German neurologist Professor Kerstin Hellwig, leading clinical-scientist in the field of MS and family planning, is the winner of the 2024 Rachel Horne prize.
Dr Hellwig, a senior consultant at St Josef Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum in Germany, has been recognised for her pioneering research over the past two decades into understanding and navigating the safety of approved treatments for women with multiple sclerosis before, during and after pregnancy.
"As a result of Professor Hellwig's ground-breaking work, physicians now have evidence-based information to optimise the treatment of women with MS during this critical time of their life, minimising the risk for the mother and baby," said Professor Emmanuelle Waubant, chair of International Women in MS (iWiMS) who oversaw the review and judging process.
"I am thrilled to receive the Rachel Horne Prize," said Dr Hellwig. "Twenty years ago, we knew about the natural course of MS during pregnancy and postpartum. Now we get a granular picture of the complicated interplay of the exposure of different disease modifying therapies on infants' health, and also the effect of the withdrawal of the drugs on maternal health. This information is urgently needed and providing it in an informed decision process is modern medicine."
Founder of the award Rachel Horne, said, "I am so pleased to see Dr Hellwig has won this year's prize. Historically there has been little research on how best to combine MS treatments while also make safe, informed decisions around family planning. Professor Hellwig has led the way in changing this. So thank you."
Professor Hellwig will receive the award at the 40th Congress of the European Committee for Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 20 September 2024.
Dr Hellwig is chair and founder of the German MS and Pregnancy Registry (DMSKW) which she set up in 2006. The register currently holds information on more than 5,000 pregnancies.
