Thank you for the question.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada. Every day three or more people in Canada are diagnosed with MS. In fact, Canadians have one of the highest rates of MS in the world. Our government knows that action is necessary, and that is why we are funding research towards more effective treatment and ultimately a cure.
We have invested about $55 million in MS-related research to date. We are also investing more broadly in neurosciences and stem cell research—areas that are increasing our understanding of neurological diseases and expanding the potential for therapies.
We have made significant investments in neuroscience research and stem cell research in the last couple of years, and the funding is supporting our top health researchers, such as Dr. Wyse of the University of Calgary, whose fundamental research in the area of neural stem cell has been built upon by the neurological researchers, not just in Canada but around the world.
Based on the advice of scientific experts, our government decided in June 2011 to proceed with clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the CCSVI procedure. CIHR is currently selecting the research team who will conduct this clinical trial. The funding for the study will start as soon as May of this year. We're also establishing a monitoring system to capture better information on MS patients, including those who go outside of the country for treatment. The monitoring—