Farren Briggs is Assistant Professor in the Department Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.  Farren received his PhD in Epidemiology with an area of specialization in genetic epidemiology at the University of California Berkeley.  Farren's academic training focused on characterizing the influence of genetic and non-genetic (primarily modifiable) factors on susceptibility and disease manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS), and his current research interests span understanding the etiology and pathology of MS from the micro- to the macro-level.  Farren recently won the Best Platform in MS Research at the 2018 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting for his work on obesity and its impact on MS clinical expression.  As PI of the Neuroimmunological Disorders Gene-Environment (NDGE) Epidemiology Lab, Farren also conducts research in other neurological and autoimmune diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, neuromyelitis optica, and transverse myelitis.  Beyond research, Farren is interested and active in community engagement; promoting diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); and advocacy.  He is a frequent contributor to the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis newsletter, scientific speaker to promote STEM training among underrepresented groups, and a guest on podcasts such as RealTalk MS.