Bellow you can find the information about speakers invited for Prague 07.

Jack Antel (Canada)
Speaker for Session 6. Future therapy

Future Therapies in MS
“stem cell therapy” (1187 kb)

Jack is a clinical neurologist who coordinates the multiple sclerosis research and treatment programme at the Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada. He is a Professor at McGill University where he has served as Chairman of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery. He is currently director of the Canadian Institute of Health Research supported training programme in Neuro-inflammation and has just completed his term as President of the International Society of Neuroimmunology.

Dr. Antel was appointed Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada in January 2004. Dr. Antel was the recipient of the 2005 Dystel Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Academy of Neurology. Prior to his work at McGill, Dr. Antel was Professor of Neurology at the University of Chicago, USA.

Rolande Cutner (France)
Session 2. Information and Communication

Rolande Cutner, a lawyer by profession, was diagnosed with MS in 1992. She has dual French/American citizenship and is an international lawyer working in both Paris and New York. Rolande is admitted to the United States District Court, South District of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the second District and the United States Supreme Court. She is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

Rolande has been a Board member of the Ligue Française since 1998 and has represented France and French people with MS in many countries throughout the world ever since (including Buenos Aires, Helsinki, Lisbon, Basel, Oslo and Melbourne). She demonstrates a great understanding of the Ligue’s French constituents and is in touch with all the MS patients of France personally and through her writing. She is a regular contributor to the Ligue’s publications and has contributed to the MSIF magazine MS in focus.

Massimo Filippi (italy)
Session 1. Diagnosis

Multiple sclerosis - Diagnosis (4581 kb)

Dr. Massimo Filippi was born in 1961, took his Graduation in Medicine in 1986 and his Post-Degree Graduation in Neurology in 1990.

His research activity has always been focused on the use of MR-based technology to improve our understanding of how neurological diseases determine progressive accumulation of irreversible physical disability and cognitive impairment.

Dr. Filippi is member of various Scientific Societies and, in some of them, he has covered or is currently covering institutional roles (member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the ECTRIMS; member of the Executive Committee of the European Society of Neurology; Past-Chairman of the White Matter Study Group and member of the Board of Trustees and of the Publication Committee of the ISMRM; member of the Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials of New Drugs in MS of the US MS Society; member of the Task Force on the Future of MR-based Techniques in Neurology of the European Society of the Neurological Societies).

Dr. Filippi has coordinated the MRI acquisition and analysis of several large-scale international trials of MS and he is currently member of the Editorial Boards of AJNR, J Neuroimaging, JNNP, MRI, Multiple Sclerosis, and Neurol Sci. He also acts as a reviewer on a regular basis for several international scientific journals in the fields of neurology and neuroradiology.

Dr. Filippi is author or co-author of more than 500 papers in peer-reviewed and indexed journals and editor/co-editor of several books and journal supplements.

Dr. Filippi was awarded the “Rita Levi Montalcini” Prize for his outstanding contributions to the application of MRI techniques to the study of MS. He is currently Head of the Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy, Adjunct Professor at the School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA, and Visiting Professor, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Eva Havrdova (Czech Republic)
Chairman

Eva Havrdová, MD, PhD received her MD in 1981 from Charles University Medical School in Prague, Czech Republic. She received her PhD in 1995 for her graduate work in cytokines and T cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). She is currently associate professor of neurology and director of the Center for Demyelinating Diseases at the First School of Medicine, General University Hospital, Charles University.

Prof. Havrdová’s research interests include immunology and treatment of MS, including malignant forms of the disease and the use of stem cells in treatment. She has also published widely in the field of MS, including books for both practitioners and patients. She is head of the Working Group for Neuroimmunology of the Czech Neurology Society.

Karel Hrkal (Czech Republic)
Closing Session

Karel Hrkal was born in Prague in 1955. After school he studied Law and Social Work and for 13 years, from 1977 to 1990, he worked as a social worker. From 1990 to 2002 he worked as a business manager in the private sector.

