Pavan Bhargava, MBBS, MD of Johns Hopkins Selected to Conduct Progressive MS Research

Hackensack, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/17/2016 --The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) announces that Pavan Bhargava, MBBS, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has been awarded the John F. Kurtzke, MD, FAAN Clinician-Scientist Development Three-Year Award in Multiple Sclerosis. The award is co-sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology, The American Brain Foundation and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, with funding through the Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.

Dr. Bhargava's three-year research project will be on "Targeting Leptomeningeal Inflammation for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis." He aims to develop a method to utilize mouse models to screen various therapeutic agents that could target inflammation in the coverings of the brain (meninges) that play a role in causing progression in people with multiple sclerosis.

"This system will help us to better understand how this inflammation develops and can also be used to test the effect of promising therapies on this inflammation. Therapies that succeed in this system can then be moved to trials in people with progressive multiple sclerosis," said Dr. Bhargava.

This Clinician-Scientist Development Award was established in 2009 to honor the contributions of the late Dr. Kurtzke and inspire new MS healthcare professionals to follow in his path. The award also aims to recognize the importance of good clinical research and encourage young investigators in clinical studies.

Dr. Kurtzke was a pioneering neuroepidemiologist and Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University who is best known for his creation of the Expanded Disability Status Scale and for his research on multiple sclerosis (MS). After graduating from Cornell University Medical College in 1952, Dr. Kurtzke started his career in the field of neurology as Chief of the Neurology Service at the Veteran's Affairs (VA) Medical Centers in Coatesville, PA, from 1956 to 1963, and then in Washington, DC, from 1963 to 1995, where he became Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University, where he was Professor Emeritus. Dr. Kurtzke passed away in December of 2015.

In addition to the John F. Kurtzke Clinician-Scientist Development Award in Multiple Sclerosis, the Foundation of the CMSC has funded over 400 MS Workforce of the Future and Professionals-in-Training projects as well as research fellowship awards in honor of other pioneering MS neurologists through grants and private contributions.

For more information on additional scholarships, fellowships, and projects made possible by the FCMSC, please visit http://cmscfoundation.org/initiatives2

About The Foundation of CMSC
The FCMSC was founded in 1999 with the mission to stimulate the growth, development and provision of patient care services, education and research in the field of MS and to enhance the quality of life of those affected by MS through supporting the activities of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers' (CMSC).

For more information go to www.cmscfoundation.org

About Consortium Of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)
CMSC, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, is the leading educational, training, and networking organization for MS healthcare professionals and researchers. The CMSC mission is to promote high quality MS care through educational programming and accreditation including live and online events, research grants, technical journals and papers, and targeted advocacy efforts. The CMSC member network includes more than 11,000 international healthcare clinicians and scientists committed to MS care as well as more than 60 Veterans Administration MS Programs and 225 MS Centers in the US, Canada, and Europe. The CMSC 30th Annual Meeting, the largest gathering of MS professionals in North America, will take place June 1-4, 2016, in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC.

For more information go to http://www.mscare.org.

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