Meet the Man Who Has Led 2018 in Multiple Sclerosis Research

Frederik Barkhof, a professor of Neuroradiology, was awarded the 2018 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, which took place on April 22nd 2018 in Los Angeles.

The Dystel Prize is presented conjointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology. It was established in 1994 by the late Society National Board member, Oscar Dystel, and his wife Marion, in honor of their son, John Jay Dystel. John was an attorney with a promising career whose life was cut short due to progressive disability from MS. He passed away from complications of the disease in June of 2013.

Barkhof was honored by his peer committee as a leader in using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to improve MS diagnosis, to better understand the disease, as well as to speed up the search for better therapies. “I am super honored to receive the John Dystel prize 2018 from the American Academy of Neurology and National MS Society. To be among those who have won is humbling,” he said.

Career and professional development

Frederik Barkhof is a Professor of Neuroradiology in the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at VU University Medical Center (located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and at the Institutes of Neurology and Healthcare Engineering at the University College London (located in London, The United Kingdom). He received his medical degree from VU University Amsterdam in 1988, followed by his PhD in 1992, for which he received the Lucien Appel Prize for Neuroradiology and the Philips Prize for Radiology.

Barkhof is Scientific Director of the Image Analysis Center (IAC) at VU Medical Center, as well as leader of the Queen Square MS Centre Trial Unit, where he is developing new avenues for therapy through analyses of multicenter drug trials. He serves on several editorial boards, including for Radiology, Neurology, Neuroradiology, Multiple Sclerosis Journal, and Brain. He is also a fellow of the Royal College of Radiology and the Principle Investigator of an extensive European study on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Read on to learn more about Barkhof's numerous contributions to the field of multiple sclerosis treatment, research, and general advancement.

Photo: UCL Brain Sciences