In 1991 Karel was diagnosed with MS. In 2002 he began working as an independent social advisor for the MS Centre in Prague. Two years later, in 2004, he started working for the Czech MS Society (ROSKA) as a social and law advisor and grant policy advisor. He became the Chairman of the MS Centre in Prague in January 2005.

Karel specializes in the education and re-training of people with MS. He initiated art therapy for people with MS and as a result, in 2005 a unique touring exhibition "MS in Czech" was established. Since 2006 he has been working on the EU supported project ‘Shaking hands’ and in May 2007 he became a member of the Advisory Board of the National Fund for Employment Support of People with Disabilities.

On 10 October 2007 Karel will become the President of the Czech MS Society (ROSKA).

Juliana Ilenčíková (Slovakia)
Session 1. Diagnosis

Juliana Ilencikova was born 23 December 1958 in Presov, Slovak Republic. Having enjoyed studying English, Russian and French at school, she studied Russian Language and Literature and Society Education at University in Presov. Juliana spent the next three years studying Special needs Education and Speech Therapy at University in Bratislava and the following three years studying English Language and Literature at University in Presov.

Juliana taught Russian, English and Social education at a basic school for three years before teaching deaf children and youth. She then spent 15 years as a special needs teacher and speech therapist, whilst also voluntarily teaching her deaf and hard of hearing students English (after visiting Gallaudet University for The Deaf in USA) and also teaching English at the Secondary school of engineering in Presov.

In 1999 Juliana was diagnosed with MS. Two years later she joined the Slovak MS Union (SMSU) and established a local MS branch in Prešov, which she has been the Chairman of ever since. In 2001 she became a member of the Executive Committee of the SMSU and their international contact person and interpreter. From 2002 to 2007 Juliana was the Slovak MS Union representative on the MSIF Persons with MS International Committee.

Juliana’s main activities for the Slovak MS Union include preparing reports, writing and translating text relating to EMSP and MSIF membership, corresponding with MSIF and EMSP and their member MS Societies, completing questionnaires, interpreting during international conferences and meeting (Dublin, Malta, Athens, London, Genoa, Brussels, Thesalonniki, Berlin, Prague), writing and translating articles for the magazines Nadej and Humanita. Juliana wrote the article ‘Slovak PwMS Family Picnics‘ featured in the MSIF magazine MS in Focus and translated the MSIF booklet “How to Develop Mutual Support Groups“, the BMSS MS Nurse Key Elements, the EMSP’s Code of Good Practice and MS Facts on the MSIF website. Over the last six years Juliana has been involved in numerous projects and programmes including an EMSP Training course for PwMS (2001), an EMSP Cyber cafe project for PwMS (2003), Tourism for Disabled People (2004) and the International MS Youth Exchange in Portugal (2005), Slovakia (2006) and Poland (2007). She is currently campaigning for the development of the first Rehabilitation MS Centre in Slovakia.

Juliana has a daughter, aged 20, and a son aged 25. She has been divorced since 1990. Her interests include embroidery, tourism, reading and music. /Earlier figure skating/

Ann Langley (Australia)
Session 5. Daily Life

Lifestyles with MS (1187 kb)

Ann Langley grew up on a sheep station in north-west Queensland, went away to boarding school and studied music intensively. She later attended Melbourne University to obtain a Bachelor of Music degree, specialising in violin, viola and piano. She taught music for many years and played in professional and semi-professional orchestras and string quartets as a violist.

Ann has had MS for many years and has learned to adapt to her disability and to work within these limitations, including giving up playing viola professionally because of muscle and finger coordination difficulties. (Conductors do not like string players who drop their bows during performance!) Ann still plays chamber music occasionally with various friends who do not mind frequent rest breaks.

