Progressive MS and accelerating breakthough treatments

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A first-of-its-kind global research network funded by the International Progressive MS Alliance aims to develop new, effective treatments for progressive MS. Join us on 4 March for a global webcast where we’ll learn how researchers from multiple countries are working together to create breakthroughs to improve the lives of people with progressive MS.

About the Panellists

Francisco J. Quintana, PhD, is a Professor of Neurology at the Center for Neurologic Diseases, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and an Associate Member at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. Dr. Quintana, a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires (1999, Argentina), obtained his PhD in immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science (2004, Israel). He received postdoctoral training at the Weizmann Institute of Science and at Harvard Medical School. In 2009, Dr. Quintana joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Quintana’s research investigates signaling pathways that control the immune response and neurodegeneration, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for immune-mediated disorders. Dr. Quintana has published over 140 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. In addition, Dr. Quintana’s research has resulted in multiple patents which have been the foundation of three companies: ImmunArray Ltd, Alma Bio Therapeutics and AnTolRx Inc. Dr. Quintana is the Director of the course Autoimmunity at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Bruce Bebo is the Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society. His responsibilities include leading the Society’s global research strategy focused on achieving breakthroughs for people affected by MS. Bruce is a member of the Society’s Senior Leadership Team, serves on the Scientific Steering Committee of the International Progressive MS Alliance, and the Programmatic Panel for the MS Program at the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. Bruce brings 30 years of experience in MS research in academic, industry and non-profit organizations. He was inspired to join the MS movement by his mother who lived with progressive MS.

Liliana Sanmarco, PhD completed her doctorate in biochemistry from National University of Córdoba, Argentina with a focus on how inflammation and oxidative stress trigger heart damage after a parasitic infection. Since joining Professor Fran Quintana’s lab in 2018 as a post-doctoral fellow, she researches how to stop inflammation in MS, mainly through gut-brain communication.

Michael Wheeler, PhD is a post-doctoral fellow in Professor Fran Quintana’s lab at Harvard University. Mike focuses on neuro-immune crosstalk in the context of MS, with an emphasis on glial cell signalling networks with peripheral T cells. Mike’s post-doc work has identified environmental, epigenetic, and microbiotic mechanisms that control astrocyte responses and CNS inflammation in MS and its animal models.