Neurology professor Lawrence Steinman won the 2011 Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Charcot Award, a biennial award that honors lifetime achievement in multiple sclerosis research. Steinman earned recognition for transferring knowledge from molecular analysis to licensed therapy.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease that damages the myelin sheath around the axons of the brain and spinal cord, making it difficult for the axons to conduct signals. While some treatments exist, the prognosis is difficult to predict and much remains unknown about the disease.

Steinman’s research studies the mechanisms of the disease’s relapse and remission by identifying and characterizing genes that regulate inflammation in the brain, and developing new therapies that modulate the immune system.

The prize comes with a cash award of $2,500 and will be presented in Amsterdam at the annual European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

–Ivy Nguyen