RealTalk MS — Episode 413: How AI Will Impact MS Patient Care with Dr. Brad Willingham
Date: July 28, 2025
Host: Jon Strum | Guest: Dr. Brad Willingham
Episode Overview
This episode of RealTalk MS explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) care and research. Host Jon Strum welcomes Dr. Brad Willingham, Director of MS Research at Shepherd Center, to discuss how AI is moving from a conceptual idea to practical implementation in MS research, clinical practice, and rehabilitation. They discuss the ways AI is improving everything from data interpretation and personalized care to how patients and clinicians communicate and make decisions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Three Domains of Medicine and AI’s Role
[15:34]
- Science of Medicine: AI enhances scientific discovery by processing vast amounts of data—especially imaging—to uncover patterns undetectable by humans.
- “Our scientific knowledge grows directly as a function is our ability to see and observe things. And so one of the things AI is really good at is ingesting large amounts of information and recognizing patterns...” — Dr. Willingham [15:52]
- Practice of Medicine: AI supports medical professionals by helping them keep up with new research and providing clinical decision support.
- “AI tools such as open evidence are making that a reality...they have access in lay language...and get guidance.” — Dr. Willingham [17:37]
- Dr. Willingham prefers the term “augmented intelligence,” emphasizing AI as a support for clinicians, not a replacement.
- Delivery of Care: AI bridges gaps between clinicians and patients by making data and health information accessible and understandable to both.
- “Arguably, one of the greatest challenges...is to make sense of all the data we have available to us.” — Dr. Willingham [18:38]
Patient Empowerment & Shared Decision-Making
[20:03–22:39]
- AI's capacity to break down and explain complex medical language means patients can better understand their condition and options.
- “It will make that communication...that's usually full of all sorts of buzzwords and jargon...a thing of the past.” — Jon Strum [20:03]
- Patients become “co-creators” in their care, engaging in feedback loops via self-monitoring technologies.
- “Patients are not merely an endpoint user but an active participant and a co creator in their health data, in their monitoring and decision making.” — Dr. Willingham [20:35]
- AI can tailor information output: clinicians get clinical insight, patients get actionable summaries geared to their goals and understanding.
Demonstrating AI’s Transformative Power
[22:39–24:33]
- Jon recommends trying Google’s NotebookLM with a difficult academic article to experience how AI translates dense research into understandable summaries.
- “Ask...‘I'm someone living with MS, I'm a non-scientist. Can you explain this to me?’...it is transformative.” — Jon Strum [22:39]
- Dr. Willingham likens the impact of large language models (LLMs) to the rise of the iPhone—ubiquitous implementation is “just a couple years” away.
Digital Twin Technology & Personalized Care
[24:44–27:35]
- Digital Twins: Creating a comprehensive digital model of a patient, integrating diverse health data, to simulate responses to various treatments.
- “We can rapidly simulate thousands of different treatment strategies for a single patient...we're already way ahead in terms of clinical practice.” — Dr. Willingham [25:37]
- Potential for clinical research: using digital twins as control groups in “in silico” trials to address variability in human studies.
- This technology accelerates precision rehabilitation—applying the principles of precision medicine (long present in genomics) to rehabilitation and functional goals.
AI in Telerehabilitation and Remote Care
[28:24–31:05]
- Remote Strategies: AI can synthesize data from multiple at-home devices and apps and deliver actionable summaries or next steps to patients, minimizing barriers like transportation, access, or geography.
- “We're looking at...can AI not only summarize data but can it serve as a remote care coach...to provide encouraging updates or provide suggestions about your next steps.” — Dr. Willingham [29:14]
- Clinical decision support can be enhanced with AI “coaches.” There’s a need for caution regarding safety and accuracy, leading to rigorous testing and customization.
- Real-time feedback using AI-driven computer vision: e.g., video-based platforms analyzing movement and giving corrective cues.
- “The AI agent...will give you cues...‘squat a little lower, raise that left arm a little higher.’” — Dr. Willingham [31:05]
Current MS Rehabilitation AI Research at Shepherd Center
[31:46–32:51]
- Focused on large language models for data summarization and digital twins for tailoring rehabilitation.
- Dr. Willingham emphasizes the importance of engaging both patients and clinicians as technologies develop, ensuring new solutions meet real-world needs.
- “As we're innovating...I think it's important that we also think about how we make that data meaningful and engage folks living with MS early and often in your research.” — Dr. Willingham [32:37]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “One of the things AI is really good at is ingesting large amounts of information and recognizing patterns and making observations in there.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [15:56]
- “I like to think more of it as augmented intelligence rather than artificial intelligence. You still need that clinician there, but it definitely can facilitate.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [17:40]
- “AI has immense potential to help extract meaning from all the data we have in today's healthcare environment, but also make the information accessible to both clinicians and patients.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [18:15]
- “Patients are not merely an endpoint user but an active participant and a co creator in their health data...actively engaged in those feedback loops.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [20:35]
- “When you do [try out LLMs], it is transformative. You will see everything in your world a little differently going forward.” — Jon Strum [24:33]
- “A digital twin is essentially a digital model of either a person or a system...We can use, we can train that system on historical data...simulate different treatment strategies with that digital twin.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [25:07]
- “This is the realization of precision rehabilitation...getting a deep understanding of the individual's needs, preferences and goals, and using that to create targeted treatment strategies in a data driven manner.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [27:41]
- “Are you doing it right? Am I improving? What are the next steps? ... AI is going to be able to...help guide a patient and provide information about, hey, this is how you're doing towards your goals.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [28:37]
- “Squat a little lower, raise that left arm a little higher. There are ways we can also get real time feedback through AI applications such as computer vision.” — Dr. Brad Willingham [31:05]
Important Timestamps
- Intro & Setting the Stage: [00:18–01:33]
- AI Overview & Domains of Medicine: [15:34–19:26]
- Patient Communication & Empowerment: [20:03–22:39]
- Experiencing AI in Practice (NotebookLM Example): [22:39–24:33]
- Digital Twin Technology Explained: [24:44–27:35]
- Precision Rehabilitation with AI: [27:35–28:24]
- AI in Telerehabilitation: [28:24–31:41]
- Current and Future AI Research Directions: [31:46–32:51]
- Closing Thoughts: [32:53–33:10]
Summary Takeaway
This episode delivers an insightful roadmap for how AI is poised to revolutionize MS care—from turbocharging research, aiding clinicians, personalizing rehabilitation, to empowering patients to be true partners in their own health journeys. Dr. Willingham and Jon Strum break down both the practical innovations arriving today and the future possibilities—from digital twins and “AI coaches” to real-time feedback and data clarity—making it clear that the AI revolution in MS care is not just hype, but an emerging reality.