Episode 451: Meet the 2026 Winner of the John Dystel Prize for MS Research with Dr. Ludwig Kappos

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology is underway in Chicago this week, and one of the highlights is the presentation of the John Dystel Prize for Research in Multiple Sclerosis, awarded jointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology.

This year's winner of the Dystel Prize is Dr. Ludwig Kappos, a physician-scientist at the University Hospital Basel in Basel, Switzerland, and the director of the Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel.

Dr. Kappos has played a major role in how clinical trials in MS are conducted. He helped establish the Expanded Disability Status Scale, or EDSS, which is the gold standard for measuring disability in people with MS, and Dr. Kappos and his team have advanced our current understanding of a key driver of disability in MS, known as progression independent of relapse activity, or PIRA.

Dr. Kappos will be delivering the Dystel Prize lecture at the American Academy of Neurology meeting this week, and he's joining us to share a preview of that lecture in a conversation you won't want to miss.

We're also sharing news about a blood test used to monitor MS disease activity that has just been approved by the European Union.

We'll give you the details of a study focused on whether disease-modifying therapies can impact neurodevelopmental birth defects in children born to mothers with MS.

We'll explain why yaks and Tibetan antelope may have opened a door to neuroprotection and myelin repair for people living with MS.

And we'll tell you where healthcare providers and patients may differ when it comes to defining high-quality MS care.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: The John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research is awarded :22

A blood test to monitor MS disease activity is approved by the EU 2:28

Researchers determine whether disease-modifying therapies have an impact on neurodevelopmental birth defects among children born to mothers with MS 4:21

Researchers studying yaks and Tibetan antelope may have uncovered a pathway to neuroprotection and even myelin repair 7:24

Healthcare providers and people living with MS share their perspectives on what needs improvement in delivering high-quality MS care 10:01

Dr. Ludwig Kappos reflects on how MS clinical trials need to change 13:33

Share this episode 30:58

Next week 31:19

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LINKS

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STUDY: Association of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Congenital Anomalies with Prenatal Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: Real World Historial Cohort Study
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cpt.70235

STUDY: A Gain-of-Function Retstat Variant from High-Altitude Adaptation Promotes Myelination Via a Neuronal Dihydroretinoic Acid-RXR-Y Pathway
https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(26)00013-9

ARTICLE: Areas for Improvement for High-Quality Multiple Sclerosis Care: Insights from Interviews with People with Multiple Sclerosis, Providers, and Clinical Educators
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1936657426000300

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RealTalk MS Episode 451
Guest: Dr. Ludwig Kappos

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