In recent years Ann has taken a great interest in access matters and the built environment. Advocacy on access problems is ongoing and Ann regularly consults with rail and transport authorities on planning improvements for those with mobility problems. She is enthusiastic about adaptable housing design, which allows people to ‘grow old’ in their own homes without needing expensive renovations to cope with illness, accident or ageing frailty.

As a director with the Brisbane Housing Company, which builds affordable rental properties in Brisbane, Ann has been able to advise on unit design to suit people with disabilities, particularly those using wheelchairs. Ann also has great interest in assisting young people with disabilities to move from aged care nursing homes, either to dedicated smaller group homes providing assisted living facilities, or to their own choice of a separate home in the community. These buildings still require particular design features.

Siri Katrine Malde (Norway)
Session 4. Treatment

I was born 9 August 1974. I trained at college for three and a half years to be a chef. After graduating I worked as a chef in Sirdal, in the Norwegian mountains, in a restaurant in Houston, Texas, USA, at the Laguna Beach Resort Hotel in Phuket, Thailand and in restaurants in Norway – and undertook various courses at the Culinary Institute of Norway. In 1998, when I was 24, I was offered a job as chef on an offshore oil rig. I have been there for nine years! It is hard work and our shift is 12 hours straight for two weeks at a time, with four weeks off.

In February 2003 I was diagnosed with MS. I have Relapsing Remitting MS, which is ‘invisible’.

I am a member of the Board of my local branch in Rogaland and a member of the Board of the Norwegian MS Society. I am involved in meetings, courses and providing telephone support to people with MS. I spend a lot of time travelling around Norway attending national MS society meetings and courses for adults and young people with MS. My husband Tore has been very supportive all this time.

I have played handball for 15 years, but stopped six years ago, I enjoy skiing (cross country and slalom), scuba diving (when I can) and generally being active. I exercise as much as I can but with MS it is not always easy. I try to play the guitar, read books, listen to music and I ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Graham McReynolds (USA)
Session 2. Information and Communication

Using Hi-Tech to be Hi Touch (939 kb)

Graham McReynolds, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Development for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in the USA is a celebrated leader and activist. Prior to his current role, Graham served the local MS community as the President of the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society.

He has more than twenty years of marketing, development and management experience in the not-for-profit and health care advocacy organizations, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Oregon Hospice Association, Oregon Health and Science University and the Oregon Symphony.

Xavier Montalban (Spain)
Session 3. Management

Management of MS (1594 kb)

Dr. Xavier Montalban is director of the Unit of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Vall d´Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, a post he has held since 1990 and Professor of Neurology of the University Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB).

Dr. Montalban gained his MD in 1983 and was awarded a PhD in 1988, after formal training in neurology. In 1989 he undertook a postdoctoral research fellowship at Lupus Research Unit at St Thomas Hospital, London (UK), returning to Barcelona in 1990 to create the Unit of Clinical Neuroimmunology.

Dr. Montalban is a member of a number of scientific organizations, Vice President of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and sits on the Executive Committee of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation’s International Medical & Scientific Board, European School of Neuroimmunology and the European Charcot Foundation. He is also a member of several editorial boards of both national and international specialist journals.

He has published over 100 original contributions in international journals and has authored a number of book chapters. Since 2003 he is a member of the advisory committee on clinical trials of new agents, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, USA.

His current research interests include immune mechanisms in MS, cognitive dysfunction in MS, new intervention strategies and genetic characterization. He has participated both in the design and execution of several phase II and phase III clinical trials, and is a member of safety and steering committees.

Allen O'Connor (Ireland)
Closing Session

Allen is a retired banker and has held many financial and management positions in his career.

He is a past Chairman and Treasurer of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and one of its three Honorary Lifetime Members. He is, on the board of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), the Irish representative on the Persons with Multiple Sclerosis International Committee (PwMSIC) and past treasurer of the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP).

Allen is a National Board Member of the Disabled Drivers Association, Ability Enterprises, Shopmobility Ireland and the National Citizens Information Phone Service (CIPS). Allen is also involved locally as a Community Director on Cork City Partnership and an active member of the Cork City Network of People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI). Allen has been a disability activist since his involvement as a founding member of the “Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities” for the Irish Government.

