This project explores how Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) may influence the immune system in a way that contributes to MS. The team will study immune cells from both the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid around the brain and spinal cord) to see how EBV changes which genes are switched on or off in individual cells. They’ll then test the most important control switches to understand how immune cells become more self-reactive, produce inflammatory signals, and move toward the brain—aiming to identify new biomarkers and clearer mechanisms.