The purpose of the IMSB is to advise MSIF's Council and Board on matters of MS medical research, professional education, professional information and services.
The position is initially for 2 years renewable, from September 2005 to September 2007. The current chairman of IMSB, Professor Jürg Kesselring, will hand over this role to Professor Thompson at the IMSB meeting taking place on 29 September at ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS, Thessaloniki, Greece.
"I am very honoured to have been nominated and selected chair of this unique group of medical professionals International and Medical Scientific Board which is bringing together around 100 experts in MS", Alan says.
Professor Thompson has focused on MS research for the last 20 years. Among his achievements in research are:
• Original MRI studies which demonstrated clear differences between primary progressive MS (PPMS) and other forms of the condition. More recently lead on establishing diagnostic criteria for diagnosing PPMS
• Use of functional MRI to explore potential for brain plasticity in optic neuritis and PPMS
• First randomised controlled trial of neurological rehabilitation in MS with Dr Jenny Freeman, which demonstrated clear benefits in patients with progressive MS.
• Establishment of a Neurological Outcome Measures Unit at the Institute of Neurology with Dr Jeremy Hobart and developed two new outcome measures for MS – the MS Impact Scale and the MS Walking Scale.
• Development of Standards of Care with the MS Society. Involved in NICE Guideline for MS and National Service Framework for long term conditions.
MS is the most common disabling neurological disease affecting young adults in the western world.