Course Director
Xavier Montalban
Unit of Clinical Neuroimmunology
Vall d’Hebron University Hospital
Barcelona, Spain
Dr. Xavier Montalban is director of the Unit of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Vall d´Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, a post he has held since 1990.
Dr. Montalban gained his MD in 1983 and was awarded a Ph.D in 1988, after formal training in neurology. In 1989 he undertook a postdoctoral research fellowship at Lupus Research Unit at St Thomas Hospital, London (UK), returning to Barcelona in 1990 to create the MS unit.
Dr. Montalban is a member of a number of scientific organisations, Patron of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and sits on the Advisory Board and the Scientific Committee of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, European School of Neuroimmunology and the European Charcot Foundation. He is also a member of several editorial boards of both national and international specialist journals. He has published over 100 original contributions in international journals and has authored a number of book chapters. Since 2003 he is a member of the advisory committee on clinical trials of new agents, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, USA and since 2005 Member of the Scientific Committee of the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS).
His current research interests include immune mechanisms in MS, cognitive dysfunction in MS, new intervention strategies and genetic characterization. He has participated both in the design and execution of several phase II and phase III clinical trials, and is member of safety and steering committees.
Countributors
Ester Moral Torres
Department of Neurology
Hospital Dos de Maig
Barcelona, Spain
Doctor Ester Moral, MD graduated from the University of Barcelona, Spain in 1997. She completed her residency training in neurology at the University Hospital of Bellvitge in Barcelona, Spain in 2003 and spent the following years as research fellow at the MS unit of the University Hospital of Bellvitge, Spain as well as at the MS center of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, USA.
At present she is working at the Neurological Department of the Hospital Dos de Maig in Barcelona and collaborating in MS research with the MS unit of the University Hospital of Bellvitge, Spain.
Dr. Moral´s research interests include molecular and clinical aspects of demyelinating diseases and epidemiology of MS. She is a member of the Spanish Neurological Society and the Spanish Multiple Sclerosis Research Group.
Tommaso Sacco
Medical Advisor
Serono Symposia International Foundation
Rome, Italy
Born in Pescara in December 1955, Dr. Tommaso Sacco graduated in Medicine and specialized in Internal Medicine and in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at Bologna University as well as Endocrinology at Modena University. He participated in clinical and research activities while attending the Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Department of Bologna University as student trainee and resident as well as at the Endocrinology Department of Modena University as resident. He has taught Clinical Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Milan University and at the School of Specialization in Gastroenterology of the G. D’Annunzio University in Chieti. He is author of 60 scientific publications. He later worked as general practitioner, hospital specialist and private practice specialist. Dr. Sacco has also been consultant for various Pharmaceutical Companies on research projects, training activities and scientific communication projects. Since 2006 he collaborates with Serono Symposia International Foundation as medical advisor and medical writer.