Foundation of the CMSC agrees:

• To utilize contributed funds for actual and reasonable expenses of the program or initiative specified in the initial request, with addendums to be filed with grantor’s approval should reallocation be necessary;
• To use funds in strict accordance with the budget submitted with the grant request;
• To furnish contributors with reconciliation reports concerning the expenditure of grant funds, supported by appropriate substantiation; and.
• To promptly report any unused grant funds.

Programs or initiatives supported by the Foundation of the CMSC will not promote individual products, directly or indirectly, with any activity focused on educational content being free from commercial influence or bias.

The Foundation of the CMSC is responsible for designing and conducting programs and initiatives. The Foundation of the CMSC will disclose financial or other relationships between financial contributors and will provide this information in writing. Content development will include input from independent professional and/or scientific sources, and will make selection of presenters(s), faculty or advisory panels based on balance and independence.

The Foundation of the CMSC will ensure a meaningful disclosure is made of financial or in-kind support and any significant relationship between the organizers of FCMSC programs or initiatives and donors or contributors (e.g., employee, grant recipient, principal investigator in clinical trial, on speakers’ bureau, owner of significant interest or stock, etc.).

The Foundation of the CMSC agrees to appropriately acknowledge educational or charitable support in program brochures, syllabi and other materials.

Board of Trustees

Dr. Wilken received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Georgetown University Medical Center and the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He also received training in neuropsychology at the NIH (NINDS), Johns Hopkins Medical Center, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center, a partner at the Neuropsychology Associates of Fairfax (NAF), and the Executive Director of the Washington Neuropsychology Research Group (WNRG).

For over 25 years, he has dedicated his career to research and clinical care in MS. With respect to his research, he has examined the impact of disease modifying agents and adjunctive medications on cognitive functioning in people with MS. He also has worked to validate computerized testing and screening batteries for use in the neurologist’s office. He presents his MS research at scientific conferences worldwide, he has authored and co-authored many publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and he has given lectures on MS to physicians and MS patients (both domestically and internationally). In his clinical practice, he also specializes in the neuropsychological assessment of MS patients. He works closely with many of the MS specialty clinics/programs in the Washington, D.C. area (including the MS center at Georgetown University and the INOVA hospital system).

Dr. Wilken has been on the Board of Governors for the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) as a co-chair of the Mental Health Special Interest Group (2016 to 2020) and a member at large, and he recently was on a CMSC advisory board that addressed cognitive functioning in people with MS. For 20 years, he has served as a judge and moderator for abstracts, posters, and platforms presented at the CMSC annual meetings, and he currently is President-Elect of the CMSC (with his Presidential term to occur in 2024 and 2025). Finally, he is a past member of the Clinical Advisory Committee for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS).

Carrie M. Hersh, DO, MSc, FAAN joined the faculty at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in August 2015 where she also serves as Associate Professor of Neurology at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. She also directs the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Health and Wellness Program and the Professional Engagement Program and is Associate Program Director of the MS and Neuroimmunology Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. She completed a neuroimmunology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research through a National MS Society Sylvia Lawry Award. She also earned a master’s degree in clinical research through the Clinical Research Scholars Program (CRSP) at Case Western Reserve University. She completed her adult neurology residency training at Cleveland Clinic and graduated medical school with honors from Nova Southeastern University-College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her BS degree in microbiology and neurobiology at University of Florida, graduating summa cum laude, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is a distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and graduated from the highly prestigious AAN Women Leading in Neurology Program in 2023.

A patient advocate and proponent of shared decision making, Dr. Hersh specializes in multiple sclerosis and related neuroimmunological disorders. She is particularly interested in real-world evidence, outcomes-based research and comparative effectiveness studies. She serves as PI of multiple investigator-initiated studies and clinical trials evaluating the effects of disease modifying therapies and wellness interventions on clinical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes. She is the lead investigator of the Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions program at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and serves on the study steering committee for the PCORI-funded DELIVER-MS clinical trial.

Dr. Hersh is a frequent lecturer on multiple sclerosis and related disorders topics at national and international meetings and has a prolific publication record, including peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, invited reviews, editorials, abstracts, and book chapters. She is the Editor of the Multiple Sclerosis issue of Neurologic Clinics (February 2024). She has special interest in gender equity, professional engagement, and burnout prevention among healthcare professionals, for which she has directed multiple national workshops and programs and is published on this topic. She is also an Advanced Peer Coach through the Cleveland Clinic Center of Excellence in Coaching and Mentoring.

Dr. Hersh is a leader in the MS community in serving as Chair of the Healthcare Advisory Council for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, was the former Chair of the National MS Society’s regional Healthcare Provider Council, sits on the Board of Governors of the Consortium of MS Centers as Co-Chair of the Scientific Program Committee, and serves on numerous national and international steering committees, expert panels, and advisory boards.

Robert T. Naismith, MD