Congratulations to Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences, who has been awarded the John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research.
The John Dystel Prize is awarded by the American Academy of Neurology National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (USA) and recognises outstanding contributions to research in the understanding, treatment or prevention of multiple sclerosis. Professor Thompson will receive his prize at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 2017; the AAN is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals.
Professor Thompson first joined UCL in 1992 and has been Dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences since its creation in 2011. He is also Chair of the Neuroscience Programme for UCLP Academic Health Science Centre, an NIHR Senior Investigator Emeritus, and an honorary consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square.
Among many research achievements, Professor Thompson has carried out the first serial MRI studies of the natural history of individual disease groups in MS, demonstrating the value of MRI in monitoring the disease process; developed protocols used internationally for the use of MRI in assessing the effectiveness of new treatments; and identified the unique characteristics of the primary progressive MS group. He now chairs the Scientific Steering Committee of the International Progressive MS Alliance
On receiving the award, he said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to receive this award. It is the ultimate accolade for the MS research community and is due entirely to the superb work carried out by my colleagues and team at Queen Square over the last three decades.’