Eleven early-career members of the MS community are about to embark on the professional adventure of a lifetime, having won a 2025 ECTRIMS fellowship award.
ECTRIMS (Postdoctoral Research, Clinical, and Allied Health Professional), as well as MAGNIMS, MEDEN and MSIF McDonald Fellow programmes all provide funded placements at a European institution of the applicants’ choice, where they will work under the tutelage of some of the world’s leading experts in multiple sclerosis.
ECTRIMS Fellowship – Allied Health Professional
- Dr Irina Santos, from Portugal, will travel to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Catalonia (Cemcat) in Spain for a 4-month rotation focused on cognitive rehabilitation for individuals with MS. During this training, Irina will acquire advanced skills in assessing and addressing cognitive impairments in individuals with MS. She will take part in a planned rotation through different areas of rehabilitation, learning how to care for MS patients in a holistic way. Additionally, Dr Santos will participate to clinical sessions, educational programmes, and ongoing research projects at Cemcat. ” This program represents a significant step in my professional development and aligns closely with my aspirations to contribute meaningfully to the field of MS and to improve patient care,” she said.
ECTRIMS Fellowship – Clinical
- Dr Elena Barbuti is from Italy. Her placement will be at the Department of Neurology at the Saint Luc University Hospital, in Belgium, where she will develop her expertise in both the clinical management of MS and the integration of clinical research into patient care. “I will be involved in clinical research projects while participating in MS clinics, gaining hands-on experience in patient care and management within an outstanding MS service,” she said, “This collaboration will provide me with experience with laboratory markers, which are emerging as promising tools for disease burden evaluation, activity monitoring, and response to treatment”.
- Dr Carolina Rodrigues Dal Bo, from Brazil, will be working at the University of Oxford, focusing on the management of neuroimmunological conditions, particularly demyelinating diseases. “I am confident that this will equip me with the expertise needed to diagnose and manage these complex conditions,” she said, “Additionally, I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to participate in research projects focusing on pregnancy outcomes in MS and NMOSD.” She aims to work in Brasil as a specialist in neuroimmunology.
- Dr Daniela Leòn Castillo, from Mexico, will join the Neurology-Neuroimmunology Department, Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat). The key objective of this fellowship is a comprehensive, hands-on training on clinical care for patients with MS, NMOSD and MOGAD. “I am sure that Cemcat has the human resources and an academic program of excellence that will provide me with the necessary tools to perform as a quality
neurologist for society,” she said.
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
- Dr Valentina Camera comes from Italy. Her placement will be at the Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna in Austria. Her project aims to characterise the frequency and the clinical, radiological, and biological profiles of individuals with MS/MOGAD overlap syndrome compared to those with clear diagnoses of either MS or MOGAD. Dr Camera said, “I would like to apply the advanced knowledge and skills acquired during the fellowship to benefit my home institution and contribute to the local medical community.”
- Dr Miguel Leal Rato, from Portugal, will work at the French Referral Center for Rare Inflammatory Disorders of the Central Nervous System (MIRCEM). Neurological Hospital of Lyon, in France. The aim of this project is to assess and describe disease characteristics of double seronegative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders in a multicenter European cohort. “In an ideal plan, my goal would be to have dedicated time to patient care, use patient care to identify gaps in knowledge and design research questions, and then teach what I’ve learned to students and peers,” Dr Rato says.
- Dr Birgit Helmlinger, from Austria, will work at the UMC in Amsterdam, where she aims at identifying markers that can inform targeted rehabilitation strategies and improve long-term prediction of motor function in MS patients. Dr Helminger says, “Joining the UMC in Amsterdam will provide me with the mentorship and collaborative opportunities necessary to expand my knowledge and refine my skills on managing and analysing large datasets of complex clinical and neuroimaging data.”
MAGNIMS
- Dr Alessandro Cruciani, from Italy, will work at the Department of Neuroinflammation of the University College of London (UCL). Dr Cruciani’s project will be to assess the clinical relevance of spinal cord atrophy rates in MS using an automatic registration-based method. He says, “This opportunity will significantly enhance my academic trajectory and lay the foundation for my future in MRI research. Indeed, during the fellowship, I will have the chance to further develop my research experience.”
- Dr Katrin Giglhuber, from Germany, will work at the Institute of Neurology of the University College of London (UCL). “This ECTRIMS-MAGNIMS Fellowship will be an important stepping stone in my career. It will provide me with the opportunity to develop specialised skills in MRI network analysis, expand my knowledge of brain connectivity, broaden my perspective in MS, NMOSD and MOGAD research and establish valuable international collaborations,” Dr Giglhuber says. The aim of this project is to characterise and compare single-subject cortical similarity networks in MS, NMOSD and MOGAD.
MEDEN
- Dr Antonia Lefter, from Romania, will work on a cross-sectional analysis of the European MEDEN NMOSD and MOGAD patients at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (University of Oxford). “I hope to bring a contribution to the ever-developing field of MS and the neuroinflammatory spectrum of NMOSD and MOGAD,” Dr Lefter says.
MSIF
- Dr Yohane Gadama, from Malawi, will work on the impact of HIV infection and treatment on the epidemiology and clinical progression of MS at the Stellenbosch University – Division of Neurology. Dr Gadama says, “During the fellowship, I will be working as a junior consultant neurologist in the neuroimmunology clinic, where I will also be conducting my research. This approach will help me solidify both my clinical and research skills in MS.”