Married to June with two grown-up children; he was diagnosed with MS in 1984.

Peter Rieckmann (Germany)
Session 4. Treatment

Up until 1 September this year Peter lead the Clinical Research Group for MS and Neuroimmunology at the Julius-Maximilians University in Würzburg, Germany. Since then he has been the MS Research Chair and Director of the MS Program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Peter studied and trained in the UK, Germany and the USA. He holds a number of academic positions including visiting professorships at the McGill University, Montreal, in Canada, the University school of Belgrade, in Serbia and the University Medical School of Chennai in India. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC).

He has been presented with several honours, awards and prizes including the Hans-Heinrich-Queckenstedt-Prize, the Käte-Hammersen-Prize and the Langheinrich-Prize for MS Research

He sits on various boards and committees including the Medical Advisory boards of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation and the German MS Society, the Executive Board of which he is Vice President. He is a member of the European Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Consensus Group and has worked on the steering committees of various international multi-centre MS trials (Phase II and III).

Peter has produced 154 original articles in peer reviewed journals, 58 review articles, 25 book chapters, 2 textbooks and has given more than 200 invited lectures.

He is married with two children.

Alan Thompson (United Kingdom)
Chairman

Alan Thompson is Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neurorehabilitation at the Institute of Neurology, University College London (UCL), where he is head of the Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation. He is also Deputy Director of the Joint UCLH/UCL R&D Unit and the Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK. He is the National Medical Advisor to the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the UK, Chairman of the International Medical and Scientific Board of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Multiple Sclerosis. His research interests include the investigation of mechanisms that underlie disability in neurological conditions, particularly multiple sclerosis, the development of outcome measures which assess the impact of such conditions and the improvement of symptomatic management and service delivery in MS. He has published extensively in each of these areas.

Sue Tilley (United Kingdom)
Welcome and Introduction

Sue was diagnosed with MS in 1978 at the age of 25 and has been involved with the UK MS Society since this date, initially as Treasurer for her local branch and later as a Board member of the UK MS Society for six years, where she was also Assistant National Treasurer. During this time she served on many standing committees and diverse working groups, including the Editorial Board for the Society’s magazine and working groups for Regionalisation and Conference Planning, which she chaired.

Sue became Chairman of MSIF’s Persons with MS International Committee in 2002 and, as a result, sits on MSIF’s board. She also sits on the board of other UK neurological charities.

In her professional role, Sue has always worked in accountancy, working with charities since 1990 during which time she studied for an MSc in Charity Law and Finance. She currently works as a consultant for various charities, and is a member of the Strategic Development Committee for The Brain Centre Trust – a unique collaboration between the leaders in the field of neurology, including professionals, nurses, patient groups and specialist neurological charities who are joining together to establish a resource centre for neurological information, education and research.

Hanka Vagnerova (Czech Republic)
Session 5. Daily Life

Everyday life with Multiple sclerosis - elimination of barriers (766 kb)

Hanka was born in 1964 in Prague, Czech Republic. She was diagnosed with MS at the age of 32 and for the last 11 years has had benign MS. She is divorced and has two adult children. She works full time as a secretary in the Institute of Molecular Genetics at the Czech Republic Academy of Sciences.

Hanka is a volunteer for Unie Roska (the Czech MS society) and SMS (the Society of Young Sclerotics) of which she is an ex Board member.

She practices shiatsu and tai chi and is an exercise instructor for people with MS. Hanka enjoys nature, exercise and activity, sport, culture, books and her dog.

Anette van der Goes (Netherlands)
Session 2. Information and Communication

Second Life: MS Island VUm (1308 kb)

Dr. Annette van der Goes is the Research and Communication Manager of the MS Centre Amsterdam which is associated with VU university medical center (VUmc). In the MS Center over 60 scientists cooperate on multidisciplinary research on the cause and cure of MS. Next to research the Center focuses on improving patient care and educating healthcare professionals, such as neurologists.

