Roanoke now has another MS Specialist to help treat and manage Multiple Sclerosis. With over 40 years of medical experience and a background in research and education, Dr. Carlos Mora is a much needed addition to our local MS Community.
I asked Dr. Mora what inspired him to become a neurologist and he told me the ability to see into the brain was virtuously impossible in the early 70’s when he was in medical school at The Universidad del Rosario, in Bogota, Colombia. One had to either assist with exploratory surgery or look at drawings to study the brain. Diagnosing diseases and disorders of the brain had to be done with basic doctor’s tools, X-Rays, encephalograms, ultrasound and spinal taps. “To answer your question, I belong to the era where there was virtually no imaging. I thought the brain was such a special organ which invited one to understand it better. That’s why I decided to be a neurologist. But, one thing is to be a neurologist, another thing is to be an ‘MS-ologist’.” Dr Mora says he belongs to a special international community that includes patients, advocates, significant others, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, etc. He calls it the “World of MS”.
The path to becoming an ‘MS-ologist’ was an interesting one for Dr. Mora. Initially, when he was a general neurologist in Colombia, he wanted to pursue a different branch of neurology by studying and specializing in Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). This led him to obtain a fellowship with the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. His mentor at the time informed him that instead of ALS, he would be focusing on a virus found in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands that seemed to mimic Primary Progressive MS. “That is what triggered my interest in neuroimmunology and opened the door for 7 years of research in viruses and epidemiology/immunology”. The virus he was studying ended up being HTLV-1 (Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus type 1) which is the elder brother to HIV. During this time, he met his wife who was also working there, specializing in diabetes. Dr. Mora decided he wanted to stay and continue practicing in the United States, which meant he would have to repeat his residency. “I did clinical neurology again at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. It was not time lost, because I realized that doing a decade of research had caused me to miss a lot of things…like the transition from CT scans to MRI’s”. Along with technology, Dr. Mora had to relearn terminology and medications as well. During residency, as you approach your last year, you must decide what you want to sub-specialize in. At this point, Dr. Mora was considering a fellowship in neuro-AIDS (HIV in the brain). After speaking with the Chief of Infectious Diseases at George Washington University, he realized there was no funding for that particular topic. Since he was married with a family, working without funding would not be possible. He then got back in touch with his friends at NIH and spent 4 years there doing research on MS at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS). After that, he wanted to continue working in the Washington DC/Maryland area, so he accepted a position at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital where he worked and taught for 15 years.
Then the opportunity came for him to go to Florida to set up an MS and neuroimmunology clinic with The Spine and Brain Institute at the Ascension St. Vincent’s Medical Group in Jacksonville, FL. The 2020 pandemic occurred during this time, but even with the challenges that came with that, Dr. Mora was still able to serve an impressive 450 patients in that 3 year span of time as well as being awarded the title of Partner in Care by the National MS Society. Partners in MS Care are healthcare providers — such as neurologists, physical therapists, mental health providers, urologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and long-term care providers — who have demonstrated knowledge and expertise in treating people with MS.
As much as Dr. Mora enjoyed his work in Florida, he missed being in a teaching environment. When the opportunity arose for him to come here to the Carilion Virginia Tech Medical School in Southwest Virginia, he decided to take it. “I was missing the academic environment, talking to students and residents, sharing cases, etc.”, he said. He feels that “it is important to have communication with the community” and hopes the clinic at Carilion will continue to grow to better serve the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas and maybe one day even be able to offer clinical trials, patient education conferences, etc. He admits, though, that, “One thing is what you want, the other is what destiny brings you”. When asked what he sees for the future of MS, Dr. Mora said he sees polytherapy, which is a therapy that uses more than one medication or modality. Typically, the term refers to using multiple therapies to treat a single disease. He uses breast cancer as an example. Once diseases are diagnosed, treatment involves many steps including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, etc.
Throughout the years, MS was considered a disease that had little positive outcome and at times it had been suggested that he pursue a field where he would be able help people more, but Dr. Mora remained resilient and stayed on his path, “I said, I am here, where others have given up”. At present, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but there has been much progress in developing new drugs to treat it. Research is ongoing to develop new and better disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for this disease. Prior to 1993, which is not that long ago, no disease modifying medications to treat MS existed. The only “treatment” available for MS was steroids. The 1990’s could be called the “drug explosion” decade for MS treatments. Human Beta-Interferon was approved as a treatment for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in the early and mid 1990s in the United States and Canada. Subsequently, more disease-altering drugs were approved throughout the decade. “With over 22 drugs on the market, there is so much more hope in the future for those who are newly diagnosed,” he stated. When patients get diagnosed, there is always significant fear because there is so much stigma around the disease, but Dr. Mora’s personal motto is, “We are here to temper your fear.” To residents and students, Dr. Mora has said, “For those patients who are diagnosed with MS today, this is a good time for that diagnosis.”
Early diagnosis and treatment of MS could decrease disability later down the road. Medication can help to manage attacks, reduce symptoms, and slow the progression of the disease. Dr. Mora feels that with the advent of the internet, there are more MS advocates in the media and there is better education for primary care doctors leading to much more awareness of the disease these days. “… communities are more aware in general…more informed …,” he says, and that helps one to get an early diagnosis.
Dr. Mora also wants to emphasize that research over the years has shown that maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may have a protective effect and lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. A number of studies have shown that people who get more sun exposure and vitamin D in their diet have a lower risk of MS. He explains, “Vitamin D is like the music director of the band for cells of the immune system. If there is not enough vitamin D, the drums go the wrong way, the trumpets go their way, etc. They play in total disarray.” So make sure if you are prescribed vitamin D, you take it.
Dr. Mora lived for 35 years in the Washington DC-Maryland area, so Virginia is not a new state for him and his family. He thought all of the state was urban like Northern Virginia, but once he began traveling south, he realized his mistake. “I am amazed at how large and diverse Virginia is”, he shared. Dr. Mora is also a self-proclaimed civil war buff. He feels that visiting the historical sights helps to get a better feel for the events that took place. He hopes to spend some time in Richmond visiting museums and also visit the many other civil war sights that are such a rich part of our history here in Virginia.
I genuinely enjoyed getting to interview Dr. Mora. I learned more about multiple sclerosis from talking to him for an hour and a half than I have the entire 30 years MS has been in my life. His knowledge and patience will truly benefit those in our community, and we are happy to welcome him to Roanoke. He is currently accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 540-224-5170.
Written by: Kristi Litchard