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Newswise — NEW ORLEANS – The American Academy of Neurology and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society are awarding the 2012 John Dystel Prize for MS Research to Richard M. Ransohoff, MD, with the Cleveland Clinic. Ransohoff, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and Associate Editor of Neurology®, the Academy’s medical journal, will receive the award at the Academy’s 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21-28, 2012. The Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of neurologists with more than 10,000 attendees and more than 2,300 scientific presentations on the latest research advance in brain disease.

The John Dystel Prize recognizes a significant contribution to research in the understanding, treatment or prevention of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Ransohoff’s research has focused on the central nervous system, which includes the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord.

“This award recognizes the superb research done by my colleagues in my laboratory, and I'm proud to receive it on their behalf. Support by the National Institutes of Health, the National MS Society and generous individual donors showed confidence in our research and inspired our work,” said Ransohoff. “During the past 15 years, we’ve identified several new molecules as potential targets for MS treatments by studying how MS lesions begin in the central nervous system. Our research fortifies the rationale for developing new MRI techniques to visualize brain damage in MS and will help us to identify new treatments to address inflammation in the central nervous system.”

The award is presented by the American Academy of Neurology and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It is made possible through a special contribution from the John Dystel Multiple Sclerosis Research Fund at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Learn more about Ransohoff’s contributions to MS research and the Dystel Prize at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=5975.

“Professor Ransohoff’s research has uncovered far-reaching insights on immune activity at work in the brain and spinal cord during the MS disease process,” said Timothy Coetzee, PhD, Chief Research Officer for the National MS Society. “He’s a distinguished thought leader whose discoveries could pave the way for totally new approaches to treating the disease.”

Learn more about multiple sclerosis at http://www.aan.com/patients.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 25,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

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Cleveland Clinic Neurologist Awarded Dystel Prize for MS Research