Thoughts About Giving
MSAA’s 11th Improving Lives Benefit
Mark your calendar – MSAA’s biggest event of the year is fast approaching! On Wednesday, May 14th, MSAA will hold our 11th Improving Lives Benefit, taking place at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, and also taking place virtually for everyone to access at home! This is a very special event, as we bring together many inspirational people who play significant roles within the MS community – including healthcare professionals, individuals with MS, care partners, corporate leaders, donors, and MSAA’s Board of Directors.
MSAA’s Improving Lives Benefit is always an exciting time to gather and support MSAA’s mission of Improving Lives Today. MS advocate and motivational speaker, Tyler Campbell, will once again join us as our emcee for this event. His energetic and upbeat personality always lifts the spirits of everyone in the room and all those tuning in via livestream.
Recognizing two very deserving honorees who have made significant contributions to the MS community will be a special part of the evening. This year’s Mission Honoree is Dr. Barry A. Singer, whose work as both a physician and as a member of MSAA’s Board of Directors has greatly supported our mission while helping countless people in the MS community. This year’s Corporate Honoree is Cionic, a medical technology company that develops bionic clothing to improve walking and strength. Please see the following pages for more information about our honorees.
MSAA’s Improving Lives Benefit is a very important event for MSAA, raising donations to support our vital mission. As our most impactful fundraising event of the year, MSAA depends on these funds to reach as many people across the country as possible with our urgently needed programs and services throughout the year.
Please join us for MSAA’s 11th Improving Lives Benefit on May 14th! To purchase tickets, attend for free via livestream, or for information about our auction, sponsorship, and ad journal options, please visit mymsaa.org/benefit.
Special Thanks to the Following Sponsors for MSAA’s Improving Lives Benefit:
Presenting Sponsor: Novartis
Silver Sponsors: EMD Serono • Mallinckrodt
Bronze Sponsors: Biogen • Genentech
Reception Sponsors: Fiduciary Trust • Immunic Therapeutics • Zenas Biopharma
Hope Sponsors: Polar Products • Walden Macht Haran & Williams
Impact Sponsors: Banner Life Sciences • Bristol Meyers Squibb • Holman
MSAA’s Improving Lives Benefit 2025 Mission Honoree
MSAA is very proud to announce that this year’s Mission Honoree is Barry A. Singer, MD, Director and Founder of The MS Center for Innovations in Care at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center and longtime member of MSAA’s Board of Directors. Dr. Singer has made a tremendous impact on the MS community through his work as a neurologist and as a member of MSAA’s Board of Directors, serving on the Executive Committee. We are truly grateful for his dedication to our mission.
Dr. Singer has served as Director of The MS Center for Innovations in Care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center since 2008. He also completed a neuroimmunology fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.
As an investigator in more than 40 multiple sclerosis trials (Phases I to III), Dr. Singer has been focused on developing new therapeutic options, including those for remyelination. He continues to publish peer-reviewed articles, present posters at national conferences, and lecture globally on MS.
Dr. Barry Singer shared, “Being selected as the 2025 Mission Honoree was surprising and deeply rewarding for me. Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to advocating for individuals living with multiple sclerosis – whether by partnering with my individual patients, collaborating with advocacy organizations, speaking at global meetings, hosting a podcast, or sharing the latest MS updates online.
Serving on MSAA’s Board of Directors for the past nine years has been a true privilege, allowing me to focus on MSAA’s mission of Improving Lives Today. From the MRI Access Program, which helps those unable to afford crucial MRI scans, to the Multiple Sclerosis Implementation Network, which aims to advance MS clinical care, MSAA offers vital and innovative programs that make a real difference in people’s lives every day.”
Dr. Singer has worked with MSAA on multiple initiatives, including webinars, videos, podcasts, and other educational programs. His expertise on MSAA’s Board of Directors has provided invaluable guidance toward our organization’s mission and programmatic areas. Dr. Singer’s extensive work in the field of MS, his knowledge, and his optimistic outlook, together, have been a tremendous asset to MSAA and to the MS community.
MSAA is extremely pleased to recognize Dr. Singer as this year’s Improving Lives Benefit Mission Honoree. His dedication shines through in all of his accomplishments, and we sincerely thank him for his many efforts in supporting MSAA’s mission as well as individuals with MS, their care partners, and other healthcare professionals.
MSAA’s Improving Lives Benefit 2025 Corporate Honoree
MSAA is very pleased to recognize Cionic as this year’s Corporate Honoree. Cionic is a medical technology company that builds bionic clothing, which can specifically analyze and augment muscle activation, enabling the body to move with greater freedom and control. This technology can be extremely useful for individuals with MS who experience problems with walking and strength.
Entrepreneur Jeremiah Robison founded Cionic in 2018. Having worked in the field of wearable technology for more than 20 years, Mr. Robison looked to create innovation on a personal level. Motivated by his daughter’s diagnosis of cerebral palsy, he believed that more advanced mobility solutions could be built that would adapt to individual mobility needs and retrain the connections between the brain and body.
“Cionic is deeply honored to be recognized by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America and proud to share in their mission of Improving Lives Today,” said Cionic Founder and CEO Jeremiah Robison. “Through robust clinical engagement and strong advocacy of patient voices, MSAA has been a welcome partner in our drive to bring the most advanced mobility solutions to the multiple sclerosis community. We look forward to a bright future of collaboration and continued investment in innovation.”
Cionic’s initial product, the Cionic Neural Sleeve, was inspired by experiences Mr. Robison saw in his daughter’s mobility journey. As a young girl, she underwent a movement analysis at a gait lab, and soon after began functional electrical stimulation (FES) as part of her physical therapy. Cionic’s bionic clothing combines the diagnostic power of a gait lab with the therapeutic power of FES into a comfortable, lightweight garment that can provide all-day walking assistance. Cionic also works with academic partners to conduct clinical trials and introduce new treatments to both pediatric and adult populations.
MSAA commends Cionic for its work in creating an innovative technology that can assist people – including members of the MS community – with improving mobility and strength, both of which are vitally important to one’s quality of life. The Cionic Neural Sleeve is FDA cleared to improve gait and facilitate muscle re-education in individuals with multiple sclerosis.
We greatly appreciate the work that Cionic does and are pleased to recognize them as this year’s Improving Lives Benefit Corporate Honoree.
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