MSIF gives the Charcot Award every two years for a lifetime achievement in outstanding research into the understanding or treatment of MS.
The winner is invited to give the Charcot Lecture at the European Committee of Treatment and Research in MS (ECTRIMS) meeting and at the biennial MSIF Council Meeting.
The award covers the winner's travel costs, accommodation and expenses to attend the above meetings, with a maximum grant of UK £6,000. In addition, the winner is awarded UK £1,500.
2011 winner
The 2011 Charcot Award Winner is Professor Lawrence Steinman, of the Stanford University School of Medicine.
In a research career spanning more than 30 years, Prof Steinman has focused on the immunological mechanisms of relapse and remission in multiple sclerosis, the identification and characterization of genes that regulate inflammation in the brain, and the development of novel therapies that modulate the immune system.
Among his many contributions, he led the team which first described the clinical and histological outcomes of treating animals with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis using a monoclonal antibody that targets the alpha-4 beta-1 integrin. That study led directly to the development of Natiluzimab, a drug which has made a major impact on the treatment and management of people with MS.
Past winners of the Charcot Award
| Year |
Winner |
Country |
| 2011 |
Prof Larry Steinman |
USA |
| 2009 |
Prof John Prineas |
Australia |
| 2007 |
Prof Alastair Compston |
UK |
| 2005 |
Prof Hans Lassmann |
Austria |
| 2003 |
Dr Henry McFarland |
USA |
| 2001 |
Prof Hartmut Wekerle |
Germany |
| 1999 |
Prof John Kurtzke |
USA |
| 1995 |
Prof Donald Paty |
Canada |
| 1993 |
Dr Byron Waksman |
USA |
| 1991 |
Prof Ian McDonald |
UK |
| 1988 |
Dr Yoshigoro Kuroiwa |
Japan |
| 1985 |
Dr Richard T Johnson |
USA |
| 1983 |
Dr Leonard T Kurland |
USA |
| 1981 |
Dr Helmut Bauer |
Germany |
| 1969 |
Dr Douglas McAlpine |
UK |
Jean Martin Charcot
Jean Martin Charcot, born in Paris, France in 1825, is considered by many to be the founder of modern neurology.
In 1868, as Professor of Neurology at the University of Paris, he made the first diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and his clinical-pathological definition is still used today.
For much of his career Charcot worked and taught at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris where in 1882 he established a neurology clinic, the first of its kind in Europe.
Since 1969, the Charcot Award has recognised the significance of Jean Martin Charcot's studies into neurological diseases and his pioneering work which led him to be among the first to match specific anatomical lesions to a variety of neurological disorders, including MS.
MSIF news | 15 March 2013
MSIF is delighted to announce that Prof Stephen L. Hauser, is the 2013 winner of the Charcot award in recognition of his pioneering studies in MS genetic susceptibility and role in translating immunologic findings into clinical trials.
From MSIF