To increase awareness about MS the Center has recently created the MS island VUmc on Second Life. In this 3-D virtual environment people from all over the world can meet online to share experiences and gain information about MS. The island is a collaborative project of three leading Dutch MS organizations (Dutch MS Research Foundation, Dutch MS Society and MSweb) and the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF). You can visit the island (coordinates 223,155, 21) and meet Annette’s avatar ‘Eco Winkler’.

Next to her work for the MS Center Annette is a freelance science journalist. Before joining the Center she worked for the external communications department of the Dutch Asthma Foundation. She also worked for over four years with the VU University in Amsterdam where she completed her PhD in Immunology on the topic of “Demyelination in Multiple Sclerosis”. Annette holds a Masters Degree in Human Biology and completed several prestigious courses in immunology, research methodology, and scientific writing and communications.

Sonja Vranic (Serbia)
Session 3. Management

Managing Multiple Sclerosis
(45 kb)

I was born in Belgrade, Serbia, 20 December 1984. As a result of my parents’ work in the Serbian diplomatic corps I spent most of my life living outside Serbia, including Panama, Venezuela, Ghana, Italy and Sweden.

The exposure to numerous different cultures in various countries has provided me with an understanding and appreciation of cultural diversities and has made it possible for me to easily relate to other people and bridge the cultural divides that often separate people from different cultures.

Three years ago, in 2004, I moved to Denmark to study for a BSc in Business Administration and Chinese Language and Culture at the Copenhagen Business School. I recently received a scholarship from Copenhagen Business School to continue studying for my MSc in Economics and Business Administration with the specialization in International Marketing Management. I have always loved studying different languages and I am fluent in Spanish, Italian, Serbian, English and Chinese.

Shortly after moving to Denmark, two and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and have been taking a disease modifying treatment ever since.

This year I organized my first MS Global Dinner Party event, a wine tasting party, to gather money for MS research and spread awareness about the disease. I am interested in actively participating in MS-related causes and events so as to share my experiences and help other people with MS.

Jaroslav Zika (Czech Republic)
Welcome and Introduction

Jaroslav Zika was born in 1943 in Prague, the Czech Republic. He studied Civil Engineering. In 1987 he was diagnosed with primary progressive MS. He continued to work as a Civil Engineer until 1992.

Since 1999 Jaroslav has used a wheelchair. Despite this, he has always been very active. He exercises regularly and is strongly involved in MS matters in the Czech Republic. After diagnosis, he started to work for people with disabilities. In 1992 he established ROSKA, the Czech MS Organisation, and has since been its President and the head of the local branch of the ROSKA in Prague. In 1996 the organization became, thanks to his efforts, a member of the MSIF and in 2001 a member of the EMSP. Since 1994 he has actively participated in MSIF conferences. He is a member of the Coalition for Health (patients´ organisation) and has cooperated with senators, MPs, officials at the Ministry of Health and the country’s leading neurologists, especially Dr. Eva Havrdova, the head of MS Centres in Czech.

Jaroslav has developed partnerships with MS societies in Slovakia and Slovenia and regional cooperation with people with MS from Germany and Poland. He has obtained several PHARE grants and, in partnership with other Czech organisations, he worked on a grant from the EU, which enables unemployed people with MS to start to work again.

During his presidency the ROSKA enlarged substantially. Now there are 40 branches of ROSKA all over the country. He is the Editor of ROSKA, a quarterly magazine for people with MS and he has participated in editing many publications concerning MS issues. He has also introduced MS matters to the media (press, television, radio, and internet).

In 2001 Jaroslav was awarded an annual prize from the Ministry of Health for his commitment and engagement in his work for people with disabilities. This year, the ROSKA is celebrating its 15th anniversary and Mr Zika will retire.