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The MSIF Ian McDonald Fellowship, known as the McDonald Fellowship, was established in 2007 to honour the memory of Professor Ian McDonald, a world leader in MS research and former Chairman of MSIF’s International Medical and Scientific Board (IMSB).
Prof McDonald had a monumental impact on MS research, treatment and understanding, providing invaluable breakthroughs in the field.
Prof McDonald also gave hours of time and expertise to MSIF. He was a member of MSIF’s IMSB from 1980 and its Chairman from 1999 to 2003. He was also the driving force behind the development of the MSIF project, the Sylvia Lawry Centre for MS Research, inspiring others to give their time, energy and funds to this vital undertaking.
Further information on Professor McDonald's achievements.
The McDonald Fellowship was formerly the Du Pré Fellowship.
Fellowship
- MSIF offers a number of McDonald Fellowships annually to young and talented researchers from emerging countries*.
- The Fellowship enables the recipient to travel to an established research institution to work with the world's leading researchers in MS with a view to returning to their own country to establish a programme of MS research that involves the application of the newly learned techniques.
- The Fellowship consists of a two year grant, in the region of UK£30,000 per year, to cover travel and living costs, and an additional contribution of UK£2,000 per year to the host institution.
- In 2012, we encourage applications in the areas of symptom relief, rehabilitation and palliative care
Eligibility
- Candidates must not be older than 35 years of age at the time of application
- Candidates must be citizens of an emerging country* as defined by the World Bank.
- Candidates must be working or studying in an emerging country* at the time of nomination OR working or studying in another country on a project which commenced within the 6 months prior to nomination OR studying in another country on a project supported by an MSIF grant
- The candidate’s focus of research should be in an area of neuroscience appropriate to MS.
- Before nomination, candidates need to have identified a suitable project and discussed their involvement with the project supervisor of the institution.
- It is anticipated that the award may be seen as a contribution to the country from which the candidate comes, as a step toward establishing greater expertise in MS research in that country.
- The Fellowship may also be used as a supplement for work related to MS by a candidate who has been accepted for training in a recognised institute (within the 6 months prior to nomination) but for whom there are insufficient funds available to cover the total cost.
- The research should be in an area that makes it likely that the studies and expertise can be transferred in the candidate’s home country.
* - Emerging countries are all countries with a low, lower middle or upper middle income as defined by the World Bank. Click here
Nomination of candidates
University departments must nominate a candidate. This nomination should include:
- 2012 McDonald Fellowship Nomination Form.doc (105 kb)
![[doc]](/display_images/document_icons/doc.gif) - Candidate letter - a letter from the candidate detailing their reasons for nomination.
- Supervisor letter - a signed letter from the candidate’s current supervisor supporting the nomination.
- CV - the candidate's current curriculum vitae clarifying his or her previous experience.
- References -testimonies from at least two people with whom he or she has worked.
- Project proposal - a description of the field of research that the candidate wishes to be trained in or the research project that he/she wishes to carry out. This should be written by the applicant and should be a maximum of four A4 pages including the background to project, aims and methodology to be used and the anticipated outcomes. A list of references should be added as an appendix which may also include figures.
- Host letter - a signed letter of support from the project supervisor of the host institution, indicating that appropriate facilities will be made available. The letter should be on institution-headed notepaper.
- Future plans - a one-page statement from the candidate as to what their future plans might be when he/she returns to their country of origin.
Candidates are required to submit all of the above documents by email to Paul Browne by the deadline stated below.
Deadline
The deadline for nominations is 01 July 2012
Selection
The members of the MSIF IMSB Executive Committee consider and select successful candidates.
Fellowship recipient(s) will be announced the week commencing
15 October 2012
Evidence of results
MSIF requires a short report at the end of the first year of the Fellowship. Second year funding is dependent on the submission of this report.
Upon completion of the Fellowship, a final report is required. This should detail: - What the recipient has gained from the Fellowship
- Their achievements in the project field
- The particular area of expertise which is being transferred back to the country of origin
In addition, MSIF requests electronic copies of papers, abstracts and posters resulting from the Fellowship.
Papers produced as a result of or in connection with McDonald Fellowship funded research should acknowledge the MSIF McDonald Fellowship. If possible, such acknowledgements should also reference MSIF's website.
Potential hosts for 2012
- Prof. Thomas Berger
Head, Neuroimmunological and Multiple Sclerosis Clinic & Research Unit, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria
Clinical and lab-based research topics, especially biological marker research in serum and CSF. Fully equipped immunological lab, CSF/serum tissue bank and a MS clinic/data bank including more than 2200 patients.
- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Brück
Head, Department of Neuropathology, Universitätsmedizin der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany
Brain-specific mechanisms of immune response in multiple sclerosis. Axonal damage in inflammatory demyelination and mechanisms of remyelination. Mechanisms and consequences of microglial activation.
- Prof. Peter Feys
Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hasselt, Belgium
Clinical evaluation and rehabilitation of persons with Multiple Sclerosis.
- Dr. Marcelo Kremenchutzky
Director, The London MS Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University Hospital London, UK
Our main focus is the study of MS and other demyelinating disorders, focusing on epidemiology, natural history and treatment. Recent research has focused on progressive MS.
- Prof. Gianvito Martino
Head, Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Hospital,Milan, Italy
Research page
- Dr. Luane Metz
Clinical researcher, University of Calgary, Canada
Clinical trials - translating therapies. Translational research , epidemiology and outcomes research and Texture analysis in MRI
- Dr. Helen Tremlett
Assistant professor, Faculty of Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, Canada
Pharmacoepidemiology; natural history; database analyses; adverse effects of drug treatment
- Prof. Simon K. Warfield
Laboratory director, Computational Radiology Laboratory, Wolback 309, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Boston, USA
Magnetic resonance imaging or image analysis of multiple sclerosis, especially of pediatric onset multiple sclerosis. Medical image analysis focussed on methods for quantitative image analysis through novel segmentation and registration approaches, and in real-time and large data image analysis, enabled by high performance computing technology.
- Prof. Heather A. Wishart
Neuropsychology Program and Brain Imaging Laboratory Department of Psychiatry Dartmouth Medical School, USA
Brain imaging and cognitive studies in MS http://synapse.hitchcock.org/
- Prof. Takashi Yamamura
Director, Dept of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan
The immunological pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and development of new therapeutic strategies for MS. NKT cell biology and nuclear receptors expressed by T cells are the major target of his research at present.
- Dr. V WeeYong
Head of laboratory, University of Calgary, Canada
Neuroimmunology, Cellular Biology, therapy development - testing in EAE models
Research interests
- Prof Frauke Zipp
Head of clinic, Cecilie-Vogt-Clinic for Molecular Neurology, Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Germany
Our overall goal is to translate knowledge of immune regulation and effector mechanisms in inflammatory disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis of the brain into the clinic. Focusing on T-cell regulation and neuronal protection mechanisms, we work on immune cell migration, immune/neuronal crosstalk as well as antigen presenting cell populations within the brain.
Past McDonald Fellowship recipients
In its inaugural year (2007) MSIF awarded five McDonald fellowships and a further three fellowships in 2008. Read more about the young researchers from Argentina, Brazil, China, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, Spain and Thailand who will spend two years studying and working in the world’s leading MS research centres in Australia, Italy, Spain, UK and USA.
2011 McDonald fellowship recipients
2010 McDonald fellowship recipients
2009 McDonald Fellowship Recipient
2008 McDonald Fellowship Recipients
2007 McDonald Fellowship Recipients
Du Pré Fellowship
Jacqueline du Pré, born in Oxford, England in 1945, is acknowledged as one of the greatest cellists who ever lived. Throughout her career she performed with prestigious orchestras and soloists all over the world. In particular, her recording of the Elgar concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1965, aged only 20 years old, brought her international recognition.
In 1973, at the age of 28, Jacqueline du Pré was diagnosed with MS. She continued to perform and to teach, and even had James D Wolfensohn, a former Chairman of MSIF and former President of the World Bank, as a student. In 1987, 14 years after being diagnosed, Jacqueline du Pré died at the age of 42.
In honour of Jacqueline du Pré’s life and work, MSIF established the Du Pré Fellowship to support young and talented researchers from emerging countries. Between 1985-2005 eight researchers were awarded the Fellowship.
Past recipients of the Du Pré Fellowship
| Year | Recipient | Country of Origin |
|---|
| 2005/2006 | Dr Marcello Matiello | Brazil | 1999/2000 | Dr Natalia Nikolaeva | Russia | | 1994/1995 | Dr Zsolt Illés | Hungary | | 1991/1992 | Dr Yan-Ling Gao | China | | 1988 | Dr Jacek Losy | Poland | | 1986/1987 | Dr Jianlin Fu | China | | 1986 | Dr Joseph Najbauer | Hungary | | 1985 | Dr Samuel Komoly | Hungary |
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